Beattie Government announces more user-friendly vegetation rules

Queensland landholders will find making an application to clear vegetation simpler after the Minister for Natural Resources and Water, Craig Wallace, today approved new assessment codes.

Mr Wallace said 24 Regional Vegetation Management Codes would be reduced to just four.

He also said decisions would be made more quickly on issues such as harvesting fodder and clearing to thin thickened forests, while still keeping a proportion of vegetation intact to preserve an area’s environmental values.

“The new set of codes is clearer and easier for both landholders and the department to use,” Mr Wallace said.

“The codes provide more flexibility for applicants by showing different ways they can meet performance requirements to protect vegetation,” he said.

“Landholders are currently doing it very tough in the worst drought in 100 years.

“Hopefully these changes - which take effect on Monday, November 20 - will make it easier by reducing the complexity and the time taken under the previous system.

”At the same time, these codes are among the strongest in Australia when it comes to protecting Queensland’s natural vegetation.”

Mr Wallace said he wanted his departmental officers to give more help to landholders by telling them what they can do, not what they can’t do.

Regional Vegetation Management Codes are used by the Department of Natural Resources and Water when it decides on applications to clear vegetation that is protected under the Vegetation Management Act 1999.

The codes apply when landholders seek permits for a range of activities.

The new set of codes is based on four bioregions:

·Western Bioregions;

·Coastal Bioregions;

·Brigalow Belt and New England Tableland Bioregions, and;

·South-East Bioregions.

Mr Wallace said there had been give and take on all sides in arriving at the final pragmatic outcome.

He said the new codes would allow people to undertake relevant land management activities provided for under the Vegetation Management Act, while still preserving the very strong protection for natural vegetation under the Act.

“With broadscale clearing finishing in December, the new codes are now focussed on assessing applications for what landholders can do.

“For that reason, they are simpler and more flexible but, at the same time, make sure broadscale clearing doesn’t occur.”

Mr Wallace said the Government had recognised early on that the original 24 codes would need fine-tuning and had promised to review them in consultation with industry representatives and the general public.

He said the codes, which covered the entire State, continued to reflect regional differences and took into account both submissions received during the consultation period and discussions with key stakeholders.

“The Government appreciates the wide range of issues and concerns expressed by landholders and other stakeholders during the review process.

“There’s been give and take on all sides to finally prepare what are more useable and understandable assessment codes”.

At the same time as the code review, the department also reviewed its Material Change of Use/Reconfiguring a Lot policies. This resulted in a clearer policy that aligns the assessment of proposed clearing in those applications directly with the new codes.

8 November 2006

Media contact: Paul Childs 0407 131 654 or paul.childs@ministerial.qld.gov.au