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 on freehold land, and of remnant and some non-remnant vegetation on state tenures.

The Department of Natural Resources and Water (NRW) 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.

Section quicklinks

• 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.  

They 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 NRW will assess your application
• what you can expect from NRW.

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.

NRW is currently preparing landholders’ guides for regrowth, thinning, and encroachment.

Forest practice guide

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 NRW of a native forest practice
  • additional information that is not a requirement of the code.

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.

Records of applications to clear

NRW 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 NRW 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.

 

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)

Click here 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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