Protected plants
Under the Nature Conservation Act (PDF)*, harvesting whole native plants and plant parts is controlled.
Native plants are harvested from the wild in different forms including:
- whole plants
- seed (or other propagating material)
- plant parts for the cut-flower or foliage trade
- plant parts for the extraction of chemicals
- bush tucker (fruit and other plant parts)
The law applies only to harvesting (or collecting) protected plants, not to harvesting commercial timber or plants which are not protected.
Licence needed
A harvesting licence may be required before harvesting protected plants in the wild. When applying for a harvesting licence, you must be able to prove that the proposed harvest is ecologically sustainable.
Code of practice
All harvesting whether or not a licence is required, must be in accord with the Code of practice for the taking and use of protected plants (PDF, 76K)* except in the circumstances specified in the Nature Conservation (Protected Plants) Conservation Plan 2000.
The Code provides standards for people involved in taking, keeping and using protected plants in Queensland.
The Code covers:
- taking whole protected plants from the wild
- taking seed of protected plants
- taking flowers, fronds and other parts of protected plants
- special provisions applying to State land
Copies of the Code can be purchased from the Department.
Download a copy of the Management program for protected plants in Queensland 2006-2010 (PDF, 760K)*
* Requires Adobe Reader
Last updated 9 October 2006