While ALCA supports the need for simplicity and reduced duplication in Nature Repair Market methods, the details of how this will be implemented in the method settings is critical to support integrity, security of outcomes, and participation.
Background
The Nature Repair Market provides a pathway for investment in nature. The Protect and Conserve method will be the first national method to be finalised under the Market, and it is important to get the method scope and settings right to ensure that it can successfully achieve protection and conservation of priority lands.
The Australian Government is revising the scope of the Protect and Conserve method under the Nature Repair Market. The intent of the revised scope is predominantly to simplify the method and to remove duplication with other methods.
ALCA's recommendations
While ALCA supports the need for simplicity and reduced duplication, the details associated with each of these changes, and how they interact with each other, will be critical in determining whether the method works appropriately. Our recommendations are intended to ensure that proponents are rewarded and supported for the work they do, that outcomes are secure, the method delivers Protected Areas as well as Conserved Areas, and that uncertainty and risk are transparently and fairly managed. Without this, there is a risk that the method will have low participation, integrity will be reduced, and outcomes may not be sustained.
In particular, we recommend (see also page 1-2 of submission) that:
- The method clearly recognises and rewards the active management required to maintain ecosystem condition
- Options to enable regular payments to proponents for land management should be further considered to reduce the risk of shortfalls in funding for management over the permanence period
- Uncertainty and risk in the method, which is unavoidable to some extent due to the 100-year permanence period, are managed transparently and equitably by the method
- To encourage projects under the method to contribute to our National Reserve System Protected Area estate, the method must appropriately differentiate these from projects which only have a biodiversity certificate as their security
- Improvements to the legal mechanisms under the Nature Repair Market are needed to ensure long-term durability of biodiversity certificates (and their associated biodiversity outcomes); this may require the use of on-title security for certain projects (e.g., offsets, and projects that contribute to 30 by 30).
- the need to align and harmonise the Protect and Conserve method with existing processes of covenanting organisations as much as possible. This may include a set of standards by which existing covenanting programs could be accredited, or similar.
More details are available in our full submission.
ALCA has been engaged by DCCEEW to provide ongoing, detailed advice and method-related materials on the private land component of the Protect and Conserve method as part of the Nature Repair Market.
