Vegetation Management on Private Land

Definition of Vegetation Private.jpg

DEFINITION OF VEGETATION

Native vegetation

Native vegetation in NSW is broadly defined as a plant native to New South Wales if it was established in New South Wales before European settlement and includes trees (including any sapling or shrub or any scrub), understorey plants, groundcover (being any type of herbaceous vegetation) and plants occurring in a wetland.

Vegetation

The definition of Vegetation associated with an Item of Heritage or within a Heritage Conservation Area - means any plant life not defined as a ‘tree’ and includes, but is not restricted to, any sapling, shrub, scrub, understorey plants, groundcover (being any type of herbaceous vegetation) and plants occurring in a wetland.

The definition of other vegetation – not associated with an Item of Heritage or not within a Heritage Conservation Area – means any plant life not defined as a ‘tree’ which is located:

  1. in the riparian zone associated with a creek, river, watercourse wetland, stream, or other aquatic habitat as delineated in the Natural Resources Sensitivity Maps of the LEP;

  2. within a wildlife corridor as delineated in the Natural Resources Sensitivity Maps of the LEP;

  3. on land owned by Council or under its care, control or management, including road reserves. or performs an environmental role, as described below:

  • provides habitat or likely habitat for threatened species, populations and endangered ecological communities as defined within the Threatened Species Conservation Act; or
  • is koala habitat

If you do not meet these criteria, council recommends reviewing the information related to trees within the Shire.

You will need a permit to prune or remove any vegetation if your property falls into one of these categories:

  1. You wish to undertake tree work which is not to address issues of nuisance
  2. You wish to remove or prune greater than 10% of a tree
  3. Trees on private property (alive or dead) that are within an Endangered or Critically Endangered Ecological Community (EEC or CEEC). This is regardless of the size or proximity of the tree/s to an approved dwelling. Trees in this category may also need a licence or approval from the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage or Commonwealth Department of Environment.
  4. It is home to threatened species or contains native vegetation, which is habitat for threatened species, populations or ecological communities.
  5. It is mapped as Biodiversity on the WLEP Biodiversity Map
  6. It is in a Heritage Conservation Area, has heritage conditions or is heritage listed
  7. You have been issued a development consent that requires trees to be retained, or replanted.
  8. A development application is required for the removal of a number of trees.
  9. You have a property in a designated 10/50 area.
  10. You have a property in a designated 10/50 area but do not have the green tick because:

(a) Your property is a heritage site, located within a Heritage Conservation Area (HCA); or

(b) Your property is assessed to be a Regionally Significant, Threatened Species or Endangered or Critically Endangered Ecological Communities (EEC or CEEC)

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