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DSE Visits Member’s Sites

By on October 5, 2007

Industry Difficulties with Native Vegetation

SARAH Andrew recently accompanied Chris Pitfeld, Senior Policy Officer of the Department of Sustainability and Environment, on a number of site visits in order to provide an understanding of the different scales and types of operations that our members undertake.

Several had native vegetation issues, and all were at vastly different points in their life. Sites visited included Northern Quarries, Galli Quarries, Redstone Crushing & Plant Hire, Goulburn Valley Resources, and Chris Ryan Earthmoving.

All sites were willing to show Chris their operation and what they do, particularly in terms of native vegetation. Chris requested copies of documentation such as WA variations and native vegetation reports.

Site Management

  • The cost of the process was highlighted along with the need to increase spending on works rather than consultants
  • The different end uses was highlighted (i.e. a tip, woody grassland, farmland and river, and pasture)
  • Sites with a small footprint will be better off
  • The fact that even farmland can have native vegetation was highlighted
  • There needs to be recognition that buffer zones may be re-vegetated, and over time may be removed again

Form of Guidance

  • The application of the Native Vegetation Management Framework needs to be more flexible to allow coexistence
  • What is developed needs to be flexible and allow numerous ways of meeting an offset (i.e. the use of the rehabilitation plan as the offset, or the example where a site could rehabilitate other, poor condition sites)
  • DSE and CMPA have scope to work together to develop a guideline for its members
  • A template may be developed to sit with the Work Plan
  • Better education of industry would be beneficial
  • A tool is required that will assist local governments in understand the meaning and coverage of the extractive industries exemption


The site visits provided Chris with an understanding of the difficulties that sites are facing in terms of native vegetation.

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