It should have a tag attached, showing the date and place of gathering and who did the gathering. Also a licence number for the gatherer. That tag needs to stay attached to the tree to prove that it wasn't illegally gathered. There's a HUGE black market for illegally gathered grass trees, both here in Aus and overseas. If it's illegal, then the seller needs to be called out and made to pay the fine. Or the purchaser pays it when discovered. Check state requirements. Also grass trees gathered in maybe QLD can end up here in Vic, where they really don't belong and struggle to survive. It's a poor soil and dry conditions specialist, so overwatering is a real problem for the plant in a suburban setting with automatic watering nearby.

Yes, it won't grow much unless it gets a 'cool burn' around the base every few years - don't burn the topknot cos that kills the tree. It does need some fire in the right place and at the right time to reduce competition around it's very small root zone and so to thrive.

Are these the ones you need to set fire to sometimes?

when logging companies go into old growth forests to cut them down this is what they are really after.

They get more money for the grass trees and tree ferns than they do for the trees.

( we used to call them Black Boys, in open forest and grasslands they get tall and stand alone. )