With the deadline for Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) applications passing on Monday 16 May, the focus with applications has now turned to amendments.

Under BPS and ANC, amendments, such as the addition of parcels or plots of land or rectifying an incorrectly claimed area, for example, may be made online until 31 May 2022.

The terms and conditions state that late amendments with additional parcels or plots or amended claimed areas will be accepted online up to and including 10 June 2022 with a penalty.

Payment on the parcel(s) concerned will be reduced by 1% for each working day in this period that the amendment is late.

Terms and conditions

The terms and conditions also state that an applicant may withdraw land, reduce the claimed area of a parcel or change use from eligible to ineligible (for example, the transfer of a house site) from your application without penalty at any time after the 31 May 2022 closing date for amendments, provided the following criteria are satisfied:

  • The Department has not notified you about any issues concerning your 2022 BPS application.
  • You have not been notified of an on-the-spot inspection.
  • An on-the-spot inspection does not reveal any non-compliances for the parcel(s) concerned.
  • You have not been either fully or partially paid under the BPS in respect of 2022.
  • Innocent errors

    There is scope for an application to correct obvious or innocent errors at any time after the 31 May 2022 closing date for amendments.

    The BPS terms and conditions also state that an application may opt to change a declared crop use, provided that the original crop was eligible for payment. However, you are not entitled to alter the crop use from an ineligible to an eligible crop.

    The Department will consider each request to correct an obvious or innocent error on its individual merits.

    Changes will not be approved where the Department has:

  • Already informed you of irregularities in the application; or
  • Given notice of its intention to carry out an on-the-spot inspection; or
  • Where an on-the-spot inspection reveals irregularities.