Q1. Does APT™ replace current permaculture curriculum?
APT™ is not a curriculum and therefore does not replace or supplant any current permaculture ‘curriculum’ including PDCs. APT™ is comprised of sets of competency standards at various levels of permaculture practices and applications from which teachers can develop their own teaching approaches. 

Q2. What criteria are required for teaching APT™?
 Accredited Trainers teaching advanced levels of APT™ must have completed a PDC.  For a full list of further requirements click here.

Q3. Does APT™ replace current permaculture training?
APT™ does not replace or negate existing training in permaculture. APT™ provides an accredited framework in which existing and new PC training can choose to operate. It simply provides more options and in this respect is no different to the approach used by existing permaculture centres, institutes, schools, specialist short courses, and correspondence providers.

Q4. What benefits does APT™ provide over current arrangements?
APT™ provides an alternative to some people to access PC training eg. schools, wwoofers, farmers (via Farmbis), the unemployed and Aboriginal communities where the requirement for 'accredited' training is mandatory. Also, training under APT™ does not attract GST as 'accredited' training (including PDC’s delivered within the APT™ framework) is GST exempt.

Q5. Who owns APT™?
APT™ is owned by Permaculture International Limited (PIL) and hence by PDC graduates. PIL is owned by its membership and full/ordinary membership is only controlled by people who have completed a PDC. 

Q6. Why was APT™ developed?
APT is the fulfilment of a long-held vision of permaculture teachers to accredit permaculture training in a way that maintains the integrity of permaculture.  APT™ was instituted to prevent widespread uptake by public providers outside of the control of the permaculture community, thus it represents a proactive move to avert the very problems in respect to integrity in PC training that those with concerns about APT™ sometimes allude to.
(In a review of agriculture and horticulture training in 2001, David Rumsey recommended to the RTCA that permaculture courses should be made available through National Training Packages – and their packages are government owned and that may have been the fate of Permaculture Training.)
Since the early days of permaculture, people’s needs and the training system have evolved. APT™ provides a mechanism that addresses this without the risks of losing control to people or organizations outside the established permaculture community.

Q7. What impact will APT™ have on permaculture philosophy?
Under APT™ the principles of permaculture have not changed; it provides an alternative framework under which it can be recognised. Permaculture concepts, ideas and principles as expressed in permaculture publications and reference books will remain the foundation for APT™ training. APT™ is also a vehicle to give training and experience in the practical skills required to work in a Permaculture system, design and or manage permaculture projects.