Abzeco staff are very familiar with Victorian native vegetation removal regulations including Clause 52.17 ‘Native vegetation’ which refers to the ‘Guidelines for the removal, destruction or lopping of native vegetation’ (the Guidelines) which are incorporated into all Victorian planning schemes. We have completed hundreds of native vegetation removal assessments and reports for permit applications to remove native vegetation and can assist you with yours.
Under the Victorian Planning Scheme a permit is usually required to remove, destroy or lop native vegetation.
You must apply for a planning permit from their local council to remove native vegetation (including dead trees). A permit, if granted, will generally require evidence that a native vegetation offset credit has been secured to meet any offset requirements before the vegetation is removed. The offset targets are determined by a native vegetation removal report submitted with the permit application. You can obtain native vegetation offsets by purchasing them from a third party through a Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) accredited offset broker. In some cases native vegetation offsets can be secured on land under the same ownership as the land that vegetation is being removed from, referred to as a first party offset.
The Guidelines set out what must be included in your application to remove native vegetation, how the application is assessed, and how offset requirements can be met – view the guidelines here.
The Guidelines and Clause 52.17 ‘Native vegetation’ planning provisions sets out the three-step approach (avoid, minimise, offset) which is the key policy related how you must manage native vegetation impacts.
The three-step approach aims to ensure that the removal of native vegetation causes no net loss to biodiversity, is restricted to the minimum that is reasonably necessary, and any vegetation removal is adequately compensated for. Permit applications to remove native vegetation must demonstrate the following in order of priority:
The Guidelines and Clause 52.17 ‘Native vegetation’ planning provisions set out the three-step approach (avoid, minimise, offset), which is the key policy related to how you must manage native vegetation impacts.
The three-step approach aims to ensure that the removal of native vegetation causes no net loss to biodiversity, is restricted to the minimum that is reasonably necessary, and any vegetation removal is adequately compensated for. Permit applications to remove native vegetation must demonstrate the following in order of priority:
- Avoidance: The first priority for any development is to avoid impacts to native vegetation e.g. relocate the development and update project designs so all native vegetation impacts are avoided. Applications to remove native vegetation need to provide evidence that there are no options to avoid native vegetation impacts.
- Minimisation: If avoidance of native vegetation removal is not possible, then the next step is to minimise impacts to native vegetation e.g. relocate the development to reduce impacts to native vegetation, minimise impacts on higher value native vegetation by restricting development and indirect impacts e.g. stormwater runoff or effluent fields to areas of lower value native vegetation. Applications to remove native vegetation need to provide evidence that there are no options to further minimise native vegetation impacts.
- Offset: If avoidance of native vegetation loss is not achieved and vegetation losses have been minimised then an offset to compensate for the loss of biodiversity from vegetation removal will be required. Evidence must be provided that offsets that meet requirements (offset targets) for the proposed native vegetation removal are available and must include details of how offsets will be provided e.g. securing an eligible first-party or third-party offset.
Offset Target Calculations
Offset requirements to compensate for the loss of native vegetation and impacts on threatened species habitat are calculated based on the extent of native vegetation being removed, the number of large trees being impacted, the location of the proposed vegetation removal, and the inclusion of sensitive wetlands, coastal areas, threatened vegetation classes or habitat for threatened species.
To assess the potential impacts of a proposed development on biodiversity, we would undertake a habitat hectare (HHa) site assessment. We then provide the habitat hectare vegetation quality and condition scores to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) to calculate native vegetation offset requirements. The offset requirements are provided by DEECA in a vegetation removal (NVR) report. The NVR report must be included with your planning permit application to remove native vegetation. Habitat Hectare assessments for planning permit application can only be undertaken by (DEECA) accredited native vegetation quality site assessors. Abzeco consultants are all DEECA accredited native vegetation quality (VQA) site assessors and can assist you with this work.
For more information you can refer to the Native vegetation removal regulations – Applicant’s Guide.