Native vegetation
Protecting native vegetation reduces negative impacts on biodiversity, salinity, threatened species, soils, riverbanks and water quality. Minimising native vegetation clearing is also essential for helping to reduce the effects of climate change.
DECC, Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) and the Natural Resources Commission are the main agencies responsible for maintaining native vegetation in NSW. DECC's roles include:
- policy and legal advice and reform
- guideline development
- auditing, enforcement and compliance
- science input and reform
- conservation assessment and planning
- monitoring and reporting.
DECC implements incentive programs which are delivered in collaboration with CMAs. These programs have provided $120 million in incentives to help restore native vegetation on private property across NSW.
DECC also supports botanic gardens, which play a key role in protecting the genetic diversity of our plants for the future.
Find out more about the following native vegetation topics
The legislation introduced in 2005 represented an historic change in the way we manage native vegetation in NSW. The Native Vegetation Act 2003 and the Native Vegetation Regulation 2005 deliver on the NSW Government's commitment to prevent broadscale clearing unless it improves or maintains environmental outcomes. The Act established property vegetation plans as the negotiated agreements between CMAs and landholders to establish areas for clearing, offsets and incentives.
Following changes on 1 August 2007, harvesting of timber for the purposes of private native forestry requires approval through a private native forestry property vegetation plan that ensures environmental outcomes are improved or maintained. These plans are voluntary to enter into but once in place form a legally binding agreement between DECC and a landowner about the management of private forests.
NSW Forest Agreements were established in 1995 to secure a balanced outcome for forest regions, taking into account the environmental values of forests and the social and economic needs of the community. These agreements have involved regional assessment of forest resources and values; the protection of 2.5 million additional hectares of native forest; 400,000 hectares of state forests protected through special forest management zones; 20-year security of timber supply to industry and legislation to ensure ecologically sustainable forest management.
Native plants growing on land or in fresh water are the responsibility of DECC. Many native plants are protected in NSW under the Threatened Species Conservation Act or the National Parks and Wildlife Act.
Results and project reports for animal and plant surveys.