Vegetation Protection Orders (POs) are used by authorities to apply legal protection to individual or groups of trees from being removed, damaged or otherwise altered without first receiving strict approval from council. These are usually issued to help preserve trees that possess significant value to their environment due to their health, size, species, ecological contribution, historical importance or aesthetical value.
Vegetation Protection Orders (VPO’s) can be applied for through the Brisbane City Council website, which protects them from being removed or harmed by law. In Queensland, vegetation protected under the Natural Assets Local Law 2003 (NALL) fall into one of four (4) categories:
[DARK ORANGE] Council Vegetation: Vegetation on land that is owned, controlled or otherwise occupied by Council is protected. This includes street trees, vegetation in natural green spaces and trees in parks.
[BLUE] Waterway & Wetland Vegetation: Waterways and wetlands can be either naturally formed or man-made and may be both freshwater or saltwater. Any and all vegetation in these environments are protected under NALL. This primarily affects mangroves, which provide critical shoreline and riverbank structural integrity, reducing or outright stopping the progress of natural erosion while also dramatically improving the resilience that shorelines and low-lying areas have against extreme weather events such as cyclones.
[LIGHT ORANGE] Significant Urban Vegetation: Native and Exotic vegetation on private property that is mature and/or prominent in the landscape may fall under the protection of NALL. This vegetation may also have specific historical or cultural value to both the community and the city at large. These zones are what are usually applied when property owners request to have protection orders applied to vegetation on or around their property.
[GREEN] Significant Native Vegetation: This includes native vegetation ranging from small ground covers and native grasses to large trees. Anything native to Australia is protected under NALL.
Furthermore, your property may contain protected vegetation if it; is located near or in the Brisbane River or a designated waterway corridor, is in a bushland or rural area, contains large and significant trees inside of an urban environment or has heritage significance. It is always important to have your property assessed before you begin any large-scale environmental changes.