The OEH have now released the details of the staged plans for the publication of the NVR map categories. The categories and release dates are as follows:

Stage 1 A, Category 2 Vulnerable Land and Category 2 Sensitive Land mapping will be enforced from 25 August 2017 and now has full regulatory effect. This map is available on the map viewer at www.lmbc.nsw.gov.au/nvrmap.

Stage 1 B, Category 1 Unregulated Land and Category 2 Regulated Land Mapping has been published but only as a draft and does not yet have regulatory effect. This will become available on the map viewer on the OEH website in or about September 2017.

Stage 2 Category 1 Unregulated Land and Category 2 Regulated Land mapping will commence with full regulatory effect however it is expected that this effect will not come into place until early to mid-2018.

Currently the Stage 1 mapping as referred to in the LLS Act 2013 is in the transition period. During the transition period the NVR mapping does not have regulatory effect and land holders are said to be responsible for determining the category of the land of which they hold in accordance with the LLS Act 2013.

 In accordance with our previous update the new regime commenced on Friday and consists of the following:

1. Local Land Services Amendment Act
2. The Biodiversity Conservation Act
3. The Local Land Services Amendment Regulation
4. The Land Management Code
5. The Government Gazette Notice setting out the interim for Grasslands and Ground Cover assessment method.

The environment Minister was quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday 26 August 2017 that

‘There will not be an amnesty for potentially unlawful clearing that has taken place before the start date of the new laws’

We will continue to provide updates once the additional mapping is released. In the meantime we again suggest that land holders seek advice before any clearing is undertaken.

 

 

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