Property Maps of Assessable Vegetation (PMAV)

If you’re a landowner, developer or planning consultant in Queensland, it is worth knowing that the state’s regulated vegetation mapping is not locked in. It is modelled from aerial imagery, and the state remaps and reissues it over time, so the categories over your land can change in a future version with no input from you. A Property Map of Assessable Vegetation (PMAV) is the only instrument that locks your mapping in: once certified it replaces the regulated map for your property, and the State can only replace it in a few listed cases or with your agreement, giving you long-term certainty. Where your current categories are wrong they can be corrected first, but the PMAV is what makes the result permanent. That certainty matters most before clearing, subdivision, development or a property purchase.

At Queensland Ecologists, we prepare and lodge PMAV applications on behalf of clients throughout South-East Queensland and beyond, handling every step from desktop analysis through to field verification and submission to the Department of Resources.

What Is a Property Map of Assessable Vegetation (PMAV)?

A PMAV is a certified map, approved by the Queensland Department of Resources, that replaces the state’s regulated vegetation management mapping for a specific property. Under the Vegetation Management Act 1999 (VMA), all land in Queensland is subject to vegetation mapping that classifies areas into distinct categories:

• Category A (Compliance Area) - vegetation subject to a compliance notice, offset planting, or enforcement action. Clearing is generally prohibited.
• Category B (Remnant Vegetation) - native vegetation that has not been cleared or has regrown to a remnant state. This is the most commonly mapped category and carries the most significant development constraints.
• Category C (High-Value Regrowth) - regrowth vegetation on land that was cleared after 1989, identified as having high ecological value. Regulated clearing requires assessment.
• Category R (Regrowth) - regrowth vegetation in a defined watercourse area, typically mapped along riparian corridors.
• Category X (Exempt Clearing Work) - areas where clearing is exempt clearing work under the Vegetation Management Act. The exemption is limited to that Act; what a PMAV does and does not hold back is set out below.

Where the state’s mapping incorrectly classifies your property’s vegetation - for instance, labelling cleared grazing land as Category B remnant - those categories can be corrected, and a PMAV then locks the right categories in so a future state remap cannot quietly change them back. Even where the mapping is already correct, certifying it as a PMAV is what protects those categories.

What a PMAV locks in

Once certified, a PMAV fixes the vegetation categories on your property under the Vegetation Management Act 1999. The regulated vegetation management map no longer applies to that land, a future State remap or a new Queensland Herbarium mapping version cannot move the categories, and the chief executive can only replace the PMAV in a few listed cases: if the land becomes a declared area, an offset area or a compliance area, to reflect a change to the regional ecosystem’s identity or status, or with your agreement. For land that is Category X today, that is the difference between clearing that stays exempt clearing work for the life of the lot and land that is remapped to Category C at the next annual update, which would put the Act’s clearing rules over it on top of anything else that applies.

What a PMAV does not hold back

A PMAV binds the regulated vegetation map only. It does not stop the Queensland Herbarium mapping high value regrowth over vegetation that is growing back - the Herbarium’s regrowth mapping is intended to be state-wide and tenure blind - and it does not stop the State’s koala habitat mapping, which is based on the Herbarium’s mapping. The only PMAV that exempts clearing from the koala habitat controls is one applied for before 7 February 2020 (Planning Regulation 2017, Schedule 24). Your council’s planning scheme overlays and the protected plants framework under the Nature Conservation Act are also separate, and a PMAV does not change them.

Where the koala controls reach

The State’s koala habitat areas and koala priority areas exist only in Koala District A, the South East Queensland region: Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Sunshine Coast and part of Toowoomba. Set against Queensland’s 172.97 million hectares, the koala layers cover this much of the State:

Queensland Ecologists’ measurements of the State’s published layers, against Queensland’s 172.97 million hectares.

Across about 98.7 per cent of Queensland by area the Planning Regulation’s koala habitat controls do not apply, and a PMAV is the State vegetation mapping instrument that matters. Inside South East Queensland’s koala priority areas the koala map is the binding constraint and a PMAV is the secondary one.

When Do You Need a PMAV?

