Permit to remove native vegetation –
Risk-based pathways
Fact sheet
How is risk managed in the native vegetation
permitted clearing regulations?
The native vegetation permitted clearing regulations are
designed to manage risks to Victoria’s biodiversity from the
removal of native vegetation. An application for a permit to
remove native vegetation is categorised into one of three
risk-based pathways; low, moderate or high.
The risk-based pathway determines the application
requirements and the decision guidelines applied when
assessing the application. This risk-based approach
ensures risks to biodiversity are identified early in the
application process and applicants’ obligations are
proportionate to the biodiversity impacts of their proposal to
remove native vegetation.
How is risk determined?
The risk to biodiversity of a proposal to remove native
vegetation is based on whether the removal could
significantly impact on habitat for Victoria’s rare or
threatened species. This is determined by assessing the
proportional impact of the proposed removal of native
vegetation on rare or threatened species habitat.
Proportional impact is a measure of the relative importance
of the species’ habitat to be removed in relation to the total
remaining habitat for that species.
How is the risk-based pathway determined?
The extent and the location risk of the proposal to remove
native vegetation are combined to determine the risk-based
pathway as detailed in Table 1.
Extent is the area of a remnant patch or the number of
scattered trees to be removed. Location risk is determined
by the location risk category of the native vegetation to be
removed on the Native vegetation location risk map. If the
proposed native vegetation removal falls over two location
risk categories, then the higher location risk category is
used. For example, if part of the native vegetation removal
is in Location A and part in Location C, Location C is used.
Table 1 Risk-based pathway matrix
Location A
Extent – remnant patch
< 0.5 hectares
Low
≥ 0.5 hectares
Low
and < 1 hectare
≥ 1 hectare
Moderate
Extent – scattered trees
< 15 scattered
Low
trees
≥ 15 scattered
Moderate
trees
Location B
Location C
Low
High
Moderate
High
High
High
Moderate
High
High
High
See Permitted clearing of native vegetation – Biodiversity
assessment guidelines for more details about how the
risk-based pathways are determined.
What does the Native vegetation location risk
map represent?
The Native vegetation location risk map divides Victoria into
three location risk categories (Location A, Location B and
Location C). The category of a location is determined on the
following basis:
 where the removal of less than 0.5 hectares of native
vegetation at a particular location could have a
significant impact on a rare or threatened species
habitat, this location is categorised as Location C
(orange).
 where the removal of greater than or equal to 0.5
hectares but less than 1 hectare of native vegetation at a
particular location could have a significant impact on a
rare or threatened species habitat this location is
categorised as Location B (purple).
 where the removal of greater than or equal to 1 hectare
of native vegetation at a particular location could have a
significant impact on a rare or threatened species habitat
this location is categorised as Location A (blue).
All areas of the state not mapped as rare or threatened
species habitat are also categorised as Location A (blue).
This is to ensure that all locations in Victoria have a location
risk category if native vegetation is proposed to be removed
there.
When should the Native vegetation location risk
map be used?
The Native vegetation location risk map has been
developed solely for the purpose of determining the
risk-based pathway of an application for a permit to remove
native vegetation. It is not a map of the biodiversity value or
conservation significance of native vegetation across
Victoria. The Native vegetation location risk map has not
been designed for use in undertaking strategic planning to
protect and manage native vegetation for biodiversity. Other
mapped information provided by DEPI can assist in strategic
planning for biodiversity.
How has the Native vegetation location risk map
been created?
The Native vegetation location risk map has been created
by considering the impact of the removal of native
vegetation on habitat for Victoria’s rare or threatened
species.
Habitats for rare or threatened species are classified into
two groups: dispersed habitats and highly localised habitats.
Highly localised habitats are very limited in extent (less than
2,000 hectares in area) and typically also highly restricted
geographically. Dispersed habitats are more widespread.
The rare or threatened species listed in the Department of
Environment and Primary Industries’ Threatened Species
Advisory Lists are considered in the creation of the Native
vegetation location risk map. Species’ habitats that are not
directly impacted by native vegetation removal are not
considered, for example marine species.
Habitat importance maps have been created for these
relevant rare or threatened species. Each Habitat
importance map represents suitable habitat for a specific
rare or threatened species. For species with dispersed
habitat, the habitat is ranked and given a score for its
importance for the species. All locations within a highly
localised habitat are considered of equal, and high
importance.
For further detail about how the habitat importance maps
were developed see the Biodiversity information tools used
in Victoria’s native vegetation permitted clearing regulations
fact sheet. See the List of habitat importance maps used in
the permitted clearing regulations version 1.0 for a list of all
species that have habitat importance maps and the details
of these maps.
The Native vegetation location risk map uses the habitat
importance maps to consider rare or threatened species
habitats at each location in Victoria. At each location the
smallest area of native vegetation removal that would have
a significant proportional impact on one or more species’
habitat is calculated. This is calculated by considering the
size, relative importance and condition of a species habitat
in a location relative to the remaining habitat for that species
across Victoria.
The impact of the removal of native vegetation on a species’
habitat is considered significant when it represents more
than 0.005 per cent of the remaining habitat for that species.
The smallest area of native vegetation removal that would
have a significant impact on one or more habitat at each
location is used to assign a location risk category to the
location. Therefore if the removal of less than 0.5 hectares
in a location would have a significant impact on any
particular species’ habitat then this area is categorised as
Location C.
Note that for dispersed species habitats, the combination of
the habitat importance score and native vegetation
condition, results in variation in the proportional impact of
native vegetation removal across their mapped habitat. As a
result each species habitat may occur across more than one
location risk category.
For some species with highly localised habitats, there are
too few records to develop a reliable habitat model. In these
cases, known site observations and buffers are used to
create the habitat importance map. Due to their limited
extent all areas of highly localised habitats are in Location
C. See Table 2 for more detail about the contents of each
location risk category.
Table 2 Contents of location risk category
Location
risk
Contents
category
All habitat importance maps for species with highly
localised habitat.
Locations where the removal of less than 0.5
hectares of native vegetation could have a
significant impact on a dispersed rare or
threatened species, including:

