The policy applies to the Perth Metropolitan Region, and deals with two distinct subjects, being Bush Forever areas and local bushland.

The aim of the policy is to provide a policy and implementation framework that will ensure bushland protection and management issues in the Perth Metropolitan Region are appropriately addressed and integrated with broader land use planning and decision-making. This will secure long-term protection of biodiversity and associated environmental values. The policy recognises the protection and management of significant bushland areas as a fundamental consideration in the planning process, while also seeking to integrate and balance wider environmental, social and economic considerations. In general terms, the policy does not prevent development where it consistent with the policy measures in this policy and other planning and environmental considerations.

The three key objectives of this policy are:

• to establish a conservation system at the regional level (through Bush Forever areas and to operate with the clearing controls under the Environmental Protection Act 1986) that is, as far as is achievable, comprehensive, adequate and representative of the ecological communities of the Swan Coastal Plain portion of the Perth Metropolitan Region;

• to seek to protect and manage significant bushland recommended for protection and management for conservation purposes through a range of implementation mechanisms and as a collective and shared responsibility and general duty of care on the part of government, landowners and the community; and

• to provide a policy and implementation framework for significant bushland areas recommended for protection and management to assist conservation planning, planning assessment and decision-making processes.