Issue
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Description of changes to
legislation
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Reference
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Objects of the mechanism
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The objects of the mechanism now
include:
§
supporting the development of an effective global response to
climate change, consistent with Australia’s national interest in ensuring
that average global temperatures increase by not more than 2 degrees Celsius
above pre-industrial levels; and
§
putting a price on greenhouse gas emissions in a way that
encourages investment in clean energy, supports jobs and competitiveness in
the economy and supports Australia’s economic growth while reducing
pollution.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 3
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Reasons for changes:
To refer more explicitly to carbon pricing and the commitment reflected in
the Copenhagen Accord and Cancun Agreements that the increase in global
temperature should be below 2 degrees Celsius.
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Carbon budgets
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The legislation now includes a
definition of a ‘carbon budget’, being the total number of net Australian
emissions over a specified time period. The legislation explicitly states
that the Climate Change Authority can cover the issue of whether there should
be any changes to Australia’s carbon budgets as part of its reviews of the
mechanism. In setting pollution caps, the Minister must have regard to the
most recent report of the Climate Change Authority that dealt with carbon
pollution caps and carbon budgets.
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Clean Energy Bill, clauses 5,
14(2)(b), 288(1)(b) and 293(4)(b)
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Reasons for change:
To provide greater clarity about what ‘carbon budgets’ mean and how they are
taken into account by the Minister and the Climate Change Authority.
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International commitments
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In setting carbon pollution caps, the
Minister may have regard to undertakings relating to the reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions, that Australia has given under international
climate change agreements. The Climate Change Authority must have regard to
such undertakings in conducting its periodic reviews of the level of carbon
pollution caps.
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Clean Energy Bill, clauses 14
and 289
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Reasons for change:
To clarify that international commitments which do not have the status of
legally binding international obligations, such as the Copenhagen Accord and
Cancun Agreements, are relevant matters for consideration in the process for
setting carbon pollution caps.
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Mandatory designated joint ventures
(JVs)
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A JV is a ‘mandatory designated JV’
where two or more persons (whether or not they are JV participants)
share operational control of the facility, but no particular person
has the greatest authority to exercise operational control. The exposure
draft legislation was restricted to situations where only JV participants
shared operational control of a facility.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 65
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Reasons for change:
To reduce impediments to carbon price pass through in existing contracts by
applying liability to each of the JV participants. The potential impediments
to price pass through apply equally in situations where JV participants share
operational control and where non-participants (for example, a contracted
operator) have a share in operational control.
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If a mandatory designated JV ceases
to exist after 1 July 2012, and it would be reasonable to expect that the JV
would otherwise have been a liable entity, then the participants must jointly
notify the Regulator in writing within 30 days of that occurring.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 66(4)
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Reasons for change:
To ensure that the Regulator is made aware of JVs that cease to exist, and
enables the Regulator to carry out its compliance and enforcement functions.
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Declared designated JVs (formerly
voluntary designated JVs)
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Under the exposure draft bill, a
declaration of a voluntary designated JV was restricted to situations where
the operator of the facility is not a participant in the JV. This restriction
has been removed.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 67
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Reasons for changes:
To provide flexibility for JVs to manage their emissions obligations. Many
JVs have one of the JV participants as an operator, and disallowing a
declared designated JV in this situation would be unduly restrictive.
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Under the exposure draft bill, a voluntary
designated JV may have unintentionally included JVs which were also mandatory
designated JVs. The bill as introduced provides that it is a condition of
being a declared designated JV is that it is not a mandatory designated JV.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 67
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Reasons for change:
To remove overlap, and any resulting uncertainty, in the treatment of
mandatory and declared designated JVs.
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Under the exposure draft bill, a
voluntary designated JV could not include a foreign person. This restriction
has been removed.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 67
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Reasons for change:
To address stakeholder concerns that the restriction, intended to address the
difficulty of enforcing obligations by foreign entities, would preclude many
JVs. Enforcement will be addressed by new provisions on revocation of
declarations in cases of default, and excluding participants with an
unsatisfactory compliance record from future JV declarations.
