Development in a wild river area
The aim of the Wild Rivers Act 2005 is to preserve the natural values of wild rivers by regulating most future development activities within declared wild rivers and their catchment areas.
Wild Rivers Code
The statewide Wild Rivers Code (PDF, 958K)* outlines the requirements that a proposed development must meet before it can be approved in a wild river area. The purpose of the code, which took effect on 28 February 2007, is to ensure that development and other activities in wild river areas meet the requirements and intent of the Wild Rivers Act 2005 and the wild river declarations.
The code must be read in conjunction with the relevant wild river declaration for the area to which a development application relates, as this details what development activities must be assessment against relevant parts of the code.
The code can also be used as a guide when drafting a development application. Applicants can help preserve the natural values of a wild river by taking the code's acceptable solution, or by proposing an alternative to achieve the desired outcomes for each type of development activity.
Development activities covered
The code covers:
- agriculture and animal husbandry
- aquaculture
- environmentally relevant activities
- works in tidal areas, coastal management districts and fish habitat areas
- residential, commercial and industrial development
- works for taking overland flow water
- works for interfering with overland flow water
- waterway barrier works
- in-stream activities in non-tidal reaches
- riverine quarry material extraction
- forest production on State lands
- native vegetation clearing.
Amending the code
The Wild Rivers Act 2005 provides a process for amending the code. You can forward any comments on the code to the department at any time, and they will be considered when amendments are made in the future.
Development application guides
The Department of Infrastructure and Planning has prepared Guide 27—Development in a wild river area (PDF)* to help applicants, assessment managers and concurrence agencies determine if new development activities in a wild river area are prohibited or are assessable against the Wild Rivers Code or another code specified in the relevant wild river declaration.
The website of the Department of Infrastructure and Planning also has links to relevant checklists, forms and guides.
Property development plans
If certain development activities are not permissable under an existing wild river declaration, the applicant can voluntarily prepare a property development plan detailing proposed works to be completed within the next 10 years.
The plan should generally address activities that are subject to regulation because the land in question is in a wild river area (e.g. quarrying; tree clearing; building dams, roads and feedlots).
On receipt of an application to approve a property development plan, the Minister for Natural Resources and Water will consider if:
- the proposed development cannot be reasonably carried out without amending the declaration
- it is likely that the proposed development will be carried out within ten years of approval
- the proposed development and works will not have an overall adverse impact on the wild river natural values
- the environmental benefits of the plan justify its approval.
The minister must refuse to approve the plan if the above requirements are not met, and may attach conditions which must be complied with if the plan is approved.
The minister may then seek to amend a wild river declaration to accommodate an approved plan. This is a public process involving a consultation period after which the minister will consider any submissions and then decide whether or not to amend the declaration.
If the declaration is not amended the property development plan is of no effect.
- Property development plan information sheet (PDF, 121K)*
Application form and fees for approval of a property development plan
- Application for property development plan approval (PDF, 51K)*
- Applicants guide for property development form (PDF, 79K)*
The prescribed fee is $290.00.
Further information
Supporting information—fact sheets and guides
Contact us for more information or copies of the fact sheets and guides.
* Requires Acrobat Reader
Last updated: 09 September 2009