Australia's Nationals party has filed a motion to disallow the Carbon Credits Methodology Determination 2026, which would pay state governments to permanently end commercial timber harvesting in Regional Forest Agreement areas in exchange for carbon credits. The party argues the plan locks up productive forest land for a century, threatens 80,000 direct forestry jobs, and pushes Australia toward importing timber from countries with weaker environmental rules. The motion also raises concerns about foreign investment in Tasmanian farmland for carbon offset tree planting, subsidized by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The debate highlights a tension in carbon markets: using land for carbon sequestration vs. maintaining domestic timber supply and regional employment. The Australian Forest Products Association warned the decision prioritizes politics over science and could damage confidence in the ACCU scheme. The Nationals also point to Labor's broader goal of locking up 39 million hectares for the 2030 target, roughly twice the size of Victoria. The outcome will affect how carbon credits interact with land use, forestry, and agriculture in Australia.
