The Victorian State Government has recently concluded a review into native vegetation clearing regulations. The Outcomes Report (linked below ) gives an overview of the review process and lists 29 proposed changes to the Victorian Planning Provisions, as well as those changes to be implemented independently of the provisions.
The review aims to “sensibly protect sensitive vegetation” with changes to the Victorian Planning Provisions to address three main areas:
- to provide better protection for sensitive native vegetation
- to enhance the overall function of the regulators
- to increase the transparency of the system
Some of the key changes proposed include increased recognition and protection of large trees, better mapping practices to provide more accurate site-level information, a new exemption for conservation works, and the establishment of an advisory group to support the proper functioning of the regulations.
To learn more about the changes you can view the following reports, Outcomes report, Summary of proposed amendments to the Victoria Planning Provisions and see the draft Native vegetation clearing Assessment guidelines or visit the DELWP website.
Changes are due to take effect later in 2017.