Vegetation protection
Caloundra City's vegetation supports a diverse variety of native flora and fauna, with more than 1600 native plant species and 623 native vertebrate animals recorded.
- Vegetation Orders
- Declared Land Vegetation Orders
- Approvals to clear vegetation
- Parks and Reserves Local Law
- State vegetation protection legislation
Vegetation Orders
Council’s Local Law No. 14 (Clearing of Vegetation) protects significant native vegetation through the use of Vegetation Orders (VOs).
A Vegetation Order (VO) can protect:
- some, or all, of the vegetation on a property; and
- individual native trees which have aesthetic, scenic, environmental or local community values
Who can apply for a Vegetation Order?
Land owners seeking to protect vegetation within their property can apply for a VO.
Council can also propose a VO to a land owner. These orders are made by resolution of the Council at Council meetings. Prior to the resolution, the land owner is given a notice of intention.
Council can also issue an Interim Vegetation Protection Order to protect significant vegetation considered at risk of being cleared. This is an immediate protection over vegetation, which exists for up to six months.
For further information on Council’s Clearing of Vegetation Local Law, download the vegetation management brochure:
Vegetation management in Caloundra City brochure (PDF 164KB)
Find out the approval process if you have native vegetation or trees on your land that you would like to see protected, or for enquiries about clearing vegetation on your property.
Declared Land Vegetation Orders
Around 1135 properties in Caloundra City were recently identified as being subject to a Declared Lands Vegetation Order.
A Declared Lands Vegetation Order means that any tree meeting the following description is prohibited from being cleared without a Council approval:
- a tree at 1 metre height above ground level; with
- a trunk circumference of 70 centimetres or more (slightly smaller than a standard power pole); and
- growing within 10 metres of the high bank of any river, stream, creek or watercourse
A Declared Lands Vegetation Order is a provision of Section 22 Savings and Transitional of Local Law No. 14 (Clearing of Vegetation) 2003. This provision was carried over from the repealed Caloundra City Council (Tree Protection By-Law) Local Law (No. 1) 1994.
What is the purpose of Declared Lands Vegetation Orders?
Council established this initiative to help protect the waterways within Caloundra City, whilst allowing for the management of rural properties.
It is not designed to unfairly restrict any development prospects.
What does a Declared Lands Vegetation Order apply to?
Declared Lands Vegetation Orders only apply to land zoned as 'rural' under the superseded Caloundra City Planning Scheme 1996.
These properties have been primarily identified by comparing the Calmap aerial photographs, the “creek and creek name layers”, and the rural land zoning under the superseded Caloundra City Planning Scheme 1996.
How do I know if it affects my property?
Declared Land Vegetation orders do not affect:
- normal garden activities, such as ornamental shaping or pruning
- farming activities, such as legitimate removal of trees for fence or yard posts
- construction of a dwelling on your property
Property owners are able to see if their property is included by checking Council’s free web mapping service, Calmap. The layer will be under the 'Integrated Planning Layer Category' and called Local Law 14 Sect 22 Declared Lands and Subject Properties.
Find out the approval process you will need to follow in order to clear protected vegetation on your property.
Approvals to clear vegetation
Contact Council on (07) 5420 8200 for approvals to clear vegetation protected by a Vegetation Order or a Declared Lands Vegetation Order, or if you have vegetation or trees on your land that you would like to see protected.
Your request will be forwarded to Council’s Natural Resource Management Officers who will contact you and, if necessary, arrange a time to meet you on your property.
For major clearing projects, an assessment fee applies. Assessment of minor works will not attract a fee.
Please be aware that there are other federal and state permits that you may also need prior to clearing any vegetation.
Parks and Reserves Local Law
All trees, bushes, shrubs and grasses within Council's parks and reserves are protected under Council’s Local Law No. 10 (Parks and Reserves).
It is an offence under Local Law No. 10 to interfere with a plant within a park, street trees and other vegetation within Council’s road reserves.
Council Officers are authorised to issue $375 on-the-spot fines to anyone who has committed this offence. The maximum penalty is $3750.
If you have concerns in regards to any park or reserve, contact Council on (07) 5420 8200. A Council Officer will then contact you and assess the issue.
State vegetation protection legislation
The Vegetation Management Act is Queensland’s primary state legislation that protects remnant vegetation on freehold land and state land, as well as certain non-remnant vegetation on state land.
The Department of Natural Resources and Water (DNRW) and Environment Protection Agency (EPA) administer the Vegetation Management Act.
If you would like to know whether you need a permit to clear vegetation under this state legislation, see the facts sheets at the Department of Natural Resources and Water (NRW) website or the EPA website.
What is remnant vegetation?
Remnant vegetation communities are broken down into different regional ecosystems by area, soil type and vegetation characteristics. These ecosystems are then given a classification.
What are the ecosystem classifications?
The DNRW gives the following classifications to regional ecosystems:
Regional ecosystems are classified as 'endangered' if:
- less than 10% of the pre-clearing extent remains, or
- 10-30% of the pre-clearing extent remains (if the area of remnant vegetation is less than 10 000 hectares)
Regional ecosystems are 'of concern' if:
- 10-30% of the pre-clearing extent remains, or
- more than 30% of the pre-clearing extent remains (if the area of remnant vegetation is less than 10 000 hectares)
Regional ecosystems are 'not of concern' if:
- more than 30% of the pre-clearing extent remains and the area of remnant vegetation is more than 10 000 hectares