Source: https://www.landmanagement.nsw.gov.au/contact-us/faqs/
Timestamp: 2017-10-20 05:16:12
Document Index: 787829505

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 5', 'art 4', 'art 5', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 5']

There will be some special categories of land on which no clearing under the code will be permitted. The Local Land Services Amendment Regulation proposes that this land will include coastal and Ramsar wetlands, littoral rainforest, core koala habitat, critically endangered ecological communities, old growth forests and high conservation value grasslands. The land management code can also specify additional land that cannot be cleared under the code.
The Native Vegetation Regulatory (NVR) Map covers all rural land in NSW. It categorises land into areas where clearing of native vegetation can occur without approval, where clearing can only be carried out in accordance with Part 5A of the LLS Act or other legislation and excluded land where the LLS Act does not apply.
Stage 1b: Category 1 – Unregulated Land and Category 2 – Regulated Land mapping will be published as a draft and does not have regulatory effect. This will become available on the Map Viewer - www.lmbc.nsw.gov.au/nvrmap Stage 1b is expected to commence around the end of September 2017.
To view the NVR Map or find out more about the NVR map go to: www.environment.nsw.gov.au/biodiversity/regulatorymap.htm
Different categories of land will be identified on the map using different colours. The final map may include up to five different colours representing the different land categories and subcategories.
The Local Land Services Act 2013 as amended provides a framework for certain koala habitat identified by a plan of management under State Environmental Planning Policy 44 – Koala Habitat Protection to be prescribed (by regulation) as habitat that must be mapped as category 2 – sensitive regulated land. If the Chief Executive of OEH considers it to be core koala habitat.
‘Core koala habitat’ from the six currently approved Comprehensive Koala Plans of Management are included in the new category of ‘category 2 - sensitive regulated’ land. Clearing under the Land Management Code would not be permitted on such land.
The NSW government is currently developing a NSW Koala Strategy that includes a proposal to develop a Statewide map of koala habitat. The Statewide map will be completed in stages with the whole map completed in December 2019.
The regulation enables landholder review of the Native Vegetation Regulatory Map during the transitional period if they can demonstrate that their land has been incorrectly categorised in the draft Map. The regulation sets out further detail about the process for re-categorisation of mapped land, the review of categorisation decisions, and appeals against categorisation or re-categorisation decisions.
How can I find out more about the categories that have been applied to my land on the Native Vegetation Regulation (NVR) Map?
A landholder may apply to the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage for a Category Explanation Report which will explain the basis for the inclusion of land in certain categories on the NVR Map in the area identified by the applicant. More information about the category explanation report and NVR map review process is available at www.environment.nsw.gov.au/biodiversity/regulatorymapreview.htm
In what situations does the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme apply?
The Biodiversity Offsets Scheme applies to the following development and clearing proposals:
Local development that will have impacts above the ‘Biodiversity Offsets Scheme Threshold’ or is likely to significantly affect threatened species or ecological communities based on the assessment of significance in s7.3 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. (“Local development” is development approved under Part 4 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) other than State Significant Development and Complying Development)
State Significant Development and State Significant Infrastructure, unless it is not likely to have any significant impact on biodiversity values (as determined by the Secretary of the Department of Planning and Environment and the Chief Executive of the Office of Environment and Heritage)
Clearing above the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme Threshold regulated through the Vegetation State Environmental Planning Policy. This covers clearing that does not require development consent in urban areas and environmental conservation zones (E2-E4 zones)
Agricultural clearing proposals that require approval by the Native Vegetation Panel under the Local Land Services Amendment Act 2016
Activities assessed under Part 5 of the EP&A Act, if the proponent chooses to opt-in to the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme
The Biodiversity Offsets Scheme threshold is a simple, objective, risk-based test used to determine when the Biodiversity Assessment Method and the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme apply. It is relevant to local developments (Part 4, non-state significant development/state significant infrastructure under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979) and clearing regulated by the State Environmental Planning Policy (Vegetation) 2017 (Vegetation SEPP).
There are two elements to the threshold test – an area trigger and a Biodiversity Values Map trigger. If clearing exceeds either trigger, the Biodiversity Offset Scheme applies to the proposed clearing.
Local development that does not exceed the threshold are also required to assess if the development is likely to significantly affect threatened species or ecological communities based on the assessment of significance in s7.3 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. If the development is likely to have a significant effect, then the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme applies.
Under the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme applications for development or clearing approvals must set out how impacts on biodiversity will be avoided and minimised. For example, to avoid biodiversity impacts a proponent may change the layout of their proposed development so that less native vegetation needs to be cleared. To minimise biodiversity impacts a proponent may propose limiting certain operations during the breeding season of local threatened species, or reducing use of lighting at night to minimise impacts on nocturnal threatened species.
The Biodiversity Assessment Method is used to calculate an offset obligation (in biodiversity credits) for the remaining residual impacts, which the approval authority will consider if they approve the development or clearing proposal.
