Land clearing fact sheets and reports
For fact sheets on sensitive vegetation and vegetation management go to the Northern Territory Government website.
Northern Territory Planning Scheme
Go to Northern Territory Government website to read the complete Northern Territory Planning Scheme, or you can access relevant excerpts to land clearing below:
- NT Planning Scheme definition of native vegetation PDF (22.0 KB) - all freehold land (other than Pastoral leases) is subject to clauses 10.2 and 10.3 of the Northern Territory Planning Scheme
- NT Planning Scheme definition of clearing of native vegetation PDF (18.9 KB)
- NT Planning Scheme exceptions PDF (24.2 KB)
- NT Planning Scheme clearing on unzoned land PDF (22.1 KB)
Land clearing resources
The following are links to relevant resources about land clearing in the Northern Territory (NT):
- Planning Act
- Pastoral Land Act
- Land Clearing Guidelines PDF (3.0 MB)
- Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act
- land clearing in the Northern Territory, 2002 PDF (2.1 MB)
- Daly River catchment clearing data, 2006 JPG (144.1 KB)
History of clearing controls in the NT
Native vegetation clearing has been controlled on pastoral land and within the Litchfield Shire since 1992. The NT Government introduced native vegetation clearing controls to the remaining freehold and crown land, outside of the existing planning control areas, in December 2002 through Interim Development Control Order (IDCO) No.12.
Following a two year period of consultation and development the IDCO was replaced with permanent controls under the Planning Act.
Year | Event |
|---|---|
1992 | Clearing controls applied to the Pastoral Land Act. Pastoral Land Clearing Guidelines introduced. |
1992 | Clearing controls introduced to the Planning Act with the "50% rule" introduced in the Litchfield Shire Area Plan – permits required where greater than 50% of a parcel proposed to be cleared. |
2002 | February - Introduction of the Land Clearing Guidelines for freehold land. |
2002 | December – clearing controls introduced for unzoned land by Interim Development Control Order 12 – permits required to clear greater than 1 ha of native vegetation under the Planning Act. |
2003 | November – Clearing moratorium declared in the Daly River region affecting freehold and pastoral leases. |
2004 | May – "50% rule" changed to "greater than 1 ha" rule in the Litchfield Area Plan for zoned land in Litchfield Shire – permits required where more than 1 ha proposed to be cleared on a parcel. |
2004 | November – IDCO12 becomes permanent in the NT Planning Scheme affecting unzoned land. The Litchfield Area Plan remains current. |
2006 | Land Clearing Guidelines for freehold land updated. |
2007 | February - the NT Planning Scheme consolidatedwith clearing of native vegetation criteria applying to unzoned and zoned land across the NT. |
2007 | December – Daly River region clearing moratorium extended with an emphasis on water allocation planning. |
2008 | March – clearing moratorium in the Daly River region formalised by Interim Development Control Order 17. |
2010 | March – IDCO17 expires. |
2010 | Freehold and Pastoral Land Clearing Guidelines updated. Freehold Guidelines includes special provisions for the Daly River catchment. |
Last updated: 31 January 2020