Clearing trees in Noosa — do you need approval?
Noosa Shire Council's planning scheme — the Noosa Plan 2020 — decides whether tree clearing needs a development application, and the answer depends on the zone your property is in. Below is what its table of assessment says for each zone; or check your own address.
In a low density residential
Accepted if you meet the requirements. Noosa's zone and operational work tables don't regulate clearing on their own, so it needs no development application unless the land is in the Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay (or the Landslide Hazard Overlay), where clearing becomes code assessable (state Vegetation Management Act rules apply separately).
I don't know my zone — choose my council instead
The zone is on your rates notice, or a Landbrief site report will find it for you.
Zone by zone
Operational work (vegetation clearing). Residential zones first.
| Zone | What the table says | Conditions | What you'll need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low Density Residential | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
| Medium Density Residential | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
| High Density Residential | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
| Tourist Accommodation | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
| Rural Residential | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
| Community Facilities | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
| District Centre | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
| Environmental Management and Conservation | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
| Innovation Zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
| Local Centre | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
| Low Impact Industry | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
| Major Centre | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
| Medium Impact Industry | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
| Neighbourhood Centre | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
| Recreation and Open Space | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
| Rural | Accepted if you meet the requirements Section 5.3; Table 5.9.2 | where no Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay area (biodiversity significance, riparian buffer or protected vegetation) or Landslide Hazard Overlay appliesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code |
Overlays that change the answer
- Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay. Clearing in a protected vegetation area, area of biodiversity significance or riparian buffer area is code assessable unless it is exempt clearing or within an approved building envelope. (Table 5.9.2 Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay)
- Coastal Protection and Scenic Amenity Overlay. Within a coastal protection area, reconfiguring a lot and operational work are code assessable against the Coastal Protection and Scenic Amenity Overlay Code. (Table 5.9.4 Coastal Protection and Scenic Amenity Overlay)
- Landslide Hazard Overlay. In a moderate, high or very high landslide hazard area, development other than a dwelling house, community residence, home-based business, Class 10 structure, demolition or work inside an existing building becomes code assessable; earthworks over 50 m³ or vegetation clearing are code assessable against the Landslide Hazard Overlay Code. (Table 5.9.8 Landslide Hazard Overlay)
Worth knowing in Noosa
Noosa Plan 2020 (Amendment 3, effective 20 March 2026), Part 5. A material change of use is impact assessable unless the table says otherwise or the use isn't listed; reconfiguring a lot is code assessable in every zone (Table 5.6.1); building work and operational work are accepted unless the tables say otherwise. Noosa makes demolition or removal of any building code assessable in all zones (Table 5.7.1), unusually. Building work for a dwelling house or a Class 10 structure (shed, carport, pool, fence) is accepted subject to requirements in the Low, Medium and High Density Residential, Tourist Accommodation, Rural Residential and Rural zones; in all other zones building work is accepted only inside an existing building with no new buildings or expansion, otherwise code assessable. A building approval under the Building Act is still needed in all cases. Accepted development subject to requirements that doesn't meet the listed acceptable outcomes becomes code assessable (section 5.3.3). A dwelling house includes a secondary dwelling (granny flat); in the Medium and High Density Residential zones a dwelling house is only listed for lots under 500 m², so on bigger lots the 'any other use' impact row applies. Schedule 6, Part 2 of the Planning Regulation 2017 can make a dwelling house, community residence, home-based business or rooming accommodation accepted regardless of these tables. Precincts: the Major Centre (Noosa Junction Hospitality; Noosa Business Centre Showroom, Business Park, Retail, Village Mixed Use), District Centre (Mary/Thomas Street Health and Wellbeing, Doonella Street, Noosaville Mainstreet), Low Impact Industry (Lionel Donovan Drive Auto, Hofmann Drive, Factory Street, Kin Kin, Gateway West Makers) and Medium Impact Industry (Venture Drive Enterprise) zones have precinct tables that vary some uses; the 'Where not located in a Precinct' tables are empty on the ePlan, so the parent zone table applies outside precincts. The Major Centre page labels its own table 'Table 5.5.1' (a typo) — it is Table 5.5.5. Many rows are tied to named lots or streets (e.g. 99 Noosa Drive, Gympie Terrace, Hastings Street) — check the conditions. Where premises are in more than one zone or overlay, the highest category applies to the part affected. Operational work for a dwelling driveway is accepted subject to the Low Density Housing Code; excavation or filling over 10 m³ (residential and environmental zones) or 100 m³ (other zones) is code assessable. Vegetation clearing benchmarks sit in the Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code; state Vegetation Management Act rules apply separately.
What else you'll need
- State vegetation check (not the council)
More about Noosa
- What can you build in Noosa? Council overview and development applications
- Every Queensland zone explained, with what each council allows and the planning overlays that change the answer
- What Noosa Shire Council charges for a development application, compared with other councils
- A Landbrief site report for your Noosa address — every planning layer that applies to the lot
- Development applications in Noosaville
- Development applications in Noosa Heads
- Development applications in Cooroy
- Development applications in Peregian Beach
- Development applications in Sunshine Beach
- Development applications in Exempt Clearing
Other projects in Noosa
Granny flatDual occupancySubdivideShed or carportExtensionPoolFence or wallHome businessTownhousesShop, café or officeDemolish
The statewide position on this project: Clear trees in Queensland.
Read from the Noosa Plan 2020 tables of assessment. General information, not advice. The council's planning scheme and the Planning Act 2016 decide — confirm with the council or a town planner before you build.