Draft Native Vegetation Regulatory map

• The staged release of the draft native vegetation regulatory commenced in October 2022 and is now complete.
• The draft native vegetation regulatory map is now available for all areas of New South Wales.
• The draft map does not have legal effect; it does not impose any new legal obligations and is not binding.
• Landholders can seek a free review of the draft map as it relates to their land. We will normally complete the review in 40 days.

Around 6% of New South Wales was formally mapped in 2017 to identify sensitive and vulnerable categories of land. Sensitive and vulnerable land categories continue to be in force. There is also a legal obligation to map 2 other categories of land across the state – category 1 (exempt) and category 2 (regulated) land.

The draft native vegetation regulatory map is now available for landholder review. A final map will be published when the review period ends.

Landholders can request a free map review at any time now or in the future.

The staged release of the draft map has allowed us to undertake further consultation and ensure landholders are well supported through this process.

If you require assistance making decisions about land categories or land management activities on your property, please contact your Local Land Services office for advice.

Publication of the draft map

The draft map has been published to enable landholders to review the accuracy of the map of their land before the map is finalised. Landholders can still request map revisions without charge, even after the map is finalised.

The draft native vegetation regulatory map does not create new regulatory requirements or place additional requirements on landholders. While the draft native vegetation regulatory map is under review, land categories remain defined by the criteria in the legislation.

Although still a draft at this stage, landholders can utilise the draft native vegetation regulatory map when making decisions about native vegetation management. For example, if landholders agree that land mapped as draft category 1 (exempt) land meets the criteria in the Local Land Services Act, they can feel confident they do not require Local Land Services approval to clear native vegetation on that land. Being able to see the draft native vegetation regulatory map can help reduce the risk of the landholder making an error in deciding what category an area of land is in, which may inadvertently lead to breaches of the Local Land Services Act.

Checking the draft map and seeking reviews

If you are considering managing native vegetation on your land, you can:

• view the draft map
• learn about what the categories mean and what you can do in these areas by requesting a free category explanation report
• request a free map review now or at any time in the future – if you think the draft map is inaccurate in specific areas you can contact us and supply more information, which will be assessed in relation to the land category criteria specified in the Local Land Services Act.

Benefits of the draft map for a landholder

Simplifying self-assessment

The draft native vegetation regulatory map does not create new regulatory requirements or place additional requirements on you. While the draft native vegetation regulatory map is under review, land categories remain defined by the criteria in the legislation; the Local Land Services website includes resources that can assist.

The draft native vegetation regulatory map is an additional resource.

Get on with business and operate with confidence

While it is only a draft, you can consider the draft native vegetation regulatory map when making decisions about vegetation management. If the areas mapped as draft category 1 (exempt) land meet the Local Land Services Act criteria, native vegetation clearing is not restricted under the Act in those areas.

Discover economic opportunities

You may own areas mapped as sensitive, vulnerable or category 2 (regulated) land, which are natural capital assets that could generate economic benefits. These areas can potentially provide economic opportunities, including:

• biodiversity credits: generating biodiversity credits for sale through the Biodiversity Credits Supply Fund and Taskforce
• carbon credits: receiving incentives and private equity through carbon trading schemes

Biodiversity Credits Supply Fund

Reviews made easy

The department's Map Review Team is here to help you. If you have concerns about how the map categorises your land, please contact us for a free map review using our enquiry form.