Commercial harvesting of protected plants
General information
In Queensland, all plants that are native to Australia are protected plants under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. The Act endeavours to ensure that protected plants (whole plants or protected plant parts) are not illegally removed from the wild or traded.
The harvesting and use of all protected plants from the wild is regulated through a comprehensive system of licences and exemptions. Some species may be taken as plant parts and used without any type of approval subject to certain conditions, whereas the harvesting and trade of whole plants is more stringently controlled and may only occur under a licence issued in certain circumstances.
The Nature Conservation (Protected Plants) Conservation Plan 2000, Nature Conservation (Protected Areas Management) Regulation 2006, Nature Conservation (Wildlife Management) Regulation 2006 and Nature Conservation (Protected Plants Harvest Period) Notice 2006 apply to the harvesting of protected plants.
Guidelines and policies
Please read the information below to find out how to apply for a licence to carry out this type of activity. The information sheet includes details about fees.
You can also read the legislation online by visiting the Office of Queensland Parliamentary Counsel website.
Permits and approvals
To apply for a commercial wildlife harvesting licence for protected plants, you need to lodge a completed application form.
The Code of practice for taking and use of protected plants sets out the conditions and best practice methods for sustainable harvesting of protected plants.
A harvesting licence may be required before harvesting protected plants in the wild. When applying for a harvesting licence, you must be able to demonstrate that the proposed harvest is ecologically sustainable or that the plants are being salvaged from a development or construction activity under an approved salvage plan.
You will need to keep records and submit regular returns of operations regarding your commercial harvesting.
Forms and fees
Please download an application form; contact Permit and Licence Management or email palm@ehp.qld.gov.au for assistance.
- Application form: Commercial wildlife harvesting licence (protected plants)
- Application form: Landholder statement (protected plants) (see availability)
- Guideline: Completing an application form for a commercial wildlife harvesting licence (protected plants) (see availability)
- Guideline: Completing a salvage plan to harvest whole protected plants (see availability)
- Return of operations: Commercial wildlife licence (plants)
Available from the library catalogue
The documents referred to on this page are available from the department’s online library catalogue.
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