2021 NSW Vegetation clearing report

This report includes the clearing of both woody and non woody vegetation structural types:

• Woody vegetation is plants (including saplings or shrubs) that produce wood as their primary structural tissue. It is typically trees, shrubs or woody vines and is usually perennial. The removal of these tree canopies is detectable in satellite imagery.
• Non woody vegetation includes understorey plants and groundcover plants (herbaceous vegetation like grasses, herbs and forbs) that have been relatively undisturbed since 1990, based on visual cues and time series analysis of remotely sensed images.

The area of vegetation cleared is detected through automated and manual interpretation of differences between Sentinel-2 satellite images captured during summer each year. Satellite images are selected as close as possible to 1 January each year. The images must have a clear view of the ground and not be impacted by smoke or cloud cover.

Image interpreters assign a replacement landcover class that is indicative of the intended purpose of the change. The broad landcover classes are clearing for agriculture, forestry and infrastructure activities.

Long-term trends in woody vegetation clearing (1988 to present) have been available since 2006 through the Statewide Landcover and Tree Study (SLATS) program. Long-term trends in woody vegetation clearing are reported by converting the clearing area mapped in each image to an annual rate to accommodate variability caused by the different capture dates. This annualisation allows meaningful comparison of clearing between large regions of the state. However, using rates becomes less meaningful when examining much smaller areas, for example, clearing associated with individual approval areas.

The NSW Vegetation Clearing Report uses absolute hectares rather than reporting on annualised rates and only includes detected native forestry harvesting, not plantation harvesting. For information on annualised rates of plantation harvesting and native forestry harvesting, see long term trends in woody vegetation clearing.

Non woody vegetation clearing has been captured through the Non Woody Landcover Disturbance Program (NWD) since 2018. Non woody clearing can be more difficult to detect than woody clearing, as full conversion of undisturbed areas to exotic pastures or cropping can take more than 12 months. Most non woody vegetation clearing can be confidently attributed in the year of mapping. Some areas of disturbance detected may be flagged for confirmation in the following mapping year. Consequently, the annual report makes an adjustment to the non woody clearing figure of the previous year.

Clearing figures generated for each year may be updated to reflect improved processing methods, data availability, or changed administrative boundaries.

Comparing vegetation clearing statewide and on Category 2 regulated land

New South Wales covers 80 million hectares (ha), of which around 47 million hectares or 59% are Category 2 regulated land (i.e. lands regulated by the Local Land Services Act 2013 (LLS Act) and the Land Management (Native Vegetation) Code 2018, referred to here as the Land Management Code).

The Local Land Services Act outlines 2 main land categories and land excluded from regulation under the Act. Land categories set out the pathways available for landholders of regulated land to obtain authorisation to clear native vegetation.

Category 1 is exempt land where native vegetation can be cleared without approval from Local Land Services. Category 2 regulated land consists of either:

• land that may require authorisations under the Land Management (Native Vegetation) Code 2018 (referred to here as the Land Management Code)
• land considered sensitive or vulnerable, and therefore, any vegetation clearing is restricted.

All vegetation clearing across the landscape is captured in statewide reporting, but a subset falls within Category 2 regulated land, including vulnerable and sensitive land (shown as a red polygon) as defined by the Local Land Services Act 2013.

The Native Vegetation Regulatory Map displays land categories across New South Wales. For more information, see map categories.

Landcover classes are assigned during the mapping process using visual cues and a range of ancillary data.

In 2021 across the state, woody vegetation harvesting of native forestry has decreased (35%) since 2020, and woody vegetation clearing for agriculture has increased (15%).

Since 2018, 97% of non woody vegetation clearing has occurred for agriculture. Non woody vegetation clearing for agriculture has seen an average annual increase of approximately 5% between 2018 and 2020 (Figure 2).

The outlined area in Figure 2 identifies areas of non woody clearing confirmed in the year following reporting. For more information, see How is vegetation clearing captured and reported.

Figure 2    Clearing by landcover class 2018–21

Vegetation clearing on Category 2 regulated land can be reported according to the authorising Act approvals (the Local Land Services Act or other relevant legislation, including the former Native Vegetation Act 2003), as well as clearing that remains unallocated.

Unallocated clearing is vegetation clearing for which the Department of Planning and Environment has not been able to identify a formal authorisation or is unable to presume authorised using visual cues in the imagery.

