Clearing trees in Rockhampton — do you need approval?
Rockhampton Regional Council's planning scheme — the Rockhampton Region Planning Scheme 2015 (Version 5, 2025-03-28) — 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 zone
Accepted if you meet the requirements. Clearing vegetation is generally accepted under the local scheme unless tied to other assessable works, but separate State vegetation laws may still apply.
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 zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | not associated with assessable use/subdivision and not exceeding filling/excavation thresholdsIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council) |
| Low density residential zone — Fitzroy River accommodation precinct | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | not associated with assessable use/subdivision and not exceeding filling/excavation thresholdsIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council) |
| Low density residential zone — Residential stables precinct | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | not associated with assessable use/subdivision and not exceeding filling/excavation thresholdsIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council) |
| Low-medium density residential zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | not associated with assessable use/subdivision and not exceeding filling/excavation thresholdsIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council) |
| High density residential zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.7.1 | Clearing vegetation here is not listed as assessable operational work under the scheme, so it is accepted (separate State vegetation laws may still apply). | State vegetation check (not the council) |
| Rural residential zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.7.1 | The scheme's operational work table does not make native vegetation clearing assessable here, so it is accepted locally, but separate State Vegetation Management Act rules may still apply. | State vegetation check (not the council) |
| Township zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | if not associated with an assessable material change of use or reconfiguring a lot and not filling/excavation above thresholdsIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Filling and excavation code, Stormwater management code |
| Emerging community zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | if minor filling/excavation or driveway/utility work meeting the stated thresholdsIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Works code, Filling and excavation code, Stormwater management code |
| Community facilities zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | if minor filling/excavation or driveway/utility work meeting the stated thresholdsIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Works code, Filling and excavation code, Stormwater management code |
| District centre zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.7.1 | Clearing vegetation here is not listed as assessable operational work under the scheme, so it is accepted (separate State vegetation laws may still apply). | State vegetation check (not the council) |
| Environmental management and conservation zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.7.1 | The scheme's operational work table does not make native vegetation clearing assessable here, so it is accepted locally, but separate State Vegetation Management Act rules may still apply. | State vegetation check (not the council) |
| High impact industry zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | If not associated with assessable material change of use or reconfiguring a lot and not exceeding filling/excavation thresholdsIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Filling and excavation code, Stormwater management code |
| Limited development (constrained land) zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.7.1 | The scheme's operational work table does not make native vegetation clearing assessable here, so it is accepted locally, but separate State Vegetation Management Act rules may still apply. | State vegetation check (not the council) |
| Local centre zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.7.1 | Clearing vegetation in the Local centre zone is generally accepted under the local scheme unless it is filling/excavation or tied to assessable works, but separate State vegetation laws may still apply. | State vegetation check (not the council) |
| Low impact industry zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | If not associated with assessable material change of use or reconfiguring a lot and not exceeding filling/excavation thresholdsIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Filling and excavation code, Stormwater management code |
| Major centre zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.7.1 | Clearing vegetation here is not listed as assessable operational work under the scheme, so it is accepted (separate State vegetation laws may still apply). | State vegetation check (not the council) |
| Medium impact industry zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | If not associated with assessable material change of use or reconfiguring a lot and not exceeding filling/excavation thresholdsIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Filling and excavation code, Stormwater management code |
| Neighbourhood centre zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.7.1 | Clearing vegetation in the Neighbourhood centre zone is generally accepted under the local scheme unless it is filling/excavation or tied to assessable works, but separate State vegetation laws may still apply. | State vegetation check (not the council) |
| Open space zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | If not associated with assessable material change of use or reconfiguring a lot and not exceeding filling/excavation thresholdsIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Filling and excavation code, Stormwater management code |
| Principal centre zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.7.1 | Clearing vegetation here is not listed as assessable operational work under the scheme, so it is accepted (separate State vegetation laws may still apply). | State vegetation check (not the council) |