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Among the criteria applied by the
Regulator in making a declaration of a designated JV, participants with an
unsatisfactory record of compliance under the Act and associated provisions
(including the NGER Act) may be excluded from future JV declarations.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause
70(3)(c)
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Consent for a revocation of a
declaration of a declared designated JV requires the consent of the current
operator of the facility.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 71
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JV participants or former
participants must jointly notify the Regulator in writing if the declared
designated JV ceases to pass the JV declaration test. Notice should be given
within 30 days of the cessation.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 71A
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Where liability is transferred from
a facility operator to JV participants under a declared designated JV, the
statutory requirement for the operator to guarantee the payment of any unit
shortfall charges and late payment penalties incurred by a JV participant has
been removed.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 139
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Reasons for changes:
To address stakeholder concerns about practical compliance and provide
additional clarity to liable entities.
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If payment of a unit shortfall
charge by a participant in a declared designated JV is overdue by more than 3
months, the Regulator must notify all of the participants and revoke the
declaration from the start of the next 1 July. This means that liability
will revert to the person with operational control of the facility (unless
the JV participants apply to the Regulator for a new declaration which
excludes the defaulting participant).
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 72
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Reasons for changes:
To enable the Regulator to rectify a situation of default by a participant in
the declared designated JV, and prevent the possibility of default for an
unlimited time period, which may otherwise result from removal of the
statutory guarantee provision in clause 139 of the exposure draft bill.
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Provisions on designated JV
declarations have been modified to enable a declaration to start on any day
of the financial year in which the declaration was made, so long as the
parties consent to the date.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 71
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Reasons for changes:
To provide additional flexibility in the making of applications by JV
participants and processing of those applications by the Regulator.
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The amendments clarify the start
dates for participating percentage determinations, which set out how
liability is allocated to JV participants. The first determination must start
on the same day as the designated JV declaration takes effect. Subsequent ‘replacement
determinations’ may come into force on a date specified by the applicants,
provided the start date occurs in the financial year in which the
determination is made or in the next financial year.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 78A
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Reasons for changes:
To give JV participants greater flexibility around the timing of their
applications, whilst ensuring that the time period covered by the initial
determination and any replacement determinations is continuous.
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Liability transfer certificates
(LTC)
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The Regulator may issue LTCs that
start on a specified date, which includes a date in the future, but not later
than 30 June of the following financial year. This mirrors the changes for JV
declarations under clause 72.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 88
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Reasons for change:
To increase flexibility for the management of compliance obligations and
reduce timing pressure for the processing of applications on the Regulator.
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Natural gas
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The entity liable for natural gas
supplied from a pipeline (when no OTN is quoted) is the ‘natural gas
supplier’, rather than the ‘natural gas retailer’, as proposed in the
exposure draft legislation.
The distinction between
distribution and transmission pipelines, proposed in the exposure draft
legislation, has been removed.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 33
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Reasons for changes:
To avoid difficulties in defining a ‘natural gas retailer’, including
unintended consequences of referring to retailers licensed under state
legislation. Consultation with industry revealed that the distinction between
distribution pipelines and transmission pipelines is not always clear cut.
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If the Regulator makes, alters or
removes an entry on the OTN Register, then it must notify all natural gas
retailers currently listed on the OTN Register of the change.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 45
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Reasons for changes:
To provide a simple system for alerting natural gas suppliers to OTN changes,
helping them to reduce their compliance burden and risk of inadvertently
breaching OTN rules.
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Entities responsible for a ‘large
gas consuming facility’ that used natural gas with potential greenhouse gas
emissions of 25,000 tonnes CO2-e or more in 2010-11 or a later
financial year will be liable entities. Quotation of an OTN for natural gas
supplies used in such facilities will be mandatory, rather than voluntary, as
proposed in the exposure draft legislation.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 20,
21, 22, 23, 35, 55A, 55B and 56
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Reasons for changes:
To ensure consistent treatment of large facilities, and to improve carbon
price pass-through to large end-users of natural gas.
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A natural gas supplier must accept
an OTN quotation for natural gas which is used as a feedstock or to
manufacture CNG, LNG or LPG which enters the excise system. Acceptance of a
quotation in these circumstances was voluntary unless a contract for the
supply of natural gas was in force on the date of Royal Assent.
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Clean Energy Bill, clauses 57-60
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Reasons for changes:
To remove the possibility that non-emission uses of natural gas would attract
a carbon price.
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Where a supplier is required to
accept an OTN quotation, the OTN holder must notify the supplier in writing
of their intention to quote their OTN. The notification period is 28 days, or
a shorter period if agreed between the supplier and the OTN holder.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 55B,
57 and 58
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Reasons for changes:
To give natural gas suppliers time to make the necessary administrative
adjustments to their supply arrangements.
