Native Forest Practice Code (Freehold land), plus other Rules and Regulations

Significant legislation changes have occurred in Queensland since 1997 that effect private native timber production on freehold land.  However, the good news is that primary producers, other landholders and the timber industry can still conduct ‘forest practices’ on both ‘remnant’ (coloured) mapped areas and non-remnant (white / category x) areas.

 Forest practices include:

  • harvesting sawlogs, poles, fencing timbers, tree seed, etc
  • silvicultural thinning that assists forest productivity (chemical, mechanical, etc)
  • weed control that assists forest productivity
  • use of fire (burning) to manage regeneration
  • limited soil disturbance to encourage forest regeneration

Essentially, Queensland landholders and producers with native forest and woodlands on freehold land have now had their land mapped as ‘remnant’ vegetation (coloured areas) and ‘non-remnant’ vegetation (white areas), under the Vegetation Management Act 1999.  Remnant mapped vegetation has been further categorised into ‘Regional Ecosystems’ (REs).  Across Queensland there over 1000 different Regional ecosystems which all have a RE code ie. 11.7.6.

A free Regional Ecosystem map and RE description sheets of your property can be obtained from AgForward or the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency's website.

For producers and landholders to continue conducting 'forest practices', which includes having harvesting and forest practice thinning treatment a producer/landholder needs to:

  1. notify the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water (NRW) by completing and lodging a Notice of forest practice form; and
  2. comply with the Native Forest Practice Code for Freehold Land 2005.

We strongly recommend you notify NRW if you wish continuing to conduct forest practices now, or at any time in the future as it may assist you to demonstrate and prove your land management ‘intent’ intention should there be legislative changes in the future. Notification only needs to happen once, is free of charge, attaches to title and transfers to the next landholder.

Non-remnant (white / category x) areas are presently not subject to the Vegetation Management Act 1999 or Native Forest Practice Code for Freehold Land 2005.

You can ‘lock in’ the non remnant (white area) boundaries and/or have changes made to your RE maps via the Property Map of Assessable Vegetation or map modification process.  For more information on these options plus assistance to understand what the Vegetation Management Act means for your property please contact  AgForward.  AgForward's services are available to ALL Queensland primary producers, not just AgForce members.

Other legislation that can affect producing, thinning and harvesting native forest and woodlands operations in Queensland includes: