Catchment Management Authorities (CMA)

Under the Catchment Management Authorities Act 2003, NSW is divided into 13 catchment regions, and a Catchment Management Authority established for each. CMA Boards are responsible for preparing a catchment action plan (CAP) and investment strategy, and managing incentive programs to implement the CAP. Incentive programs are funded from the NAP, the NHT and the NSW Sustainability Trust. CMAs assist landholders to prepare Property Vegetation Plans (PVPs), which are the main tool for managing native vegetation at property level. Landholders, including those involved in private native forestry, require a PVP when applying for incentive funding and consent to clear remnant native vegetation.  CMAs are required to certify PVPs. CMA technical staff provide education, advisory services and extension services on vegetation management.

The 13 CMAs are:

• Border Rivers/Gwydir 02 6721 9810, brg@cma.nsw.gov.au, http://www.brg.cma.nsw.gov.au;
• Central West 02 6393 4300, cw@cma.nsw.gov.au, http://www.cw.cma.nsw.gov.au;
• Hawkesbury-Nepean 02 4828 6747, hn@cma.nsw.gov.au, http://www.hn.cma.nsw.gov.au;
• Hunter/Central Rivers 02 4930 1030, hcr@cma.nsw.gov.au, http://www.hcr.cma.nsw.gov.au;
• Lachlan 02 6853 9040, 1800 885 747, lachlan@cma.nsw.gov.au, http://www.lachlan.cma.nsw.gov.au; 
• Lower Murray-Darling 03 5021 9460, lmd@cma.nsw.gov.au, http://www.lmd.cma.nsw.gov.au;
• Murray 03 5881 9200, murray@cma.nsw.gov.au, http://www.murray.cma.nsw.gov.au;
• Western 02 6836 1575, 1800 032 101, western@cma.nsw.gov.au, http://www.western.cma.nsw.gov.au;
• Murrumbidgee 02 6923 0479, murrumbidgee@cma.nsw.gov.au, http://www.murrumbidgee.cma.nsw.gov.au;
• Namoi 02 6742 9220, namoi@cma.nsw.gov.au, http://www.namoi.cma.nsw.gov.au;
• Northern Rivers 02 6642 0622, northern@cma.nsw.gov.au, http://www.northern.cma.nsw.gov.au;
• Southern Rivers 02 4224 9700, southern@cma.nsw.gov.au, http://www.southern.cma.nsw.gov.au; and
• Sydney Metro 02 9895 7536, http://www.sydney.cma.nsw.gov.au.

Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources (DIPNR)

DIPNR coordinates land use and transport planning, infrastructure development and natural resource management. CMA boards report directly to the Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources. DIPNR manages the Native Vegetation Act 2003, which seeks to prevent broadscale clearing, protect high conservation value native vegetation, manage private native forestry and encourage revegetation. The website contains native vegetation maps, a number of downloadable research reports and an extensive reference list.

Phone: 02 9762 8044
Email:  information@dipnr.nsw.gov.au
Web:    http://www.dipnr.nsw.gov.au

Department of Primary Industries (DPI)

DPI was formed in 2004 with the merging of NSW Agriculture, the Department of Mineral Resources, NSW Fisheries, and State Forests of NSW. DPI is made up of seven divisions, including Agriculture and Fisheries and Primary Industries Trading. 

The Agriculture and Fisheries division incorporates NSW Agriculture, which is involved in agricultural research, advisory services, education and regulation and provides practical farm production solutions for profitable agriculture and a better environment. The website (http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au) contains information on farm forestry and native pastures, including the publication Grassed up – guidelines for revegetating with Australian native grasses.

The Primary Industries Trading division incorporates Forests NSW, which manages public native forests, and State-owned hardwood and softwood plantations. This division provides environmental services such as carbon credits, salinity control, biodiversity and developing markets for environmental services through the Environmental Services Scheme (ESS). The main focus of the ESS is the integration of production-based land uses with those that produce environmental services, including salinity benefits, carbon sequestration, biodiversity enhancement, and soil and water quality improvement. The Private Forest Unit offers consultancy services to assist landholders with the management of their private native forests.

Phone:
DPI  02 6391 3100,
Agriculture 02 6391 3100,
Forests NSW 02 9980 4100

Email:
Agriculture nsw.agriculture@agric.nsw.gov.au
Forests NSW cumberland@sf.nsw.gov.au

Web:
DPI  http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au
Agriculture http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au
Forests NSW http://www.forest.nsw.gov.au

Environment Protection Authority (EPA)

EPA, part of the Department of Environment and Conservation, is responsible for environmental protection and reporting. State of the environment reports, which include a section on native vegetation, can be accessed on the website.

Phone: 02 9995 5000
Web:    http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au

National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS)

NPWS, part of the Department of Environment and Conservation, is the lead agency for the NSW Biodiversity Strategy.  A number of vegetation-related publications can be downloaded from the Biodiversity Strategy website
(http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/sbs+home) including Vegetation Coverage of NSW, and the Community Biodiversity Survey Manual. 

Phone: 1300 361 967
Email:  info@npws.nsw.gov.au
Web:    http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au

NSW Natural Resource Atlas

The NSW Natural Resource Atlas allows users to view, query and download environmental maps and data from NSW Government agencies and other organisations, as well as providing integrated access to relevant websites and a directory of available spatial data. It was developed under the Community Access to Natural Resources Information (CANRI) program.

Email: nratlas@dipnr.nsw.gov.au
Web:   http://www.nratlas.nsw.gov.au