Local Land Services can provide assistance and advice to help you understand what you can and can’t do when managing your native forest.
The private native forestry framework provides flexibility to landholders. It allows you to efficiently undertake low risk routine land management activities.
Allowable activities cover a range of routine land management activities associated with agriculture, forestry and other common practices in rural areas.
Clearing or removing native vegetation for allowable activities does not require approval under the Local Land Services Act 2013. However, other approvals may be required.
Allowable activities and land categories
Allowable activities can occur on Category 2 - regulated land.
Land classed as Category 2 - vulnerable regulated land or Category 2 - regulated sensitive land, has limited allowable activities. A reduced maximum clearing distance also applies.
Find out more about land categories in NSW.
You can check your land categorisation using the draft Transitional native vegetation regulatory map viewer.
The map designates some rural zoned land in NSW as either:
- category 2 - vulnerable regulated land (land that is steep or highly erodible, protected riparian land, or special category land)
- category 2 - sensitive regulated land.
Allowable activity zones
There are 3 Allowable Activity Zones in NSW:
- Western
- Central
- Coastal
Some allowable activities, such as firebreaks and gravel pits, are limited or prohibited outside of the Western Zone.
Maximum clearing distances
The maximum clearing distances for rural infrastructure are different for each zone. They are also reduced on small landholdings (holdings under 40ha in the Western Division and under 10ha elsewhere in NSW).
| Zone | Clearing distance (in metres) |
|---|---|
| Western zone | 40m |
| Central zone | 30m |
| Coastal zone | 15m |
| Small holdings (in any zone) | 12m |
| Vulnerable and sensitive regulated land | 6m |
Allowable activities within a PNF Plan area
Once a PNF Plan is in place the range of allowable activities is reduced to ensure that forest values are maintained. The range of allowable activities available in a PNF Plan area (Category 2 - regulated land) include:
You can manage native vegetation considered reasonably necessary to remove or reduce an imminent risk serious personal injury or damage to property.
You can manage native vegetation for traditional Aboriginal cultural activities provided the clearing is not for commercial purposes.
You can harvest native vegetation for firewood on your property for use on that property or other land you own.
Harvesting must not occur if the firewood could be obtained from other allowable activities or from clearing associated with the Land Management (Native Vegetation) Code 2018 or from forest operations authorised by a Private Native Forestry Plan.
Native vegetation to be harvested must not be a threatened species, or be part of a Threatened Ecological Community (TEC), or be the habitat of a threatened species.
For PNF Plan areas, harvesting of firewood must not:
- cause land degradation, including:
- soil erosion
- rising water tables
- increases in salinity
- mass movement by gravity of soil or rock
- stream bank instability
- any process that results in declining water quality
- occur on land described as a riparian exclusion zone or riparian buffer zone in the private native forestry code of practice that applies to the private native forestry plan area.
You can harvest native vegetation to obtain timber for the purpose, or for use in, the construction, operation or maintenance of rural infrastructure on the same land.
Harvesting or clearing must not occur if the construction timber could be obtained from:
- other allowable activities
- from clearing associated with the Land Management (Native Vegetation) Code 2018
- from forest operations authorised by a Private Native Forestry Plan.
Native vegetation to be harvested must not be a threatened species, or be part of a TEC, or be the habitat of a threatened species.
For PNF Plan areas, harvesting of construction timber must not:
- cause land degradation, including:
- soil erosion
- rising water tables
- increases in salinity
- mass movement by gravity of soil or rock
- stream bank instability
- any process that results in declining water quality
- occur on land described as a riparian exclusion zone or riparian buffer zone in the Private Native Forestry Code of Practice that applies to the Private Native Forestry Plan area.
You can clear vegetation if it is reasonably necessary for the construction, operation or maintenance of privately owned power lines on private land.
You can manage planted native vegetation provided it has not been planted with the assistance of public funds.
For Private Native Forestry Plan areas, harvesting is not authorised if the land has been planted as part of stocking or regeneration requirements under a relevant private native forestry code of practice or as a result of a direction given or requirements made by the Chief Environmental Regulator of the Environmental Protection Authority.
You may clear native vegetation for sustainable grazing provided this clearing does not result in the long-term decline in the structure and composition of native vegetation.
Sustainable grazing also extends to over-sowing or fertilisation of grasslands used for grazing.
Things to remember
You should only clear for an allowable activity to the minimum extent necessary.
Clearing undertaken for any allowable activity must be undertaken either by you or someone on your behalf, unless specifically stated otherwise.
All other required statutory approvals must be obtained before clearing for a work, building or structure.
Environmental Protection Works and Exempt farm forestry allowable activities are not permitted in Private Native Forestry Plan areas.
Contact Local Land Services NSW
Our team welcome your enquiries, feedback and comments.
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