The Vegetation Management Act 1999 regulates the clearing of native vegetation in Queensland. The Act sets down the rules and regulations that guide what clearing can be done, and how it must be done to meet the requirements of the law. It regulates clearing of remnant vegetation, and some non-remnant vegetation on freehold land and state tenures.

The Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) uses regional vegetation management codes to assess applications for clearing of native vegetation.

Landholders can apply for a permit to clear native vegetation for certain relevant purposes. In some situations, clearing may also be done under an exemption. If you would like further information on what clearing can or cannot be done on your property, you may view the fact sheet What to consider before clearing vegetation (PDF, 103kB)*.

• Vegetation clearing guides—permits required
• Forest practice guide
• Application forms
• Records of applications to clear
• Relevant clearing purposes
• Contact information

Vegetation clearing guides—permits required

The following guides are part of a planned series of easy-to-read, plain English guides to help landholders and developers apply for permits to clear native vegetation and ensure that they are meeting legal requirements for clearing.

Landholders need to be aware that there is a moratorium in place for clearing all native regrowth vegetation within 50 metres of a watercourse in a priority reef catchments and for clearing endangered regrowth vegetation in rural areas across the State on freehold and agricultural and grazing State leasehold land for a period of at least 3 months. This came into effect on 8 April 2009. 

It should be noted that these plain English guides do not incorporate requirements under the Moratorium Act. Please refer to the information on the moratorium on clearing high value regrowth before you consider these guides and read the guides in conjunction with the requirements in the Moratorium Act.

These guides constitute modules in the OnePlan framework that provides Queensland landholders with a consistent way of preparing property-level plans—a requirement in applications to clear native vegetation.

If you have already documented any of the information requested in another OnePlan module, you can use it in your application.

The Landholders’ guide to vegetation clearing applications (PDF, 582 kB)* explains:

• when you require a permit to clear vegetation
• what clearing can be done under an exemption
• how to read regional ecosystem (RE) maps
• how to apply to clear vegetation
• how DERM will assess your application
• what you can expect from DERM.

An updated version of the Landholders' guide to fodder harvesting applications (PDF, 837kB) and the Fodder harvesting application worksheet (PDF, 135kB) are now available. Fodder harvesting is a legitimate purpose for which you can apply to 'clear' native vegetation. However, to do so, you require a development permit. The landholders' guide and worksheet have been developed to help landholders' apply for a development permit. You can download a copy of the guide and the worksheet at the above links, otherwise please contact one of our regional offices for more information.

DERM is currently preparing landholders' guides for regrowth, thinning, and encroachment.

Forest practice guide

In remnant vegetation you are not required to lodge an application or obtain a permit to conduct a native forest practice on freehold land; however, you must notify the department that you intend to clear for this purpose.

• The Field guide: code for conducting a forest practice on freehold land (PDF, 817 kB)* includes:
  • colour photos and diagrams for easy reference in the field
  • a summary of the code in operational order
  • procedures for notifying DERM of a native forest practice
  • additional information that is not a requirement of the code.

Undertaking a native forest practice on freehold land in vegetation affected by the moratorium can occur if the practice is conducted in a way stated in the Vegetation Management Act 1999 (VMA). Compliance with the relevant code and notification of the practice is not required.

Application forms

All applications must be made on 'Part A' and 'Part J' of the Development Application Form available on the Department of Infrastructure and Planning website.

There is no official application form to be completed when applying to clear within a moratorium area. However, you should provide in writing to the department applicant details (ie name, address, telephone numbers etc.) and the property(ies) details of where the clearing is going to occur. Your application should also include a map, aerial photo or another technique for specifying where the clearing will occur (eg GPS points). The application should also include an explanation of why the clearing is covered by one or more of the relevant purposes and how the clearing will minimise impacts on key environmental values.

Records of applications to clear

DERM maintains a database of records of current applications to clear native vegetation on freehold land. The information does not indicate if applications have been approved. Copies of active applications are available for inspection or purchase from your local DERM service centre.

Relevant clearing purposes

Clearing is considered 'for a relevant purpose' if it is:

• a project declared to be a significant project under the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 section 26
• necessary to control non-native plants or declared pests
• to ensure public safety
• for establishing a necessary fence, firebreak, road or vehicular track, or for constructing necessary built infrastructure, if there is no suitable alternative site for the fence, firebreak, road, track or infrastructure
• a natural and ordinary consequence of other assessable development for which a development approval as defined under the Integrated Planning Act 1997 was given, or a development application as defined under the Integrated Planning Act 1997 was made, before 16 May 2003
• for fodder harvesting
• for thinning
• for clearing of encroachment
• for an extractive industry
• for clearing regrowth on leases issued under the Land Act 1994 for agriculture or grazing purposes
• for clearing regrowth on freehold land, or indigenous land, in a wild river high preservation area
• in an urban development area under the Urban Land Development Authority Act 2007

Clearing applications for these purposes are assessed against the regional vegetation management codes. Where clearing is within a moratorium area please refer to the moratorium on clearing high-value regrowth for further information on preparing an application.

Contact information

If you have problems downloading any of these documents, or would like a copy mailed to you, please contact:

Central West Region

• Phone 4938 4615 (Rockhampton)

North Region

• Phone 4799 7126 (Townsville)

South East Region

• Phone 4131 5754 (Bundaberg)
• Phone 5480 5333 (Gympie)
• Phone 3884 5328 (Ipswich)

South West Region

• Phone 4688 1098 (Toowoomba)

See DERM offices for a map depicting the boundaries of each region, and for a full service centre directory.

For email enquiries, please email VM Enquiries.

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