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Protected native plant licensing

Overview

In NSW, native plants are the property of the landholder. However, in the interests of maintaining biodiversity and ecological sustainability, OEH has a statutory responsibility to regulate and coordinate the commercial use of protected and threatened native plant species. These plants consist of:

• species which are listed as protected plants in Schedule 13 of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act (NPWA).
• native plant species or populations, or plants from Endangered Ecological Communities listed under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSCA)
• plant species individually listed under the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBCA).

There are no licensing requirements for:

• the use of protected native plants that occur naturally or are cultivated on a person's property for non-commercial purposes (note this does not apply to threatened species listed under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995).
• the commercial use of species that are not listed as protected or threatened in NSW.  However there may be restrictions on the removal of vegetation on your property under the Native Vegetation Act 2003 or Tree/Vegetation Management Orders under the Local Government Act 1993, so check these out before taking any other action.

Public exhibition of the draft cut-flower management plan now open for comment

OEH is inviting public submissions to its draft cut-flower management plan. Submissions should be sent to the Manager, Wildlife Licensing and Management Unit, Parks and Wildlife PO Box 1967 Hurstville NSW 1481.

Protected and threatened plants in the cut-flower industry: draft sustainable management plan 2013-2015

The public exhibition period closes on Friday 29 March 2013.

The plan is also being concurrently exhibited by the Commonwealth Department of Sustainability Environment, Water, Population and Communities as a wildlife trade management plan and an artificial propagation program under the Commonwealth Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

2013-2015 draft cut-flower management plan

The Protected and threatened plants in the cut-flower industry: draft sustainable management plan 2013-2015 (CFMP) has been prepared under section 115A of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974. The plan contains information about the legislation and licensing requirements for the cut flower industry.  In addition the plan outlines the management procedures for the industry including plant tagging requirements, monitoring harvest sustainability, and record keeping requirements. OEH seeks to work cooperatively with the cut-flower industry to implement the recommended strategies. There have been no significant changes to the previous (2008-2012) cut-flower plan.

The plan aims to:

• protect the viability of native plant populations and minimise impacts on natural ecosystems
• implement ecologically sustainable harvest management practices for commercial use of protected native plants
• encourage the transition to harvesting material from artificially propagated sources
• streamline requirements for compliance with Commonwealth regulations for the commercial export of protected native plants.

Download Protected and threatened plants in the cut-flower industry: draft sustainable management plan 2013-2015