A PMAV is worth getting whenever you want your property’s vegetation mapping locked in and certain - and especially where the current mapping does not match what is on the ground. Common triggers include:

• Mapped remnant vegetation is actually cleared land. Historical aerial imagery shows the area was cleared before the VMA commenced, but the state mapping still shows it as Category B remnant.
• Regional Ecosystem (RE) classification is incorrect. The mapped RE doesn’t match the species composition, structure, or landform observed on site. This can affect whether vegetation is classified as “of concern” or “endangered” under the Biodiversity Status framework.
• Vegetation boundaries are inaccurate. The mapped extent of remnant vegetation doesn’t align with the actual edge of the tree canopy or ecological community.
• Development approval requires certainty. Councils and the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) may require a PMAV before processing a development application, particularly where the proposal intersects mapped regulated vegetation.
• Property transactions. Buyers conducting due diligence need accurate vegetation mapping to understand development potential.

Under Queensland legislation, any landowner can apply for a PMAV to lock in a certified, field-verified vegetation map for their property - whether to protect the current mapping or to correct it. PMAVs are available across Queensland.

Our PMAV Application Process

Queensland Ecologists follows a rigorous, methodical process to prepare PMAV applications that meet the Department of Resources’ evidence requirements:

1. Desktop Review of Current Mapping

We begin with a comprehensive analysis of the existing state vegetation mapping layers, historical aerial photography, topographic data, and any previous ecological assessments for the property. This review identifies the discrepancies between mapped vegetation and likely on-ground conditions, and informs the scope of the subsequent field survey.

2. Field Survey and Ground-Truthing

Our qualified ecologists visit the property to conduct detailed vegetation surveys. We record species composition, canopy height and cover, understorey structure, evidence of historical clearing, and any indicators that inform the correct vegetation classification. GPS coordinates are recorded for all survey points and vegetation boundaries.

3. Regional Ecosystem Verification

Using the Queensland Herbarium’s Technical Description Guidelines, we verify the Regional Ecosystem present on site - or confirm that the mapped RE is incorrect. This verification involves plot-based vegetation sampling, comparison with RE technical descriptions, and assessment of geological and soil data.

4. PMAV Application Preparation

We prepare the formal PMAV application including all required mapping, survey data, photographic evidence, and a detailed report justifying the proposed changes. We prepare the application, mapping, survey data and justification report to address the Department’s assessment criteria and reduce the risk of avoidable information requests.

5. Lodgement and Liaison

We lodge the application on your behalf and manage all communication with the Department of Resources throughout the assessment period. If additional information is requested, we respond promptly to keep the process on track.

Which Councils Require a PMAV?

While a PMAV is a state-level instrument administered by the Department of Resources, some councils and referral agencies may request a PMAV, RE verification or other vegetation evidence as part of a development application involving vegetated land. Councils that frequently deal with PMAV-related matters include:

• Sunshine Coast Regional Council - hinterland properties with extensive remnant mapping
• Moreton Bay Regional Council - rapid growth areas intersecting mapped vegetation corridors
• Gold Coast City Council - ecological corridor overlays intersecting mapped regulated vegetation
• Brisbane City Council - bushland and waterway corridor mapping
• Redland City Council - conservation zones intersecting mapped regulated vegetation
• Logan City Council - growth front areas with remnant vegetation constraints
• Ipswich City Council - rural and semi-rural properties with vegetation mapping
• Toowoomba Regional Council - agricultural properties with remapped vegetation
• Scenic Rim Regional Council - extensive remnant vegetation across rural properties
• Lockyer Valley Regional Council - agricultural land with vegetation management considerations

If vegetation mapping has been raised during a pre-lodgement meeting, we can advise whether a PMAV, RE verification, targeted survey or written response is the most appropriate pathway.

Related Services

PMAV applications often form part of a broader vegetation management strategy. Our related services include:

• Vegetation Clearing Assessments - if you need to clear regulated vegetation, we prepare the required impact assessments and development applications.
• Regional Ecosystem Verification - standalone RE verification for development applications, offset site identification, and land-use planning.
• Ecological Assessments - comprehensive flora and fauna surveys for development applications across Queensland.
• Environmental Offset Strategies - offset calculation and delivery where clearing of significant vegetation is unavoidable.

Get a Quote for Your PMAV Application

Whether you’re preparing a development application, resolving a vegetation mapping dispute, or conducting due diligence on a property purchase, Queensland Ecologists can prepare a PMAV application that gives you certainty.

Contact us today to discuss your property and request a quote.

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Call (07) 3018 7538