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There will be no ‘application to
own use’ provision concerning withdrawal of natural gas.
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Reasons for change:
To simplify compliance for natural gas users.
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The Regulator will publish a list
of OTNs that have been cancelled or surrendered on its website, including the
time when the cancellation or surrender takes effect.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 43A
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Reasons for changes: To
allow natural gas suppliers to more easily determine when an OTN has been
cancelled, providing warning that liability will revert back to the supplier
within 28 days.
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The Regulator may amend an entry on
the OTN Register for a natural gas supplier if the supplier changes its name
or address.
A person or a natural gas supplier
listed on the OTN Register must notify the Regulator of a change in its name
or address within 28 days after the change.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 46
Clean Energy Bill, clause 47
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Reasons for changes:
To provide explicit powers for the Regulator to record changes in the details
of natural gas suppliers.
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Following the surrender or
cancellation of an OTN, the grace period (28 days) after which liability for
natural gas reverts to the natural gas supplier, can be shortened only by
agreement between the supplier and former OTN holder, not unilaterally by the
OTN holder as proposed in the exposure draft legislation.
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Clean Energy Bill, clauses 54
and 55
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Reasons for change:
To better reflect the commercial arrangements between natural gas suppliers
and users.
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Evidence of the Regulator’s
decisions and the Registry – use in evidence
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Provisions concerning the use of
certified copies or extracts from the OTN Register as evidence in court
proceedings have been replaced with a note referencing relevant provisions of
the Evidence Act 1995.
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Clean Energy Bill, clauses 46
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Reasons for change:
To ensure consistency with the Evidence Act 1995.
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Fuel opt-in scheme
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Under the exposure draft, the
mechanism included only covered natural gas and other fuels were covered by
the equivalent carbon price under the fuel tax system. An Opt-in Scheme will
allow certain entities otherwise liable under the fuel tax system to opt into
the mechanism, and their liability will be based on potential greenhouse gas
emissions.
Under the Opt-in Scheme the opt-in
entity will not necessarily be the one eligible for fuel tax credits.
Eligibility will be confined to: the entity entitled to fuel tax credits, a
member of the GST group under the Fuel Tax Act 2006, or a member of a
GST joint venture under that Act. A person must apply to be declared an
opt-in entity by the Regulator.
The Minister must take all
reasonable steps to ensure that regulations to put in place the Opt-in Scheme
are made before 15 December 2012. Reporting and record-keeping
requirements will be modelled on other Clean Energy Bill provisions.
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Clean Energy Bill, Part 3,
Division 7
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Reasons for changes:
The Opt-in Scheme responds directly to concerns expressed by stakeholders
about the best way in which they could manage their emissions reduction
liabilities. The changes in the bill provide a greater level of certainty
about the potential contents and timing of regulations for businesses wanting
to opt into the carbon pricing mechanism.
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Extending buy-back and fixed price
unit purchase deadlines
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An extension of surrender deadlines
may occur if two or more people are unable to surrender eligible emissions
units during the whole or part of the last surrender day (15 June or 1
February for fixed price years; and 1 February for flexible price years)
because of computer, telecommunications or internet system failures. The same
extension provisions will apply to purchase of fixed price (including price
cap) units and the buy-back facility.
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Clean Energy Bill, clauses 100A
and 116A
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Reasons for changes:
Liable entities may be disadvantaged if they are unable to acquire fixed
price units or use the buy-back facility because of system failures that were
out of their control.
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Carbon units - Indefeasibility of
title
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The bill as introduced makes it
clear that:
§
the registered holder of units is the legal owner;
§
the transfer of a carbon unit has no effect until it is
registered; and
§
bona fide purchasers are protected if they have acquired units
without notice of any defect in the title of the seller (e.g. where the units
have been stolen).
Regulations may make provision for
or with respect to the registration of any equitable interest in a carbon
unit, but not an equitable interest to which the Personal Property
Securities Act 2009 applies. The power in section 22 of the Australian
National Registry of Emissions Units Act 2011 to rectify the Register is
subject to the vesting of the legal interest in the unit
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Clean Energy Bill, clauses 103A,
106 and 109A of the main bill;
Consequential Amendments bill,
Schedule 4, items 17A, 21A, 21B, 23A, and 36A
Consequential Amendments bill,
Schedule 5 item 25D
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Reasons for changes:
The changes ensure that there is limited scope for dispute on issues relating
to the ownership of units on the Registry and the way in which they may be
transferred. This provides those using the Registry with greater confidence
and certainty that their bona fide transactions will be honoured.
