A South Australian mayor is facing three charges of illegal land clearing, after he knocked down a large tract to lease for farming.

Adelaide Magistrates Court has heard that in 2008, Richard John Vickery cleared a big portion of a property at Shaugh in the state’s south east to make room for an onion farmer to whom he had leased it.

Vickery remains Mayor of Tatiara District Council.

Prosecutor Sam Whitten alleged Vickery decimated the land beyond what was necessary, and in contravention of the Native Vegetation Act.

“The land had approximately 90 species of native vegetation, supporting a high diversity of native plants and animals,” he said.

“By completely removing seeds and vegetation and using chemicals the soil was effectively sterilised. The native vegetation is unlikely to ever regenerate.

“Mallee stumps were pulled up that could have been decades old.”

The prosecution has accepted that the land was not suitable for “intense cultivation”.

This is not the first time in court for the Tatiara mayor.

Vickery was charged $20,000 in 2011 for the mistreatment of livestock, in what the RSPCA described as one of the South Australia’s worst-ever neglect cases.

He pleaded guilty to 61 counts of animal ill-treatment for offences in 2009.

In his ruling, Magistrate Alfio Grasso said Vickery's actions had led to poor conditions in which 405 sheep suffered from fly strike - including 14 which had to be put down.