VEAC Assessment of early government-accepted Land Conservation Council recommendations

Progress

Overview

VEAC was requested on 5 September 2022 by the previous Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Action, the Hon Lily D’Ambrosio MP, to assess the status of government-accepted public land use category recommendations, in relation to particular areas of land, made by the LCC between 1973 and 1983, and which have not been subsequently reviewed.

The assessment supports the current reforms to public land legislation by identifying land use recommendations that require review to ensure the proposed transition to public land management categories, as recommended in VEAC’s Statewide Assessment of Public Land Final Report (2017), is based on current and appropriate government-accepted recommendations for public land use categories.

The Council submitted its report to the Minister for Environment Ingrid Stitt MP on 5 June 2023.  Fourteen early LCC investigations have areas with government-accepted public land use recommendations that have not been later reviewed.  The report includes a summary of the area together with the extent of the main public land use categories and those excluded or included in this assessment.  Detailed assessment reports are provided for seven of 14 early LCC investigations.  A supplementary report is also available which provides detailed assessment reports for the remaining seven early LCC investigations.

The assessment does not include government-accepted public land use recommendations for national parks, state parks, wilderness parks, regional parks and state forests (including recommendations for areas for hardwood production and uncommitted land).

The full terms of reference are available in Reports & Resources.

The purpose of the assessment is to:

• identify government-accepted public land use recommendations that require review and

• identify government-accepted public land use recommendations that have been superseded by subsequent government policy decisions.

This assessment does not extend to recommending changes to public land use, and public consultation is not required.