A requirement to obtain a development permit to clear native vegetation on freehold land is not a restriction on the 'use' of land within the meaning of s 181 of the Property Law Act 1974 (Qld), but relates to a proposed change in the character or presentation of the land. The sovereign law-making power of the Queensland Parliament extends to imposing such requirements on freehold landowners. A Supreme Court trial division judge has no jurisdiction to review decisions of the Planning and Environment Court; the only avenue is appeal to the Court of Appeal.
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