Exempt clearing work
Under the vegetation management framework, there are some clearing activities you can undertake without getting our approval or notifying us. These are summarised below and detailed in the:
Before going ahead with your clearing, check with your local government for any planning requirements. Other local, state and federal government laws might also apply. See below for a list of exemptions under other legislation.
Your proposed clearing activity may not be exempt if the area you’re proposing to clear is subject to:
- development approval conditions
- a covenant
- an offset
- a declared area
- restrictions due to unlawful clearing.
Contact us if you think these restrictions might apply to your property.
Clearing for routine property management
The following are some common activities that are exempt clearing work on freehold land, Indigenous land and leasehold land for agriculture and grazing purposes. Information on vegetation types can be obtained from your property report and vegetation maps.
Note: You can’t join clearing for multiple purposes to create larger clearing widths.
Clearing purpose | Vegetation type | Details |
|---|---|---|
All purposes | Category X | Clearing is exempt on freehold, Indigenous and leasehold land. |
Establish new buildings or structures | Category B | Clearing to construct necessary buildings and structures where the total clearing extent and the extent of the buildings and structures does not exceed 2ha. Clearing to source construction timber to establish necessary buildings and structures on the land. |
Fences, roads or tracks | Category B | Clearing to establish a necessary fence, road or vehicular track to a maximum width of 10m. |
Fire management line | All | Clearing for a necessary fire management line to a maximum width of 10m. |
Firebreaks | All | Clearing to establish or maintain a necessary firebreak to protect buildings and structures (other than fences, roads and tracks) to a maximum width of 20m or 1.5 times the height of the tallest adjacent tree, whichever is the greater. |
Hazardous fuel load reduction | All | Clearing by fire to reduce hazardous fuel load under the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990. |
Maintain existing infrastructure, including buildings and structures | All | Clearing necessary to maintain infrastructure, including buildings, structures, fences, roads and watering points. Clearing to source construction timber to maintain existing buildings and structures on the land. |
Risk to people or infrastructure, including buildings and structures | All | Clearing necessary to remove or reduce the imminent risk the vegetation poses to people or infrastructure, including buildings and structures. |
Clearing for development
Clearing under a development approval for a material change of use or reconfiguring a lot is exempt clearing work under vegetation management laws if prior approval is given for a development application:
- for which the chief executive (administering the Planning Act 2016) is a concurrence agency for clearing vegetation or
- if a lot to which the application relates is less than 5ha, for which a local government is the assessment manager.
Clearing for bushfires, floods and natural disasters
A range of exemptions are available to help you prepare for, deal with or recover from a natural disaster, such as flood or fire.
Exemptions under other legislation
Exemptions apply to some clearing activities permitted under other legislation, including the Forestry Act 1959, Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990, Electricity Act 1994, Electricity Regulation 2006 and Disaster Management Act 2003.
Exemptions also apply to clearing for mining, petroleum and gas activities.