The report, Nonbroadscale land clearing in southern Australia: economic issues in the management of native vegetation on farm land, examines a number of case study farms in southern Australia and how they are responding to native vegetation issues.

"In general, the case studies carried out on selected farms did not identify non-broadscale land clearing restrictions as having a significant impact on farming operations, except in relation to land use change in the Bordertown region of South Australia," said Mr Glyde.

"In this region, scattered trees on development paddocks were an issue of concern when landholders were planning to install large centre pivot irrigation systems. The landholders indicated that the land clearing restrictions were impeding development plans, potentially affecting returns to investment in centre pivot irrigation."

However, landholders were generally convinced that an offset program, when properly implemented, could reduce these opportunity costs and deliver net environmental benefits. An offset May involve undertaking works or paying for certain works to maintain environmental quality that might be affected by a proposed development.

Overall, landholders were generally in favour of increasing the level of native vegetation on their properties for production and other reasons. Profitability, asset value and lifestyle concerns were the most commonly reported motives for vegetation management on farm land.

When considering government intervention to manage native vegetation on private land, important issues to be considered included the diverse range of land uses and land capability across Australia.