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Native plants policy and standard

Policies and guidelines

About native plant collecting in South Australia

You need a permit to collect native plant material from public land.

Native plants are protected from clearance or damage under the Native Vegetation Act 1991, and in some cases a clearance approval from the Native Vegetation Council is required.

The collection of native plant specimens does not require consent from the Native Vegetation Council as long as damage to the plant is not substantial. Where the collection is of whole plants for herbarium specimens, a Scientific Permit is considered 'clearance consent' under the terms of the Native Vegetation Act 1991. This means that an additional approval from the Native Vegetation Council is not required.

Collection of plants for research

Research involving the removal of native vegetation for purposes other than herbarium voucher specimen collection may require a clearance approval from the Native Vegetation Council, in addition to a Scientific Permit.

You must have the permission of the landholder or lessee to collect native vegetation specimens from private land or a pastoral lease. A Scientific Permit is not required unless the plant is of a prescribed species.

To collect native plant specimens from public land (such as roadsides), you must have a Scientific Permit and the consent of the local council or relevant authority. However, you do not need a permit to collect exotic (introduced) plant specimens from public land. You must, however, still get the consent of the local council or relevant authority.

You need a Scientific Permit to collect any plant materials (native and exotic species) from DEW protected areas, as well as access approval from the Park Ranger.

See our information sheet plant specimen collecting guidelines.