Statutory review of the native vegetation provisions of the Local Land Services Act
A Statutory Review of the native vegetation provisions of the Local Land Services Act 2013 was completed and the final report was tabled in NSW Parliament by the Minister for Agriculture on Thursday, 24 August 2023.
The Review considered whether the objectives and provisions of this part of the Act remain valid. It found the policy objectives and provisions are appropriate but made recommendations to improve operations and native vegetation outcomes.
The Review made 13 recommendations to:
- better manage environmental risks
- reduce unallocated clearing (assisted by the release and continual improvement of the Native Vegetation Regulatory Map)
- support and incentivise landholders to restore and protect native vegetation
- improve transparency and awareness of the Land Management Framework.
Final report
NSW Government response to statutory reviews
The NSW Government has released its response to the statutory reviews of the native vegetation provision of the Local Land Services Act 2013 and the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.
The response sets out the legislative, policy and program directions the NSW Government will take to respond to the statutory reviews and deliver on its biodiversity and land management commitments.
We will work closely with landholders, farmers and key industry groups to deliver the actions outlined in the response to improve native vegetation management and promote sustainable agricultural production.
For further information on the government response to the statutory reviews please contact policy@lls.nsw.gov.au
For information on managing native vegetation on your property please contact your closest Local Land Services office.
Further information on the statutory review
The Minister for Agriculture was required to do a 5-year statutory review of the native vegetation provisions in Part 5A, Schedule 5A and Schedule 5B of the Local Land Services Act 2013. The review was supported by an independent expert advisory panel.
Public consultation and submissions
Landholders, industry and environmental groups, other stakeholders and any member of the public had the opportunity to contribute to the Statutory Review.
A Discussion Paper was released on the NSW Government’s Have Your Say platform which allowed any member of the public to submit a survey response or provide a written submission.
In total, 184 submissions were received, including 100 from rural landholders, from all Local Land Services regions, with one withdrawn.
Consultation was undertaken with 24 key stakeholder groups including industry and environmental groups, non-government organisations and local, State and Commonwealth government agencies.
Landholder survey
To support the Review, a survey was undertaken with 2,400 rural landholders across NSW to understand their views on native vegetation and management activities, and awareness and use of the Land Management Framework.
Read the outcomes report of the landholder survey PDF, 1061.45 KB.
Additional analysis
Additional analysis of the data captured in the landholder survey was undertaken after the completion of the Statutory Review, to understand the views of landholders based on the size of their property or properties and whether they own or manage their land.
Read the additional analysis. PDF, 621.81 KB
What is the statutory review?
Under Section 212 of the Local Land Services Act 2013 the Minister was to review Part 5A and Schedule 5A and Schedule 5B (native vegetation provisions) of the Local Land Services Act 2013 and determine if the policy objectives of these provisions remained valid and whether they remain appropriate for securing the objectives of this part of the Act.
The objective of the native vegetation provisions in the Local Land Services Act 2013 is ‘to ensure the proper management of natural resources in the social, economic and environmental interests of the State, consistently with the principles of ecologically sustainable development’.
The statutory review was tabled in NSW Parliament by the Minister for Agriculture on Thursday, 24 August 2023.
The independent expert advisory panel
Local Land Services appointed the following independent experts to support the statutory review.
- Dr Neil Byron – chair and expert in agricultural/environmental policy and economics
- Dr Sheridan Coakes – expert in social impact assessment
- Dr Charlie Zammitt – expert in ecology of agricultural ecosystems
- Jim Binney – expert in agricultural economics
Supporting materials
The native vegetation provisions:
Schedule 5B - Members and procedure of the Panel
Statutory review of the Biodiversity Conservation Act
The review of the native vegetation provisions of the Local Land Services Act 2013 was carried at the same time as the statutory review of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.
More information on the statutory review of the Biodiversity Conservation Act is available on the Department of Planning and Environment’s website.
The NSW Government will now consider both reviews, in consultation with key stakeholders, while developing a whole of government response.