Management of native vegetation in Western Australia involves more than 10 government departments, community groups and local governments. Together, they administer 16 pieces of legislation with mechanisms including legislative controls, frameworks for regulating sustainable use, and initiatives that promote the protection and improvement of native vegetation.
The Strategic Intent of the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (the Department) outlines our commitment to actively sharing knowledge and information to help government, industry and the community understand the state of our environment, respond to emerging challenges and make informed regulatory decisions.
In line with this commitment, the Department recognises the importance of providing transparent and accessible information relating to native vegetation and changes in vegetation extent.
Clearing data
This page displays data relating to the clearing of native vegetation under the authority of clearing permits issued under Part V, Division 2 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (EP Act).
The information on this page does not include clearing authorised through Part IV of the EP Act or any other statutory process. It also does not include clearing undertaken in accordance with exemptions listed in Schedule 6 of the EP Act and the Environmental Protection (Clearing of Native Vegetation) Regulations 2004 (Clearing Regulations), or statewide purpose permits, or clearing referrals under s.51DA of the EP Act.
The Department acknowledges the figures represent only part of the overall picture for clearing of native vegetation in WA and is committed to expanding and improving information as additional data becomes available.
The charts below show the number of hectares approved or refused as a result of decisions on clearing permit applications, since the introduction of the EP Act clearing provisions in 2004.
The data includes permit applications assessed by both the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration, as well as their predecessor agencies. The data does not reflect actual clearing undertaken as this can differ from the amounts authorised through a clearing permit.
More information
For further information or to provide feedback for improvements to this page, please contact the Department at info@dwer.wa.gov.au.
The information on this page can be provided in alternative formats on request.
Clearing statistics charts
How to use the charts
Show moreTo turn data on and off in the charts, click on the relevant series in the legend area of each chart.
To download images and/or view/extract data tables, click on the menu button located at the top right corner of each chart.
1. Areas approved or refused for clearing (by agency)
Show moreChart 1 shows the amount of clearing (in hectares) approved or not approved through clearing permit applications since the commencement of the EP Act clearing provisions in 2004. The data can be broken down into clearing permit applications assessed by either the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) or the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration (DMPE).
2. Areas approved for clearing (by industry group)
Show moreChart 2 breaks down the total clearing approved figures shown in chart 1 into more detailed industry groupings. The table below provides definitions for the industries shown in the chart.
| Industry group | Industry group definitions |
|---|---|
| Agriculture/ horticulture/ forestry | Clearing for the purposes of timber harvesting, plantation, horticulture, grazing and pasture, cropping, drainage, pastoral diversification (including irrigated agriculture) and aquaculture. Includes associated activities such as fence line maintenance and clearing for fire mitigation purposes (for example, fire breaks and fire hazard reduction) where exemptions do not apply, and the applicant is not a local government or resources company. |
| Basic raw materials | Clearing for the purposes of extractive industry (for example sand and gravel extraction). Excludes clearing by local governments for basic raw material extraction (listed under local government). |
| Local government | Clearing by local governments for purposes that could include road construction and maintenance, basic raw material extraction, building or structures and other infrastructure. |
| State development | Clearing for purposes of mineral production, mineral exploration, petroleum production, petroleum exploration and other state development (including state agreements). |
| Utilities | Clearing by utilities including Water Corporation, Western Power, Horizon Power, Main Roads WA, Verve Energy, Telstra, Alinta Energy, ARC Infrastructure and the Public Transport Authority. Purposes could include infrastructure construction and maintenance, railway construction, or road construction and maintenance. Also includes clearing by port authorities. |
| Other development | Other development means all other purposes not listed above, including buildings or structures, industrial and landscaping. |
3. Areas approved for clearing (by land division)
Show moreChart 3 shows the total approved clearing figures from chart 1, divided between the land divisions in which the clearing is approved to occur.
4. Areas approved for clearing (by land use zone)
Show moreChart 4 shows the number of hectares approved for clearing within the intensive and extensive land use zones of WA. The intensive land use zone is broadly defined as the south-west of the state, which has experienced higher levels of historical clearing.
5. Areas approved for clearing (by Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) region)
Show moreChart 5 shows the total approved clearing figures from chart 1, divided between the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) region in which the clearing is approved to occur.
6. Areas approved for clearing (by vegetation extent remaining within local government jurisdiction)
Show moreChart 6 shows the amount of clearing approved (in hectares) each year within areas with varying degrees of historical clearing, shown as a percentage of vegetation remaining compared with pre-European vegetation extents (calculated with reference to local government boundaries). Ecological communities with an extent below 30 per cent of pre-European vegetation extents are considered to be extensively cleared, as this is when species loss appears to accelerate exponentially at an ecosystem level.
Note: Remaining vegetation percentages are based on 2018 levels, so some inaccuracies are likely when comparing with clearing approvals dating back to 2004. The remnant vegetation data is compiled from a range of sources and should be considered a broad estimate of vegetation remaining within an area.
7. Areas approved for clearing (by local government jurisdiction)
Show moreChart 7 shows the total clearing approved figures from chart 1, divided between the local government jurisdictions in which the clearing is approved to occur.
Note: this is clearing approved to occur within a local government boundary and is not limited to clearing undertaken by local governments.
8. Areas approved for clearing (by land district)
Show moreChart 8 shows the total approved clearing figures from chart 1, divided between land districts in which the clearing is approved to occur.
Disclaimer
Show moreThe data presented on this page relating to clearing permit applications is sourced from the Clearing Permit System (CPS) of the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (the Department).
Inconsistencies are known to exist between this data and other publicly reported information. These inconsistencies may be a result of one or more of the following: limitations and errors within CPS; differences in reporting format; and variations in methods of extracting and cleansing the data. Areas reported as approved or refused for clearing do not include areas authorised or not authorised through statewide purpose permits.
The information on this page is provided by the Department in good faith to show general trends in decisions on clearing permit applications.
Changes from previously published data (2020) are due to further data cleaning undertaken by the Department.
The clearing statistics data was last updated by the Department in March 2026.
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