Plant licensing FAQs
Which plants can be harvested under the draft cut-flower management plan?
The following information is relevant to the cut-flower industry only. See the section headed Licensing requirements for whole plants for information related to this activity. Note that the licensing of protected plants is divided into 2 parts. Part 1 deals with cut-flower products and Part 2 deals with the harvest, growing and sale of whole plants.
In Schedule 13 of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, you'll find the list of native plants that are protected in NSW. Part 1 of the schedule lists the species whose parts (flowers and foliage) are harvested by the cut-flower industry.
These species are managed under the Protected and threatened plants in the cut-flower Industry: draft sustainable management plan 2013-2015 (CFMP). Some of the Schedule 13 plants are also threatened species. There are particular restrictions on the use of threatened species for commercial purposes.
The species in Part 1 of Schedule 13 are divided into five groups. These groups have different licensing, tagging and monitoring requirements. The table below provides a brief overview of the licensing regime for the cut-flower industry. Note that there are no species listed in Group 1. Species that were listed in Part 1, Group 1 are now listed in Appendix O of the CFMP, and are not subject to licensing or tagging requirements.
Licence classes and general requirements of the Protected and threatened plants in the cut-flower Industry: draft sustainable management plan 2013-2015
| |
Species |
|
|
Appendix O |
Group 2 |
Group 3 |
Group 4 |
Group 5 |
|
Picker licence |
NA1 |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
|
Wild harvester licence |
NA1 |
YES |
YES |
YES |
NO |
|
Grower licence |
NA1 |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
|
Harvest returns |
NA1 |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
|
NPWS tags |
NA1 |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO3 |
|
Grower tags |
NA1 |
NA2 |
NA2 |
NA2 |
YES |
|
Example species |
Christmas bush |
Grass tree foliage |
Flannel flowers |
Gymea lilies |
Waratahs |
1 Licences are not required for these species
2 While not a requirement for species within Groups 1-4, the use of grower tags is encouraged for all Grower-produced material
3 Growers may request NPWS tags for group 5 material if they are unable to produce the tags themselves
Lists of species in each group
View all of schedule 13 or you can follow the links below to view each group in turn.
Group 1 - there are no species listed in this group. Refer to Appendix O of the CFMP
Group 2 - these species maybe harvested under all licence types
Group 3 - these species may only be harvested under Wild harvester and Grower licences
Group 4 - these species may only be harvested under Wild harvester and Grower licences
Group 5 - these species may only be harvested under a Grower licence
Appendix O (CFMP) – no licence is required to harvest these species.
The schedule is on the NSW Government online legislation website, and is reviewed regularly.
Note: Part 2 of Schedule 13 relates to protected whole plants. Although not covered by the CFMP, licensing, tagging and monitoring requirements still apply.
The NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 provides the current list of threatened species. If you are unsure about restrictions relating to the harvest of threatened species, contact your local NPWS office for more information or advice.
What are NPWS tags?
These are tags produced by OEH, marked so that the origin of plant parts can be traced. Effective tagging can identify whether plants have been legally picked, and provides a useful guide for consumers that permits them to choose between bush-picked and cultivated plants. NPWS tags are required for all species in Group 4. Charges apply to the supply of tags.
What are grower tags?
Licensed growers need to supply their own tags. These must be made of durable material and provide enough information to trace the product to its origin. Suggested details include species botanical name, the term ‘plantation grown’ and the name of the supplier. Grower tags must be attached to all Group 4 and Group 5 plants. They may also be attached to plants from other licensing groups.
Can I export the material that I harvest?
OEH does not have a role in approving export licences for protected native plants, this is the responsibility of the Australian Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPC).
It is important to note that DSEWPC will generally need to see proof that the material you intend to export has been harvested or grown in accordance with the Protected and threatened plants in the cut-flower Industry: draft sustainable management plan 2013-2015.
In most cases the inclusion of your licence details will be sufficient. However, if the species that you are exporting is subject to tagging requirements you must ensure that it is appropriately tagged.
Species that are individually listed as threatened, vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered under either the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 or the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 cannot be harvested from the wild for commercial use. This means that you cannot harvest these species under either a Picker or Wild harvester licence.
Threatened species may be harvested from plantation grown (cultivated) threatened species under a Grower licence. In this case applicants MUST be able to demonstrate that the parent (source/founder) material has been legally acquired.
OEH is currently developing a management plan for the utilisation of whole live protected plants. Until the management plan is finalised only grower licences will be issued for species in Part 2 groups 1 and 2.
NPWS tags will be required for those species listed in Part 2 groups 3 and 4.
For further information on whole plant licensing please contact your local national parks office. Use the links provided in the above section to contact your local NPWS office and to find out what type of licence you will need to harvest whole plants.
Page last updated: 22 February 2013
