Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00253:clause:8_12
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00253
Segment Type: clause
Provision Reference: sch 8 cl 12
Character Range: 29470–31634

12  Meaning of starting ecosystem condition state
 (1) In this instrument, the starting ecosystem condition state of an activity area, or a proposed activity area, is one of the following states, assessed as part of the SSA in accordance with paragraph 30(1)(f).
State A: land is in State A if:
 (a) ground cover from category A plants is primarily from a diverse suite of subcategory A1, A2 and A3 plants; and
 (b) the number of plant species from subcategories A1 and A2 is at least 80% of the benchmark value for the reference ecosystem identified for the activity area; and
 (c) no more than 5% of ground cover from category A plants is from plants from subcategories A4 and A5.
State B: land is in State B if:
 (a) it is not in State A; and
 (b) ground cover from category A plants is comprised of a simple mix of native species, which may include species that are not native to the local area; and
 (c) no more than 50% of ground cover from category A plants is from plants from subcategories A4 and A5.
State C: land is in State C if:
 (a) it is not in State A or State B; and
 (b) more than 50% of ground cover from category A plants is from plants that are from sub-category A4 and that have not been cultivated for cropping in the past 5 years.
State D: land is in State D if it is not in State A, State B or State C.
 (2) In this instrument:
category A plant means a living ground layer vascular plant.
subcategory A1 plant means a living grass from a species that is native to the local area;
subcategory A2 plant means a living herbaceous vascular plant, other than a grass, from a species that is native to the local area.
subcategory A3 plant means a living woody plant within the ground layer (less than 1 metre tall) from a species that is native to the local area; this may be a seedling, a vine or a small plant of a native tree or shrub species.
subcategory A4 plant means a living ground layer plant from a species that is not native to the local area, other than a non-pasture crop species.
subcategory A5 plant means a living ground layer plant from a non-native non-pasture crop species.

Part 2—Project requirements

Division 2.1—General