Vegetation management & protection

Council gazetted Local Law 24 (Vegetation Protection) in May 1999. This Law protects vegetation in areas of Redlynch, Stratford, sections of Brinsmead, and the Northern Beaches suburbs including Smithfield. In the future more properties will be added to the register of protected vegetation.

To find out if a property is effected by the Local Law, please contact Council's Customer Service Centre's on 4044 3044. To review Local Law 24 (Vegetation Protection) please visit the Department of Local Government, Sport and Recreation's Local laws database.

In developing the new Law, Council has adopted a differential method of protecting vegetation to attain a more accurate representation of the vegetation community type.

For example the category of protection may be:

• All vegetation in a defined area - including trees, shrubs, grasses, vines etc.
• Trees or groups of trees in a defined area - generally vegetation greater than three metres in height.
• Certain species or classes of trees in a defined area eg. Melaleuca leucadendra.
  

As a note, "tree" means a plant that has:

• A height equal to or exceeding three metres.
• A trunk or bole which has a diameter, at a height of 1.5 metres, equal to or exceeding 12 centimetres.
• A combined diameter of two or more boles, at a height of 1.5 metres, equal to or exceeding 12 cm.
• A width of foliage equal to or exceeding three metres in diameter.
  

To assist in informing new or potential landowners of the presence of the Law, Council has included this notation on general rate searches.

The Local Law does not prohibit development or the clearing of protected vegetation, it simply provides and avenue whereby Council is consulted prior to it's removal. This means that the landowner must receive written permission from Council to damage or remove protected vegetation.

Approval can be sought by completing an Application to Remove Protected Vegetation form and returning to Council. Where necessary, an assessment will be undertaken by Council officers to determine if there is a genuine need for the works to occur. There is no fee associated with this service.

•  Application to remove protected vegetation form is available in the related documents area.
  

The public is also able to nominate vegetation for protection.

•  Nominate vegetation for protection form is available in the related documents area.
  

Plant smart near powerlines

• Plant smart - former Cairns
  
• Plant smart - former Douglas  

Enquiries to remove protected vegetation can be directed to Council Customer Service Centres on (07) 4044 3044.