locations of highest importance for all
Location C
dispersed species that have less than 10,000
hectares of suitable habitat remaining across
Victoria.

locations of highest importance for some
dispersed species that have greater than
10,000 hectares of suitable habitat remaining
across Victoria.
Location B
Location A
Locations where the removal of less than 1
hectare, but greater than or equal to 0.5 hectares,
of native vegetation could have a significant
impact on a dispersed species, including:

locations of secondary importance for most
dispersed species that have less than 10,000
hectares of suitable habitat remaining across
Victoria.

locations of highest importance for some
dispersed species that have habitat greater
than 10,000 hectares and less than 25,000
hectares of suitable habitat remaining across
Victoria.
Locations where the removal of native vegetation
needs to be greater than 1 hectare before the
removal is likely to have a significant impact on
any rare or threatened species, including:

all locations for dispersed species that are not
in Location B or Location C.

all other locations across Victoria.
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Will the Native vegetation location risk map be
updated?
The Native vegetation location risk map will be updated
periodically to account for new data, improved analytical
methods and known impacts. The current version of the
Native vegetation location risk map, version 2, was released
in September 2013 in preparation for the commencement of
the new regulations. The next update will occur in 2014.
Where can I get further information?
Further information and the documents and maps
referenced in this fact sheet can be found at:
www.depi.vic.gov.au/nativevegetation
Published by the Victorian Government Department of Environment and
Primary Industries Melbourne, December 2013.
© The State of Victoria Department of Environment and Primary Industries
Melbourne 2013.
This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process
except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.
ISBN 978-1-74326-665-6 (pdf)
Accessibility
If you would like to receive this publication in an alternative format,
please telephone DEPI Customer Service Centre 136 186, email
customer.service@depi.vic.gov.au (or relevant address), via the National
Relay Service on 133 677 www.relayservice.com.au This document is
also available on the internet at www.depi.vic.gov.au
Disclaimer
This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its
employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind
or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims
all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you
relying on any information in this publication.
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