| Rural zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | if small filling/excavation within the stated limits, otherwise code assessable where associated with assessable developmentIf not met: no planning approval needed. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Works code, Filling and excavation code, Stormwater management code |
| Special industry zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | if minor filling/excavation or driveway/utility work meeting the stated thresholdsIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Works code, Filling and excavation code, Stormwater management code |
| Special purpose zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | if not associated with an assessable material change of use or reconfiguring a lot and not filling/excavation above thresholdsIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Filling and excavation code, Stormwater management code |
| Specialised centre zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.7.1 | Clearing vegetation in the Specialised centre zone is generally accepted under the local scheme unless it is filling/excavation or tied to assessable works, but separate State vegetation laws may still apply. | State vegetation check (not the council) |
| Sport and recreation zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.7.1 | Clearing vegetation in the Sport and recreation zone is generally accepted under the local scheme unless it is filling/excavation or tied to assessable works, but separate State vegetation laws may still apply. | State vegetation check (not the council) |
| Waterfront and marine industry zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | if minor filling/excavation or driveway/utility work meeting the stated thresholdsIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | State vegetation check (not the council)Assessed against: Works code, Filling and excavation code, Stormwater management code |
Overlays that change the answer
- Flood hazard overlay. Operational work involving filling that exceeds 100mm above ground level becomes code assessable. (Table 5.9.8)
- Acid sulfate soils overlay. No change to category, but the Acid sulfate soils overlay code applies to assessable development below 20m AHD involving significant excavation or filling. (Table 5.9.1)
- Biodiversity overlay. No change to category, but the Biodiversity overlay code applies to assessable reconfiguring and operational work. (Table 5.9.3)
- Water resource catchments overlay. No change to category, but the Water resource catchments overlay code applies to assessable development. (Table 5.9.12)
Worth knowing in Rockhampton
IMPORTANT: The scheme's building work table (section 5.6) is 'Not applicable' — the scheme does NOT itself make domestic building work (sheds, carports, pools, fences, extensions, demolition) assessable in the base case. Those projects are generally 'accepted' under the planning scheme (no planning development application), but a building approval under the Building Act 1975 is almost always still required and must be obtained separately. Overlays (especially Flood, Character, Heritage) can change this — see overlay_triggers. Granny flats: the QPP 'Dwelling house' definition includes a secondary dwelling, so a granny flat follows the Dwelling house row of each zone; in residential/township/rural/rural residential/emerging community zones a dwelling house is 'accepted' (or 'accepted subject to requirements' in Emerging community and Rural), but in centre, industry, open space, sport & recreation, community facilities, special purpose, limited development and environmental zones a dwelling house is not listed and falls to the 'any other use' row = impact assessable. Minimum lot sizes for subdivision are set in Table 9.3.5.3.2 of the Reconfiguring a lot code, which was not reproduced in the material provided — specific numeric minimums per zone could not be extracted, so min_lot_size_m2 is null for all zones. Known thresholds: Emerging community = 10 hectares for code assessment; Rural = the minimum nominated in the Reconfiguring a lot code. Many zones have precincts and sub-precincts; the scheme states that for a precinct/sub-precinct the relevant (parent) zone categories apply for reconfiguring and operational work, but material-change-of-use tables can differ by precinct (e.g. Low density residential Fitzroy River accommodation precinct allows some small-scale commercial uses). Tree clearing: the scheme only regulates vegetation clearing as operational work via overlays (Biodiversity, etc.); the general operational work table (5.7.1) mainly covers filling/excavation and access/services works — most vegetation clearing is accepted under the scheme but the State Vegetation Management Act 1999 rules are separate and may still apply. Home-based business is 'accepted subject to requirements' in residential, township, rural, rural residential, industry and emerging community zones (meet the relevant zone code) and 'accepted' in centre zones.
What else you'll need
- State vegetation check (not the council)
More about Rockhampton
- What can you build in Rockhampton? Council overview and development applications
- Every Queensland zone explained, with what each council allows and the planning overlays that change the answer
- What Rockhampton Regional Council charges for a development application, compared with other councils
- A Landbrief site report for your Rockhampton address — every planning layer that applies to the lot
- Development applications in Parkhurst
- Development applications in Kawana
- Development applications in Park Avenue
- Development applications in Berserker
- Development applications in Frenchville
- Development applications in Gracemere
- Development applications in Koongal
- Development applications in Depot Hill
Other projects in Rockhampton
Granny flatDual occupancySubdivideShed or carportExtensionPoolFence or wallHome businessTownhousesShop, café or officeDemolish
The statewide position on this project: Clear trees in Queensland.
Read from the Rockhampton Region Planning Scheme 2015 (Version 5, 2025-03-28) 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.