Guidelines for the Management of Roadside Native Vegetation and Regrowth Vegetation Under Native Vegetation Regulation 11(23) Native Vegetation Council Endorsed 3 July 2019 (amended September 2020) Disclaimer While every reasonable effort has been made to verify the information in these guidelines, use of the information contained is at your sole risk. The Department for Environment and Water recommends that you independently verify the information before taking any action. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ All other rights are reserved. © Crown in right of the State of South Australia. Published 2019. Guidelines for the Management of Roadside Native Vegetation and Regrowth Vegetation 2 Contents Contents ......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 4 What are the ‘Guidelines for the Management of Roadside Native Vegetation and Regrowth Vegetation’? ............................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Importance of protecting native vegetation ................................................................................................................ 5 Alternatives to clearing vegetation .................................................................................................................................. 5 Understanding the guidelines ............................................................................................................................................ 6 Definitions .................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Mitigation Hierarchy .............................................................................................................................................................. 9 Operating Requirements ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 Part 1: Management of roadside vegetation ....................................................................................... 10 Section 1 – Primary clearance envelopes .................................................................................................................... 10 Section 2 – Secondary clearance envelopes .............................................................................................................. 11 Section 3 – Verge clearance ............................................................................................................................................. 13 Part 2: Framework for public safety ....................................................................................................... 19 Section 4. Public safety categories ................................................................................................................................ 19 PART 3: Other activities relating to roadside vegetation ................................................................. 23 Section 5. Clearance for access to adjoining land ................................................................................................... 23 Section 6. Clearance for fence lines ............................................................................................................................. 24 Section 7. Pest plant and animal control .................................................................................................................... 25 Section 8. Removing plant material .............................................................................................................................. 26 Section 9. Undeveloped road reserves ........................................................................................................................ 28 Section 10. Fire management .......................................................................................................................................... 29 PART 4: Developing a management plan .............................................................................................. 30 Section 11. Roadside Vegetation Management Plan ............................................................................................. 30 GLOSSARY................................................................................................................................................... 34 Appendix 1. ............................................................................................................................................................................. 37 Appendix 2. ............................................................................................................................................................................. 39 Guidelines for the Management of Roadside Native Vegetation and Regrowth Vegetation 3 Introduction What are the ‘Guidelines for the Management of Roadside Native Vegetation and Regrowth Vegetation’? Native roadside vegetation is considered to be of significant ecological value, as it often contains threatened plant species and vegetation communities, and provides habitat for native wildlife. As such, it is protected in South Australia under both the Local Government Act 1999 and the Native Vegetation Act 1991. However, this vegetation can create issues for road users, such as impeding vehicle movement, affecting sightlines and presenting possible hazards to errant vehicles. This means there are times when clearing native vegetation is crucial. Under the Local Government Act, any removal or disturbance of roadside vegetation requires the permission of the local council. Under the Native Vegetation Act, removal or disturbance of roadside vegetation also requires the permission of the Native Vegetation Council, unless a specific exemption applies. These Guidelines for the Management of Roadside Native Vegetation and Regrowth Vegetation have been prepared to provide parameters for local councils and the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) to manage native vegetation in road reserves to maintain the safety and visibility of roadsides while retaining important native vegetation values. The guidelines state the circumstances where approval is required by the Native Vegetation Council and how it is to be obtained, outline a pathway for clearing native vegetation that poses a safety concern, and provide avenues for landholders who are adjacent to road reserves to manage vegetation in particular circumstances. This document replaces the “Guidelines for the Management of Roadside Vegetation” (NVC, 2012). One significant change is that the management of native vegetation regrowth on roadsides has been extended to allow clearance of regrowth vegetation of up to 20 years of age, whereas previously only regrowth of up to 5 years of age was allowed to be cleared. This change will allow local councils and DPTI to manage the immediate regrowth (1m into verge) along their roadsides without requiring any approval, while allowing clearance of regrowth further from the road (2-3m) through an approval process. What legislation informs these guidelines? The guidelines comply with Section 25 of the Native Vegetation Act 1991, which relates to Guidelines for the application of assistance and the management of native vegetation. Specifically, these guidelines have been developed under Part 3, Division 4, Regulation 11(23) to allow the clearance of vegetation that is growing or situated on a road reserve or rail corridor for the purpose of: a) ensuring the safety of persons entering or passing the land, or b) controlling pests on the land Under this regulation, clearing vegetation can only occur if: i. the clearance complies with these guidelines; or ii. the clearance complies with a Roadside Management Plan prepared by the Local Council or DPTI and approved by the Native Vegetation Council and iii. the clearance meets all the other requirements of Regulation 11. Guidelines for the Management of Roadside Native Vegetation and Regrowth Vegetation 4 Importance of protecting native vegetation Native vegetation along roadsides is significant for many reasons: It contains threatened plants species and vegetation communities The legacy of land clearance in South Australia means that much of the state’s remnant native vegetation is located on roadsides and in road reserves. This is particularly true in agricultural zones, For the most part, this vegetation has never been cleared or grazed, and in some regions it may be the only remnant pre-European vegetation that exists, so it often contains threatened plant species and vegetation communities. It provides habitat for native wildlife Native vegetation provides habitat for native wildlife, and often supports populations of threatened species. For example, mature roadside trees contain resources like hollows that are less common in younger, surrounding vegetation. Roadside vegetation, along with other remnant vegetation and scattered paddock trees, can also help wildlife, particularly birds, move through