About half of the native vegetation that once covered NSW remains today. Native vegetation has been modified and fragmented over time as land was developed for grazing and agriculture, and by introduced plants and animals.
It’s important that our native vegetation is managed sustainably.
Benefits
Retaining a healthy mix of native plants is critical for the health and long-term survival of our native ecosystems, land productivity and human well-being. Native vegetation helps:
- control erosion through protecting soils and riverbanks
- reduce land degradation and salinity
- improve water quality and availability
- provide habitat
- provide shelter for livestock
- provide a renewable source of timber
- store carbon, mitigating the effects of climate change
- increase farming productivity through pollination of crops and reduction of pests.
Native vegetation information
Information about native vegetation is used for a range of activities, such as:
- bushfire control and management by the Rural Fire Service and communities
- development approval and regulation by government
- environmental assessments by environmental consultants
- environmental management, development and planning by local government
- environmental water allocation and wetlands protection by governments and conservation groups
- habitat assessment and management of threatened species and communities
- monitoring the effectiveness of land-use planning by Local Land Services.
Databases
We support a native vegetation framework that includes the development and maintenance of a number of databases that are important to the management of NSW vegetation, soils, and native plants and animals.