Native vegetation includes trees, shrubs and smaller herbs and grasses native to Victoria. It provides habitat for fauna and contributes to healthy ecosystems. The aim of controls relating to the removal of native vegetation is to ensure that there is no net loss in the contribution made by native vegetation to Victoria’s biodiversity.
A permit may be required if you are planning to remove native vegetation, including dead vegetation:
- for a development or subdivision
- on land over 4000 square metres in area (except where land is within an overlay control)
- on land of any area located in the Vegetation Protection Overlay
- on land of any area located in the Significant Landscape Overlay
- on land of any area located in the Environmental Significance Overlay
- on land of any area located in the Erosion Management Overlay
Planning controls around the removal of native vegetation can be very complex, with substantial penalties for illegal removal of native vegetation. If you are planning to remove native vegetation, it is important that you check the controls which apply in the Murrindindi Planning Scheme Clause 52.17 ‘Native Vegetation’ before you start any clearance or construction works. You can find this information online or by phoning Council’s Planning Unit on (03) 5772 0333.
Applications to remove native vegetation under Clause 52.17 are assessed under one of the following Pathways:
- Basic
- Intermediate
- Detailed
The amount of vegetation to be removed (in hectares or number of trees) and its location in the landscape determines which pathway would be used in assessing an application for a permit to remove native vegetation. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) has developed the Native Vegetation Information Management Systems (NVIM) to help applicants determine which pathway would be used for their application.
To view the Guidelines for the removal of native vegetation and to access the tool to create a report go to this link or contact DEECA on 136 186 if you are not able to complete this online.
If a permit to remove native vegetation is granted, an offset which makes an equivalent contribution to Victoria’s biodiversity will be required. Offset requirements are determined in accordance with the ‘Permitted clearing of native vegetation – Biodiversity assessment guidelines’.
The offset requirements will outline:
- the type of offset
- the amount of offset
- any specific attributes the offset must be guaranteed to the satisfaction of the responsible authority before the native vegetation is removed
This could be either:
- a security agreement for the offset site that includes an onsite management plan
- evidence of a secured third party offset, such as an allocated credit register extract from the native vegetation credit register
Applications will be assessed by Council and may need to be referred to DEECA for assessment as well.
Support for the online assessment tool (NVIM) is available from DEECA on 136 186 or via email at nativevegetation.support@delwp.vic.gov.au.
If you have any general questions about native vegetation removal, you can also give Council a call on (03) 5772 0333.