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Auctions
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The bill makes it clear that amount
to be paid for units is the amount equal to the amount the person indicated
or declared, in the course of the auction, that the person would be willing
to pay by way of charge for the issue of the unit, and that the auctioneer
accepted as the charge for the unit.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 111
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Reasons for change:
This change removes a potential barrier to using, for example, an ascending
clock auction, which involves bidders making an offer which is not accepted
because demand has outstripped supply and returning to a previous offer as
the price of the unit. This means that the last amount that the person
indicated they would be willing to pay for the unit is not the price of the
unit.
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The Regulator may auction carbon
units even if there is no determination in force.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 113
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Reasons for change:
This change means that there is no doubt about the Regulator’s capacity to
conduct auctions in the event that a determination is disallowed by either
House of Parliament. Without auctions, the emissions trading scheme could not
function.
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Payment and surrender
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If an eligible Australian carbon
credit unit is surrendered, the Regulator must cancel the unit and remove the
entry for the unit from the Registry account.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 122
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The bill clarifies the methodology
for calculating interim emissions numbers in the first year of the mechanism
(2012-13), which allows for the use of data relating to the previous year for
a facility.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 126
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Reasons for changes:
These changes improve the practical application of the payment and surrender
process.
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Voluntary changes to emissions
numbers
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The Regulator may remit unit
shortfall charges in part where a liable entity voluntarily discloses
that an earlier emissions number was underreported. The remission is limited
to the extent of the underreporting.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 134A
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Reasons for change: The
change will remove disincentives for liable entities to report errors in
reported emissions numbers.
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Jobs and Competitiveness Program
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The need for ongoing assistance to
emissions-intensive trade-exposed industries is to be considered having
regard to whether the impact of measures taken by competing countries and
major emitting countries to reduce emissions is comparable to the impact of
Australian measures (including but not restricted to the carbon pricing
mechanism).
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 143
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Reasons for change:
To clarify that the full range of emissions reduction measures
internationally is to be considered in reviews of the Jobs and
Competitiveness Program.
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Any changes to regulations that
have a negative effect on recipients of assistance under the Program should
not take effect before the later of 1 July 2017 or the end of the 3-year
period that begins when the reduction is announced.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 145
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Reasons for change:
This change reflects the Clean Energy Future Plan and ensures that the Government,
when considering changes to assistance, has regard to the agreed principle
that industry needs a notice period before adverse changes to assistance take
effect.
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In conducting an inquiry on the
Program, the Productivity Commission must have regard to, among other things,
the impact of the carbon pricing mechanism on emissions-intensive
trade-exposed industries (rather than just the impact of the Jobs and
Competitiveness Program); and whether the Program is supporting Australia’s
medium and long-term emissions reduction objectives.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 156(2)
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Reasons for change:
This change clarifies the broader scope of matters to be considered.
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The Productivity Commission must
publish a report as soon as practicable after its being tabled in a House of
the Parliament.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 158
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Reasons for changes:
Clarifies relationship between tabling and publication.
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Energy Security – Generator
assistance
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To apply for assistance, the
applicant must apply within 30 days after the commencement of Part 8. This
would have the effect of changing the extended time limit to 60 days and changing the timing for the regulator to make a
decision to 150 days. Application forms may be approved by the Minister as a
combined form (including application for payments from the Energy Security
Fund).
A special appropriation is made for
the funding provided from the Energy Security Fund.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 163
Clean Energy Bill, clauses 303A
and 303B
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Reasons for changes:
The changes provide a faster application and assessment period in response to
feedback from industry. The combined form (covering cash payments in 2011-12
as well as free carbon units under the legislation) simplifies the
application process and minimises the need to provide duplicate information.
The special appropriation
ensures that measures from the Energy Security Fund can be funded and
implemented quickly should this be required to achieve energy security
outcomes.
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Energy Security – Clean Energy Plans
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The required contents of a Clean
Energy Investment Plan are detailed in the legislation rather than being
specified in a legislative instrument by the Resources and Energy Minister.
The legislation provides greater
clarity that the power system reliability test and the requirement for a
Clean Energy Investment Plan do not apply to generation complexes
which are subject to closure contracts.
