Received the following in work today, haven't had the chance to read it yet but may proove useful to some of us.....
Good morning
I am emailing you to advise that a Code of Practice for the management of native vegetation to reduce the impact of bushfire has recently become available on our website.
The Code is a user-friendly guide outlining the provisions of the Native Vegetation Act 1991 in relation to the management of native vegetation, clearance and fire protection.
Jointly developed by the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation, Department of Heritage and Environment, South Australian Country Fire Service and the Native Vegetation Council, the Code provides land managers with a clear and consistent approach to the management of native vegetation to reduce the impact of bushfire while still recognising the need to maintain and protect our State's important biodiversity assets.
While the clearance of native vegetation is controlled by the Native Vegetation Act 1991 and various regulations, established exemptions allow the clearance of native vegetation without formal consent (from the Native Vegetation Council) for a range of fire risk management works. Those exemptions recognise the need to protect life and property while minimising the clearance of native vegetation.
The next step is for the Native Vegetation Council to consider delegating clearance approvals to CFS officers, further streamlining the process.
We continue to be committed to reducing the impact of bushfires on community and environmental assets, seeking to effectively minimise native vegetation fuel hazard levels. This Code will be reviewed after 18 months, and may be reviewed earlier as information following recent fire events becomes available.
The code can be viewed at:
http://www.dwlbc.sa.gov.au/native/fire/cop.html Regards
Dennis Mutton
Chair
Native Vegetation Council
