27th Mar 2023, 12:39 PM – Representatives Safeguard Mechanism (Crediting) Amendment Bill 2022 - Consideration in Detail - Implementing ACCU review recommendations

The majority voted in favour of government amendments introduced by the Minister for Climate Change and Energy and McMahon MP Chris Bowen (Labor), which means they will now be included as part of the bill.

What were the amendments?

The amendments were introduced along with a supplementary explanatory memorandum. Mr Bowen also provided a brief explanation in his speech:

Today I'm introducing government amendments to the Safeguard Mechanism (Crediting) Amendment Bill 2022 which will enact some of the recommendations of the ACCU review. These are legislative changes to the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011 that will increase transparency and robustness of the scheme while we continue to consult on the implementation of other recommendations. These recommendations will: require publication of carbon estimation area information and other information prescribed by the rules, recommendation 4.1; require the minister to be satisfied that a methodology determination or a varied methodology determination complies with the offsets integrity standards before the minister can make or vary the determination, recommendation 5.22; and change the Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee, ERAC, chair's position from part time to full time, recommendation 2.1—consistent with the recommendations of the review. I will appoint a full-time chair and a First Nations member of ERAC through an open and transparent process. The government will also establish an independent secretariat, reporting directly to the chair once they're appointed.