The protected plants regulations under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and Nature Conservation (Wildlife Management) Regulation 2006, otherwise known as the ‘big blue dot’, has caused frustration and confusion amongst landholders. So, what is it, and what does it mean for farmers? Basically, the big blue dot means that you are in a high risk area where plants that are endangered, vulnerable or near threatened are present or are likely to be present ‘in the wild’. The protected plants map is different to the regulated vegetation mapping generated under the Vegetation Management Act. Under the VMA, blue mapping represents remnant vegetation. Under the protected plants mapping, the blue dot represents a high risk area under the NCA. You can obtain…
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