The Government has quietly released its latest Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) Report, which shows concerning increases to clearing in a number of Queensland vegetation categories in 2022-23.
The Greens are calling on the LNP Government to rule out any relaxation of land clearing laws, warning action is needed now to halt a growing deforestation crisis.
Background
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The report shows that clearing of vegetation which should be protected under the laws is increasing:
- 4,728ha of high-value regrowth vegetation was cleared in 2022-23, an increase of 30% from 2021-22
- 70,799ha of remnant forest was cleared, an increase of 8%
- Clearing in the Great Barrier Reef catchment also increased
- 77% of clearing was in Category X, which is unregulated despite evidence it includes old growth forest and other remnant ecosystems
- The State Government is currently consulting on a new “Queensland Future Timber Plan” which could pave the way for reforms that wind back vegetation protection laws
Greens MP for Maiwar Michael Berkman:
“Unless Crisafulli wants to be remembered as the Premier who oversaw a deforestation crisis and the effective death of the koala in Queensland, he needs to learn from Campbell Newman’s mistakes. He must rule out any winding back of our vegetation protection laws.
“Even under our current laws, 23 million hectares of native vegetation is unregulated as ‘Category X’, where 70,799ha were cleared in this period.
“Land is being cleared faster than it can recover, and it’s driving the extinction crisis and making climate change worse.
“The Government should be particularly worried by clearing around the Reef. UNESCO has cited the Government’s failure to protect the Reef from land clearing and farming-related pollution, alongside climate change, as a key reason the Reef is ‘in danger’.
“Queenslanders deeply value our natural environment. The LNP has an opportunity to reverse deforestation where Labor has failed, instead of kowtowing to a few private interests like the big beef producers.
“We need to ban large-scale clearing of native vegetation and step up enforcement efforts. We also shouldn’t be hearing about this destruction years after the fact - these land clearing reports should be released much more promptly and on a regular schedule, to avoid the Government delaying publication for political reasons.”