The method to analyse authorised and unallocated clearing involves comparing detected areas of vegetation clearing against all available spatial data for approvals and using visual cues in the imagery, to presume authorisation as allowable activities under the Local Land Services Act (for example, clearing for fence lines or dams) or other acts (for example, urban expansion). No analysis of the characteristics of these activities has been undertaken to ensure they comply with specifications under the relevant Act.

Figure 3 shows vegetation clearing authorisations for 2021 split by woody and non woody vegetation structure. The non woody figures are preliminary as some additional non woody clearing events will be confirmed and added to 2021 in next year's clearing analysis. See How vegetation clearing is captured for more information.

In 2021, of the 72,335 ha of clearing detected on Category 2 regulated land, 39% of clearing on rural regulated land was recorded as authorised or presumed authorised. Of this, 19% was authorised under the Local Land Services Act and 12% under the Native Vegetation Act 2003 (NV Act). A further 4% of clearing was authorised under other legislation.

Preliminary 2021 figures show 55% of all clearing is unallocated non woody vegetation clearing events compared to 6% of unallocated woody vegetation clearing events. Unallocated clearing refers to:

• lawful clearing or reduction in landcover on Category 2 regulated land that does not require approval, notification and/or keeping of records
• vegetation loss for which the department does not have access to spatial records that authorise or allocate the clearing to a particular land management activity and which cannot be presumed from visual cues in the imagery
• areas that have been potentially cleared unlawfully or are not fully compliant with approvals.

The land management framework gives landholders greater flexibility and discretion to undertake routine land management activities without seeking approval. Consequently, several options for clearing without specific approval are permissible under the current land management framework.

These options include:

• provisions for landholders to remove native vegetation for routine farm management (allowable activities)
• land management activities under the Land Management Code that do not require certification or notification (managing woody native regrowth in managed native pastures)
• landholder self-assessment of the level of disturbance of grasslands or ground cover
• other legislative exceptions.

In some instances, areas of unallocated clearing may be unlawful, which can only be determined by a court of law.

Figure 3    2021 vegetation clearing by authorisation and structure

Analysis of 2018–20 vegetation clearing against the existing and new authorisation categories shows increased clearing under the Local Land Services Act and away from Native Vegetation Act approvals (Figure 4). Preliminary data for 2021 suggests a continuation of this trend. Each year approximately 4–5% of clearing is presumed allowable activities, and 4% authorised under other acts.

Unallocated clearing has remained constant at 68% of total clearing between 2018 and 2020. In 2021, 61% of clearing was unallocated. This will increase with additional non woody clearing confirmed in the 2022 report.

Figure 4    2018–20 vegetation clearing by authorisation

Under the Local Land Services Act, the approval authorisations fall under Part 5A, Division 5 for clearing native vegetation under the Land Management Code, or Part 5B for private native forestry (PNF).

The Land Management Code authorises clearing of native vegetation on Category 2 regulated land, provides for establishment and management of set aside areas, and authorises re-categorisation of land.

The total cleared area increased from 9,483 hectares in 2020 to 13,501 in 2021. Increased clearing occurred over 7 of the 15 types of authorisations (Figure 5). The largest total areas cleared under an approval were:

• Part 5.4 – Equity code, removing native vegetation from regulated rural areas. Clearing approvals under this code are required to establish set aside areas. In 2021, 4,724 hectares were cleared, a 119% increase on 2020.
• Part 2.2 – Invasive native species, moderate impact clearing of invasive native species. In 2021, 4,566 hectares were cleared, a 41% increase on 2020. Invasive native species management is intended to improve the local environment by removing some native plants that have reached very high densities, dominating an area. These activities promote the regeneration and regrowth of a more natural and diverse range of native vegetation.
• PNF – Private Native Forestry. Hectares cleared decreased by 20% from 2020 to 1,586 hectares in 2021.

See below for descriptions of each of the authorisations under the Local Land Services Act.

Figure 5    Authorised clearing under Part5A of the Local Land Services Act, 2018 to 2021

Table 1    Authorisations under Local Land Services Act

Clearing under Native Vegetation Act approvals decreased by 13% between the 2020 and 2021 (Figure 6). The largest areas cleared under approvals were:

• Management of invasive native species (INS) that improves or maintains environmental outcomes under a property vegetation plan (PVP INS) and under a ministerial order (INS MO) at a total of 7,716 ha in 2021. Invasive native species clearing accounted for 88% of implemented clearing under the Native Vegetation Act.
• Clearing regrowth under a property vegetation plan (PVP continuing use) was 591 ha, an 87% increase on 2020.

Figure 6    Authorised clearing under the Native Vegetation Act in the 4 years to 2021

Table 2    Authorisations under Native Vegetation Act