sec.3Purpose of Act

### sec.3 Purpose of Act The purpose of this Act is to regulate the clearing of vegetation in a way that— conserves remnant vegetation that is— an endangered regional ecosystem; or an of concern regional ecosystem; or a least concern regional ecosystem; and conserves vegetation in declared areas; and ensures the clearing does not cause land degradation; and prevents the loss of biodiversity; and maintains ecological processes; and manages the environmental effects of the clearing to achieve the matters mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (e) ; and reduces greenhouse gas emissions; and allows for sustainable land use. The purpose is achieved mainly by providing for— the following matters— assessment benchmarks for the Planning Act for the assessment of assessable development that is the clearing of vegetation, other than an assessment carried out by the planning chief executive; for the Planning Act , the matters a referral agency other than the planning chief executive— must or may assess a development application against; or must or may assess a development application having regard to; and the enforcement of vegetation clearing provisions; and declared areas; and a framework for decision making that, in achieving this Act’s purpose in relation to subsection (1) (a) to (e) , applies the precautionary principle that lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing a measure to prevent degradation of the environment if there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage; and the regulation of particular regrowth vegetation. In this section— environment includes— ecosystems and their constituent parts including people and communities; and all natural and physical resources; and those qualities and characteristics of locations, places and areas, however large or small, that contribute to their biological diversity and integrity, intrinsic or attributed scientific value or interest, amenity, harmony and sense of community; and the social, economic, aesthetic and cultural conditions affecting the matters in paragraphs (a) to (c) or affected by those matters. s 3 amd 2000 No. 35 s 3 ; 2003 No. 10 s 76 sch sub 2004 No. 1 s 6 amd 2009 No. 43 s 4 (retro); 2013 No. 24 s 4 ; 2016 No. 27 s 611 (sec.3-ssec.1) The purpose of this Act is to regulate the clearing of vegetation in a way that— conserves remnant vegetation that is— an endangered regional ecosystem; or an of concern regional ecosystem; or a least concern regional ecosystem; and conserves vegetation in declared areas; and ensures the clearing does not cause land degradation; and prevents the loss of biodiversity; and maintains ecological processes; and manages the environmental effects of the clearing to achieve the matters mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (e) ; and reduces greenhouse gas emissions; and allows for sustainable land use. (sec.3-ssec.2) The purpose is achieved mainly by providing for— the following matters— assessment benchmarks for the Planning Act for the assessment of assessable development that is the clearing of vegetation, other than an assessment carried out by the planning chief executive; for the Planning Act , the matters a referral agency other than the planning chief executive— must or may assess a development application against; or must or may assess a development application having regard to; and the enforcement of vegetation clearing provisions; and declared areas; and a framework for decision making that, in achieving this Act’s purpose in relation to subsection (1) (a) to (e) , applies the precautionary principle that lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing a measure to prevent degradation of the environment if there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage; and the regulation of particular regrowth vegetation. (sec.3-ssec.3) In this section— environment includes— ecosystems and their constituent parts including people and communities; and all natural and physical resources; and those qualities and characteristics of locations, places and areas, however large or small, that contribute to their biological diversity and integrity, intrinsic or attributed scientific value or interest, amenity, harmony and sense of community; and the social, economic, aesthetic and cultural conditions affecting the matters in paragraphs (a) to (c) or affected by those matters. - (a) conserves remnant vegetation that is— (i) an endangered regional ecosystem; or (ii) an of concern regional ecosystem; or (iii) a least concern regional ecosystem; and - (i) an endangered regional ecosystem; or - (ii) an of concern regional ecosystem; or - (iii) a least concern regional ecosystem; and - (b) conserves vegetation in declared areas; and - (c) ensures the clearing does not cause land degradation; and - (d) prevents the loss of biodiversity; and - (e) maintains ecological processes; and - (f) manages the environmental effects of the clearing to achieve the matters mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (e) ; and - (g) reduces greenhouse gas emissions; and - (h) allows for sustainable land use. - (i) an endangered regional ecosystem; or - (ii) an of concern regional ecosystem; or - (iii) a least concern regional ecosystem; and - (a) the following matters— (i) assessment benchmarks for the Planning Act for the assessment of assessable development that is the clearing of vegetation, other than an assessment carried out by the planning chief executive; (ii) for the Planning Act , the matters a referral agency other than the planning chief executive— (A) must or may assess a development application against; or (B) must or may assess a development application having regard to; and - (i) assessment benchmarks for the Planning Act for the assessment of assessable development that is the clearing of vegetation, other than an assessment carried out by the planning chief executive; - (ii) for the Planning Act , the matters a referral agency other than the planning chief executive— (A) must or may assess a development application against; or (B) must or may assess a development application having regard to; and - (A) must or may assess a development application against; or - (B) must or may assess a development application having regard to; and - (b) the enforcement of vegetation clearing provisions; and - (c) declared areas; and - (d) a framework for decision making that, in achieving this Act’s purpose in relation to subsection (1) (a) to (e) , applies the precautionary principle that lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing a measure to prevent degradation of the environment if there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage; and - (e) the regulation of particular regrowth vegetation. - (i) assessment benchmarks for the Planning Act for the assessment of assessable development that is the clearing of vegetation, other than an assessment carried out by the planning chief executive; - (ii) for the Planning Act , the matters a referral agency other than the planning chief executive— (A) must or may assess a development application against; or (B) must or may assess a development application having regard to; and - (A) must or may assess a development application against; or - (B) must or may assess a development application having regard to; and - (A) must or may assess a development application against; or - (B) must or may assess a development application having regard to; and - (a) ecosystems and their constituent parts including people and communities; and - (b) all natural and physical resources; and - (c) those qualities and characteristics of locations, places and areas, however large or small, that contribute to their biological diversity and integrity, intrinsic or attributed scientific value or interest, amenity, harmony and sense of community; and - (d) the social, economic, aesthetic and cultural conditions affecting the matters in paragraphs (a) to (c) or affected by those matters.