Developers have a range of options to offset biodiversity impacts under the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme. These include buying credits from Biodiversity Stewardship sites, funding biodiversity actions or they can pay money into the Biodiversity Conservation Fund to meet their offset obligation. The Biodiversity Conservation Regulation 2017 contains offset rules governing how these offset options are used.
Under the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme, developers have the option to buy credits directly from landholders or pay into the Biodiversity Conservation Fund to meet an offset obligation. If a developer pays into the Fund, the Biodiversity Conservation Trust is then responsible for securing the offset.
The amount a developer must pay into the Fund is determined by the Offsets Payment Calculator made by the Minister for the Environment. As a general rule, the amount the developer pays must cover the costs the Biodiversity Conservation Trust will incur to secure the necessary credits.
When seeking offset sites the Biodiversity Conservation Trust is required to follow the offset rules set out in the Biodiversity Conservation Regulation 2017. The hierarchy of offset rules for the Biodiversity Conservation Trust starts with like-for-like offsetting as the first priority. The hierarchy guides the Trust to prioritise offsets that will provide the most benefits to biodiversity. Some additional flexibility is provided to the Trust, compared to proponents, to ensure the Trust can meet its offset obligations.
A benefit of assigning the Trust a role in securing offsets is that the Trust will have capacity to seek offsets in strategic locations and co-locate offsets for various developments. This will maximise the biodiversity benefit of the offsets.
How much does it cost to purchase a biodiversity credit under the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme?
The OEH Chief Executive publishes a public register of accredited assessors, including contact details to make it easy for you to find an assessor.
The fee an assessor charges is negotiated between the assessor and their client.
The accreditation scheme requires an assessor to:
Importantly, accredited assessors will be required to adopt a code of conduct, which is published by OEH.
What happens if a development application process is already underway now the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 has commenced?
Transitional arrangements for developments have been put in place to ensure a smooth transition to the new legislation. These are set out in the Biodiversity Conservation (Savings and Transitional) Regulation 2017.
All development applications which were submitted before commencement will be considered under previous legislation.
Local developments (under Part 4 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979) in the following local government areas will have twelve months to submit a development application under the old legislation: Camden, City of Campbelltown, City of Fairfield, City of Hawkesbury, City of Liverpool, City of Penrith and Wollondilly. Over the next three months, the NSW Government may identify additional areas where this twelve-month transitional period applies.
Local developments in all other areas will have three months to submit a development application under the old legislation.
Transitional arrangements have also been put in place for state significant development, state significant infrastructure and Part 5 activities. Find out more details about transitional arrangements: www.environment.nsw.gov.au/biodiversity/transitional.htm
Existing biodiversity credits and credit obligations will remain valid under the new legislation. OEH will publish further details about the transitional arrangements soon. In the meantime contact OEH with any inquiries at [email protected] or on 1800 931 717.
Where can I view the Biodiversity Values map?
The Biodiversity Values map is publicly available here: www.lmbc.nsw.gov.au/BVMap
For more information about the Entry Requirements into the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme, visit www.environment.nsw.gov.au/biodiversity/entryrequirements.htm
The Regulation allows some low-risk activities that may harm locally unprotected fauna to be conducted without requiring a licence or compliance with a code of practice. These are called “exempt activities”. The provisions in the draft Regulation are based on existing arrangements.
The Biodiversity Conservation Regulation provides additional detail on how to assess if an area meets the eligibility requirements for an Area of Outstanding Biodiversity Value (AOBV) set out in the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.
What will the new State Environmental Planning Policy (Vegetation in Non-Rural Areas) 2017 (The SEPP) do?
repeals clauses 5.9 & 5.9AA of the Standard Instrument—Principal Local Environmental Plan. These clauses require development consent or a permit from Council for the removal of trees or vegetation to which a development control plan applies. The effect of clauses 5.9 and 5.9AA has been substantially reproduced in the SEPP for land to which the SEPP applies.
Where will the State Environmental Planning Policy (Vegetation in Non-Rural Areas) 2017 (The SEPP) apply?
The SEPP will apply to the Sydney metropolitan area, and to all other land in NSW that is zoned for urban purposes or for environmental conservation/management under the Standard Instrument – Principal Environmental Plan. The Secretary of the Department of Planning and Environment may also declare that the SEPP applies to land that is not yet zoned under the Standard Instrument if the land has an urban or environmental conservation purpose.
A full list of the Sydney metropolitan local government areas and urban and environmental conservation/management zones to which the SEPP applies is provided at www.planning.nsw.gov.au/vegetationSEPP.
Why has a new State Environmental Planning Policy (Vegetation in Non-Rural Areas) 2017 (The SEPP) been developed?
The SEPP will ensure that the new Biodiversity Offsets Scheme (BOS) applies to clearing of native vegetation in urban areas and areas zoned for environmental conservation/management that exceed the BOS thresholds if development consent is not required for the clearing under a relevant environmental planning instrument. The proposed BOS threshold has been released for public consultation in the Biodiversity Conservation Regulation 2017.
Where can I find out more about the State Environmental Planning Policy (Vegetation in Non-Rural Areas) 2017 (The SEPP)?