Native vegetation clearing permit forms

The referral process allows prospective applicants to refer their proposed clearing activity to the department so that we can determine whether they need a clearing permit. The referral process is suitable only for very low impact clearing proposals where the proposed clearing is expected to be done within two years.

See Guideline: Native vegetation clearing referrals for more information.

To submit a referral, fill out the Application for new permit/Referral to clear native vegetation form.

You do not have to pay a fee to submit a referral form.

Area permits are suitable when the applicant is the landowner and they are applying to clear within a defined area.

You may apply for an area permit if you are (one of the following):

• listed on the certificate of title 
• likely to become the owner of the land on which the clearing would occur and can satisfactorily demonstrate this
• leasing crown land or managing the land for the purpose of the clearing
• acting on behalf of the landowner with the landowner’s authority. 

Some examples of when an area permit may be suitable include clearing: 

• for a gravel pit on your property
• to establish a market garden on your property
• to erect fences or make an access track inside your property
• to build a road over multiple parcels of land that a local government authority manages.

To apply for an area permit, fill out the Application for new permit/Referral to clear native vegetation. 

Use the native vegetation clearing permit fee calculator tool to determine the fee you must pay. For further information on fees, go to our native vegetation clearing fees frequently asked questions page.

Purpose permits have more flexibility in the clearing allowed and who can apply. 
Purpose permits are suitable when the applicant (who may or may not be the landowner) wants to clear for a specific purpose. Clearing may occur on multiple parcels of land owned by different landowners and may occur in a larger footprint.

The applicant can be one of the following:

• the landowner of the land where the clearing will occur for the specific purpose of the purpose permit
• a person with written authority from the landowners to access each property and undertake the clearing for the specific purpose of the purpose permit
• the lessee or the land manager of the land who can access and undertake clearing for the specific purpose of the purpose permit (e.g. a local government authority).

Some examples of when you need a purpose permit include clearing when you:

• want to access land for an extractive industry (e.g. crown land or a road reserve) and you:
  • are a company or individual who does not own the land
  • have written authority to enter
• represent a local government or utility provider and you want to:
  • install infrastructure on crown land and private property 
  • undertake drainage works on freehold and/or crown land
  • construct roads on land that includes private properties
  • have flexibility of where to clear within a larger footprint.

To apply for a purpose permit, fill out an Application for new permit/Referral to clear native vegetation form. 

Use the native vegetation clearing permit fee calculator tool to determine the fee you must pay. For further information, go to our native vegetation clearing fees frequently asked questions page.

You can only apply to amend an existing permit if:

• you are the current holder of that permit
• it has not expired (note: you should apply more than 90 working days before your existing permit expires to ensure we have adequate time to assess your application).

Amendment applications may include (among others) those seeking to:

• extend the duration of an existing clearing permit

• vary, add or remove a permit condition which concerns a matter other than the size of the boundary of the area to be cleared

• redescribe the boundary of the area authorised to be cleared (area permits only)

• add or remove a land parcel on the clearing permit

• add, delete, modify or redescribe the purpose for which clearing may be done (purpose permits only).

If the proposed amendment would result in additional or different environmental impacts to those assessed when we granted the original permit, we will ask you to address these in a new clearing permit (separate to or replacing the existing permit).

To apply to amend an existing permit, fill out Form C4 - Application to amend an existing permit. 

If you have recently changed land ownership and want to transfer an existing area permit into the new landowner's name, fill out a Form C5 – Notification of change of land ownership application.

Please note that purpose permits cannot be transferred.

To surrender an existing clearing permit (and all clearing activities authorised by the permit), fill out a Form C6 – Application to surrender a clearing permit.

Western Australia’s native vegetation clearing processes in Part V of the EP Act are recognised by the Commonwealth under an assessment bilateral agreement. This means that if your proposed clearing has been referred for assessment under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), we are accredited to assess your application concurrently.

If required, fill out Form Annex C7 – Assessment bilateral agreement. You should include this as a supporting attachment for a new permit or amendment application form (see above).

You may need to propose an environmental offset to counterbalance the impacts of clearing native vegetation where significant residual impacts remain after applying the mitigation hierarchy (see the WA Environmental offsets guidelines).

If you intend to propose environmental offsets as part of your application, fill out the form in Appendix A of the Clearing of native vegetation – offsets procedure. You should submit this form as a supporting attachment for a new permit or amendment application form (see above).