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Clean Energy Bill, clauses 177,
178 and 181A
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Reasons for changes:
Placing the requirements for Clean Energy Investment Plans in legislation
provide additional industry certainty as how it might comply with the
requirement to lodge a Plan.
Generators which close will not
be required to submit Clean Energy Investment Plans. Power system reliability
issues will be covered by closure contract provisions.
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Significant holdings
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The bill as introduced:
increases the threshold for when
someone has a significant holding from 5 per cent to 10 per cent;
simplifies the information that
needs to be provided to the Regulator in such a notification, to remove the
requirement to provide the total number of carbon units, or the total number
of carbon units expressed as a percentage of the carbon pollution cap;
reduces the amount of information
that needs to be published by the Regulator. The Regulator will now only need
to publish the name and address of the controlling corporation or non-group
entity; and the significant holding percentage; and
requires a notification to the
Regulator if there is a change in the significant holding percentage.
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Clean Energy Bill, clauses 218
and 219
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Reasons for changes: The
changes respond to stakeholder concerns about the practicability of the
significant holdings obligations while still ensuring the disclosure of
useful information to the market.
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Land Sector Carbon and Biodiversity
Board
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Board size increased to 5 members
(including the Chair); and additional areas of expertise added (including indigenous
land management).
Greater clarity of the Board’s
functions has been provided, including specific references to the Board’s
role in relation to the Government’s Biodiversity Fund.
The Board’s annual reporting
requirements have been broadened to require an outline of progress against
performance indicators and implementation of activities related to its
functions and the role of these activities in advancing Australia’s
biodiversity or mitigation measures.
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Climate Change Authority bill,
clauses 62, 64, 65 and 81
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Reasons for changes:
The changes respond to stakeholder concerns about Board membership and that
its role in relation to the Biodiversity Fund needs to be specifically
articulated. They provide greater clarity on the Board’s functions and
reporting obligations.
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Anti-avoidance
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Matters to be considered in
deciding whether there is an anti-avoidance scheme have been added, including
the manner in which the scheme was entered into or carried out, the form,
substance and timings of the scheme, the result which would otherwise have
been achieved, and whether the scheme involves artificial splitting of
facilities to avoid the emissions threshold.
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Clean Energy Bill, clause 29
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Reasons for changes: Greater
clarity on factors to be considered by the Regulator in deciding whether
avoidance activity is being carried out.
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Regulator’s powers and obligations
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The Regulator must give written
notice of decisions under the bill to the person or persons affected by the
decision.
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Clean Energy Bill, various
clauses
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Reasons for changes:
These changes make it clear that the Regulator must give clear advice to
affected persons about its decisions.
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Additional disclosure powers for
the Regulator to other Departments which collect statistics relating to
greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption or energy production, for the
purposes of advising the relevant Minister or administering the relevant
program. The Regulator may disclose protected information to the CEO of the
Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (Customs).
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Clean Energy Regulator Bill
2011, clauses 46 and 49
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Reasons for changes:
More effective information exchange provisions. Disclosure to Customs added
to ensure effective operation of fuel opt-in provisions.
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National Greenhouse and Energy
Reporting Act 2007
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Removal of previous requirement for
permission by the Regulator before republication by States and Territories of
greenhouse and energy information relating to facilities located there.
Reporting obligations can be
transferred within a corporate group to a member who is a holder of a
Corporate Group Liability Transfer Certificate in addition to a group member
with operational control.
Methodology for the publication of
energy consumption to be set out in regulations.
Other minor technical amendments to
reflect other policy changes in the Clean Energy Bill 2011 following
the exposure draft (e.g. treatment of natural gas).
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Consequential Amendments bill,
Schedule 1, Part 1, Item 153A, item 369
Consequential Amendments bill,
Schedule 1, Part 2, Item 371
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Reasons for changes:
These changes provide more efficient dissemination of information by
States/Territories and respond to industry feedback by providing greater
consistency of reporting under the NGER Act.
The methodology currently
specified in the NGER Act for the publication of data can overstate the level
of energy consumption through double counting, leading to inaccuracy and a
loss of confidence in the accuracy of the system. This change will allow for
the methodology to be spelt out in regulations and changed as needed.
