Native vegetation is vital for the health of our environment, supporting native animals and agriculture and protecting soils and water.
Native vegetation legislation
The Native Vegetation Act 2003 was repealed on 25 August 2017 and legislation governing the clearing of native vegetation has changed.
Rural land
Clearing of native vegetation on rural land is legislated by the Local Land Services Act 2013 and the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.
Urban areas and land zoned for environmental protection
Clearing of native vegetation in urban areas and land zoned for environmental protection is legislated by the NSW Vegetation SEPP.
Property vegetation plans
Property vegetation plans (PVPs) approved before the repeal of the Native Vegetation Act remain valid and in force.
No new PVPs can be submitted by a landholder; however, an existing PVP may be modified (varied).
For more information on how or why a PVP can be varied, please contact Local Land Services.
For information about existing PVPs and variations, visit the Native Vegetation Act 2003 Public register.
Managing native vegetation
- Local Land Services for information about rural clearing
- NSW Planning and Environment for information about urban and environmental protection zone clearing
- NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme for all types of clearing.
The Transitional Native Vegetation Regulatory Map
The Transitional Native Vegetation Regulatory Map (NVR Map) covers all rural land in NSW. It categorises land into areas where clearing of native vegetation can occur without approval, where clearing can only be carried out in accordance with Part 5A of the Local Land Services Act 2013 (LLS Act) or other legislation and excluded land where the LLS Act does not apply.
