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 Integrated Planning Act 1997. 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:
- conservation of biodiversity
- maintenance of ecological processes
- clearing does not cause land degradation
- management of the environmental effects of clearing
- reduction of greenhouse gases
- balanced decision-making
- support for regional communities.
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 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)*, 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
- Rockhampton, phone: 4938 4615
North Region
- Townsville, phone: 4799 7126
South East Region
- Bundaberg, phone: 4131 5754
- Gympie, phone: 5480 5333
- Ipswich, phone: 3884 5328
South West Region
- Toowoomba, phone: 4688 1098
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.
* Requires Acrobat Reader
Last updated: 05 November 2009