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Australian National Registry of
Emissions Units Act 2011
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Additional requirements in relation
to decisions on refusing to give effect to transfer instructions, restricting
or limiting the operation of, or suspending, Registry accounts, to require
the Regulator to make decisions within 7 days, require the Regulator to
notify persons of final decisions, and to provide notice to persons affected
by an interim decision about transactions on the Registry.
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Consequential Amendments bill,
Schedule 4, item 23, new sections 28B, 28C and 28D
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Reasons for changes:
Greater clarity on decision-making powers with regard to the suspension of
accounts, so as to provide certainty to the market and promote confidence it
is secure, and that the rights of affected persons are recognised.
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Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative)
Act 2011
|
Technical changes to facilitate the
transfer of projects from prescribed non-CFI offsets schemes, such as the
NSW/ACT Greenhouse Gas Reduction Scheme and the former national Greenhouse
Friendly Initiative, to the CFI.
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Consequential Amendments bill,
Schedule 5, items 5-12, 15-17
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Reasons for changes:
These changes provide avenues for persons covered by non-CFI offsets schemes
to become part of the CFI.
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Regulations will specify
circumstances in which the regulatory additionality test does not apply.
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Consequential Amendments bill,
Schedule 5, items 13-14
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Reasons for change:
This change prevents unintended exclusion of projects that are undertaken
voluntarily, but incorporated into licence or environmental approval
conditions.
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Transitional provisions will ensure
that advice and consultation by the interim Domestic Offsets Integrity
Committee are carried over into the statutory CFI when it commences.
Two members of the DOIC will be
CSIRO officers and the requirement that the majority of members must not be
Commonwealth employees is removed.
|
Consequential Amendments bill,
Schedule 5, items 18, 24 and 25
Consequential Amendments bill,
Schedule 5, items 30 and 31
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Reasons for changes:
These changes ensure that the work of the interim DOIC can be preserved
during the transition to the statutory CFI and that the DOIC has members with
appropriate levels of technical expertise.
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Other technical changes (e.g.
disclosure of protected information allowed where it has been lawfully made
available to the public, AUSTRAC added as a body to which protected
information may be disclosed)
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Consequential Amendments bill,
Schedule 5
|
|
Reasons for change:
Minor changes to make CFI provisions consistent with the carbon pricing
mechanism.
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Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act
2000
|
The Regulator has a discretion to
refuse registration under the RET on grounds prescribed by regulations. The
regulator will be given additional powers to suspend registration on grounds
prescribed by regulations.
Clarification of the close
relationship between the inspection process for small generation units and
that for registering certificates, including that fees charged for
registration must be reasonably related to the Commonwealth’s expenses in
carrying out inspections and preparing inspection reports.
A recommendation by the Climate
Change Authority made as part of a periodic review of the Renewable Energy (Electricity)
Act must not be inconsistent with the objects of that Act.
|
Consequential Amendments bill, Schedule
3
Consequential Amendments bill, Schedule
1, Item 451A Section 162
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|
Reasons for changes:
These changes ensure that the RET scheme is properly administered and
reviewed.
The change to the requirements
for Climate Change Authority reviews is intended to ensure its
recommendations are consistent with the Parliament’s intent regarding the
renewable energy target.
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Ozone Protection and Synthetic
Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989
|
The Minister may exempt licensees
from the levy when satisfied that the synthetic greenhouse gas (SGG) to be
imported or manufactured in the following circumstances:
it would be impracticable to impose
levy on the import of an SGG that is to be used for a purpose to be
prescribed by those regulations;
SGGs for medical, veterinary,
health or safety purposes;
SGGs imported solely for the
purpose of destruction under prescribed conditions.
This exemption for private or
domestic equipment will only apply where the equipment has also been
prescribed by regulation or legislative instrument made by the Minister and
any prescribed conditions have also been complied with.
Regulations may authorise a
licensee to assign their right to receive a remittal or refund of the carbon
charge component to a third party.
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Levy Amendment Bills, Schedule
1, item 3
Consequential Amendments bill,
Schedule 1, Part 2, item 425
Consequential Amendments bill,
Schedule 1, Part 2, item 450
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Reasons for changes:
This change ensures that SGGs when imported or manufactured for specific
public benefit purposes, such as medical equipment, may be excluded from the
application of the carbon price when appropriate and avoids unintentionally
disadvantaging users of products such as inhalers to relieve asthma. It
allows possible unintended consequences to be avoided regarding the
appropriate refund or remittal of the carbon charge component when licensees
have passed it on to a third party.
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