Land owners and managers that want to modify native vegetation in South Australia are often required to produce a significant environmental benefit (SEB) to ‘offset’ the impacts on biodiversity that would result from any clearance activity.
A SEB is usually achieved by protecting an area of land for conservation that provides environmental gains over and above any damage being done to the native vegetation.
SEB offsetting is a way to support the development of infrastructure and growing populations in South Australia while protecting important plant and animal habitats. It achieves the following for the benefit of all South Australians:
- prevents further decline in vegetation, particularly in areas that have had high levels of clearance in the past
- maintains threatened vegetation communities (groups of plants that together create unique types of habitat) and species
- ensures that habitat for our native animals is maintained or replaced
- contributes to the long-term conservation of biodiversity.
View the Policy for Significant Environmental Benefit under the Native Vegetation Act 1991 and Native Vegetation Regulations 2017 and the Guide for calculating a Significant Environmental Benefit