Farmers who are unhappy with the score assigned to their commonage under Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) can now seek a review.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has said that a procedure is now in place for farmers to seek a review of the scores allocated to the commonage which forms part of their ACRES contract.

The scoring of commonages is undertaken by a third party on behalf of the department.

ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) teams conduct the scoring where the commonage falls within the respective ACRES CP zones.

In the case of non-CP commonage, the department employs contractors to undertake the scoring.

The department said that a three-step process has been put in place for participants seeking a review of commonage scores.

Initially, the farmer must submit a request the relevant ACRES CP team or commonage scoring contractor that assessed and scored the commonage in question for an internal review to be undertaken.

This request must be made within three months of receiving the commonage scorecard summary.

During the review all available data including the scorecard, photos and notes will be examined and a site visit may be deemed necessary.

Once the review is completed the decision will be issued to the farmer.

If the farmer is not satisfied with the review explanation provided and having exhausted the internal referral process, they may then submit a request for review to the department within 21 days of the review.

This request for a DAFM review must be submitted on a "Request for Review of ACRES Commonage Scoring Review Decision" form which is available on the department's website.

DAFM will request all available data from the CP teams/commonage scoring contractor inorder to undertake this desktop review.

The department will then respond to the request for review and provide the ACRES participant with a DAFM review document.

In the event that the farmer is not satisfied with the DAFM internal review, they have a statutory right to appeal the decision to the Agriculture Appeals Office (AAO), which operates independently of the department.

This appeal should be submitted in writing using the "Notice of Appeal Form", within three months of the date of the DAFM decision letter.

The appeal may be submitted using the online appeal portal available on the AAO website.