Environment and Resource Management

Legislation and policy

Queensland's vegetation management framework is comprised of legislation, a State policy, regional vegetation management codes, an offsets policy, a regrowth vegetation code and 'material change of use' and 'reconfiguring a lot' policies.

Legislation

Vegetation management is regulated through the Vegetation Management Act 1999 (VMA) and the Sustainable Planning Act 2009. Copies of the current Acts can be obtained from the Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel.

State Policy

The State Policy for Vegetation Management (PDF, 75K)* documents the Queensland Government's policy on vegetation management—defining the principles that underlie the policy, its desired outcomes, and how these are achieved. The policy aims to ensure:

Regional vegetation management codes

The department assesses applications to clear vegetation against regional vegetation management codes. Four codes based on bioregional areas cover all areas of Queensland.

Offsets policy

The offset policy (PDF, 303K)* applies to an offset proposed to meet a performance requirement under a regional vegetation management code 

Regrowth vegetation code

New regrowth laws took effect on 8 October 2009. Clearing regulated regrowth must comply with the regrowth vegetation code (PDF, 287K)*, unless clearing is for an exempt activity.

Material change of use/reconfiguring a lot policies

The department may be required, as a ‘concurrence’ agency, to assess any remnant vegetation clearing associated with a proposed material change of use (MCU) or a reconfiguration of a lot (RaL) application.

The MCU (PDF, 191K)* and RaL (PDF, 186K)* policies are used to undertake this assessment. These do not apply to regulated regrowth vegetation.

Contact information

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

Central West Region

North Region

South East Region

South West Region

For a map of the regional boundaries, and for a full list of business centres, see the departmental business centres pages of the website.

For email enquiries, please email VM Enquiries.

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Last updated 3 October 2011

Vegetation management

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