Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)
Updated: 23 January 2026
On 27 November 2025, the Commonwealth Government passed 7 amendment bills to the EPBC Act. These reforms significantly reduce the previous exemptions for agricultural-related clearing and introduce a stronger national approach to environmental regulation.
A new National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) will be established to regulate the EPBC Act and ensure national consistency. As a result, landholder obligations may now extend beyond existing State-based requirements.
According to updates from DCCEEW, the changes introduce significant new considerations for ag businesses seeking to clear native vegetation (e.g. mature regrowth, fodder harvesting and/or thinning permits or similar activities).
What landholders should do before clearing
Before undertaking any clearing, landholders should:
- Check if any exemptions to the EPBC Act apply.
- Determine the age of the vegetation.
- Assess whether the proposed clearing is likely to have a significant environmental impact.
- Refer the action to the Commonwealth, if the clearing is likely to be significant.
Contact Integrity Ag for further compliance or assessment if you are unsure – our trained staff have undertaken similar assessments for vegetation over 15 years old and have the tools to undertake this work cost-effectively.
Further information
ACCU Scheme Integrated Farm and Land Management (IFLM) method
Updated: 23 January 2026
On 22 December 2025, the Commonwealth Government released an updated draft IFLM method under the ACCU Scheme. A 28-day consultation period will formally begin on the 27 January 2026, with public webinars to be announced before consultation closes on 23 February 2026.
For the past two years, development of new or renewed land sector methods under the ACCU Scheme have largely stalled. The sunsetting of methods such as HIR, NFMR and BHM has limited carbon farming opportunities for graziers. The IFLM method was expected to address this gap by allowing multiple activities to occur within a single project area and offering a more cost-effective structure for smaller landholders. However, delays finalising the IFLM method, which is promised to bring all land-sector methods into one, have resulted in reduced project registrations and fewer viable carbon farming options during this period.
The updated IFLM method will present a viable replacement for the HIR method, offering options for both forest regeneration and plantings , and enabling landholders to generate value from regrowth.
Proposed IFLM modules
The draft method includes three broad activity categories (modules):
- Regeneration on cleared land: based on the previous regrowth method.
- Regeneration on suppressed: based on the HIR method.
- Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings: based on the EPM.
Key points
- Soil carbon, beef herd and avoided-emission activities are not included in the draft IFLM method.
- The draft does not permit stacking of multiple methods in the same Carbon Estimation Area (CEA), which was part of earlier drafts
- Multiple activities are allowed on separate areas in a single project.
The team at Integrity Ag have reviewed the method and can undertake preliminary assessment where required (e.g. due diligence for potential property sales).
In parallel with this, the QLD government has submitted a draft Avoided Clearing method, which offers significant opportunities for landholders wishing to retain mature regrowth that is currently able to be cleared. Consultation materials are available here:
NSW native veg clearing and land development
Updated: 23 January 2026
The statewide draft Native Vegetation Regulatory (NVR) map is now available for landholder review. Normally open for 40 days, the draft map includes previously mapped sensitive and vulnerable categories, and now incorporates 2 additional categories:
- Category 1 (exempt).
- Category 2 (regulated).
The NVR map is not yet legally binding; however, the transitional map, which includes legally binding Category 2-vulnerable and sensitive areas, remains in force.
The inclusion of Category 2 areas represents a significant expansion of land subject to regulation under the Local Land Services Act. This has important implications for:
- grasslands management,
- vegetation clearing activities, and
- the conversion of native pastures to cropping, improved pasture systems, or other land development activities.
These regulatory changes may substantially restrict vegetation clearing and land development options for some landholders.
Landholders may request a free map review during the draft phase before a final map is published. Guidance from the Department and Local Land Services (LLS) can be unclear, and field verification of mapped values is required as part of the permitting process.
The draft map and details are available here.
Integrity Ag has experience working with LLS on this process and can provide:
- preliminary desktop advice,
- field-based clearing applications for landholders planning agricultural land development in NSW, and
- negotiations with LLS to clarify excepted practices.