Native vegetation and biodiversity




The NSW Government has released the NSW Plan for Nature (the plan) as a response to the independent statutory review of the >Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and the review of the native vegetation provisions of the Local Land Services Act 2013. The plan aims to protect, restore and improve biodiversity in NSW. Actions will contribute to nature positive aims established at the national and international levels.

The plan is the Government’s first step in responding to the findings of the statutory reviews.

What does ‘nature positive’ mean?

Under the plan, nature positive means the environment is being repaired and regenerated. This contrasts with traditional sustainability approaches, which have sought to minimise negative impacts by slowing or stabilising the rate of biodiversity loss.

Our role

Under the plan, the NSW Government has tasked us to:

  1. provide advice on options to further protect and restore biodiversity in regional landscapes and enhance value and support for landholders. An advisory panel will support the Commission.
  2. provide advice on policy options to strengthen the management and protection of widespread Critically Endangered Ecological Communities under the Land Management Code, including considering mechanisms that support and incentivise landholders to protect, restore and improve Critically Endangered Ecological Communities.
  3. provide advice on policy options to improve outcomes for areas containing exclusively or predominantly non-woody vegetation (grasslands and ground cover). The objectives of the review will identify options to reduce unallocated clearing rates for non-woody vegetation, ensure the protection of high-value native grasslands, and minimise overregulation of non-native non-woody vegetation and unrecoverable native non-woody vegetation.
  4. oversee work to develop a Land Management Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Framework. As part of the framework, the government will implement a process to better identify and report on the use of Allowable Activities.

Stay in touch

We will update the community regularly on progress and opportunities to engage. If you would like to receive updates regarding this work, you can sign up to our mailing list.