Qld: Land Clearing Mania

The surge in clearing rates is thought to be a direct result of a change in vegetation laws which occurred under the previous state government led by Campbell Newman. 

The idea was to make it easier for farmers to clear their land to make way for "high-value" agricultural projects, bringing jobs and productivity to the state.

But WWF said clearing under the legal loophole had serious consequences.

If 24 of the 47 approvals in Queensland were cleared, it would add 12 million tonnes of Co2 to the atmosphere, according to Mr Taylor. 

"To put that in perspective, the Federal Government just purchased carbon farming abatement for 28 million tonnes through its first Direct Action Auction — so the clearing that's approved under [the] 'high-value' land exemption adds about 40 per cent of what the Federal Government just purchased in abatement," he said.

"It's seriously undermining what the Federal Government's just done in Direct Action."

He said right now there was a lot of panic clearing going on because farmers feared the legislation would be tightened.

"People [are] taking advantage because it's still legal, they are clearing hell for leather," Mr Taylor said. 

The four big approvals in Queensland, according to WWF are: 

• Strathmore (580 square kms of bushland to be cleared)
• Olive Vale on Cape York (about 310 square kms of mature bushland to be cleared)
• Adil Farms north of Mareeba (1.7 square kms remnant or mature bushland already cleared)
• Galea property close to the Burdekin River (1.4 square kms of mature bushland already cleared)

Scientists flag 'irreversible environmental consequences'

In 2013, the newly elected Liberal-National government amended The Vegetation Management Framework making it easier for farmers to clear their land of native vegetation to allow for "high-value" agricultural activities. 

Scientists and environmental groups fear a return to broadscale land clearing which plagued the state in the early millennium. 

In an effort to halt the rise in clearing, Associate Professor Martine Maron, an environmental scientist at the University of Queensland, along with 20 other concerned scientists wrote to the current ALP Government urging them to "consider the irreversible environmental consequences" of clearing.

Professor Maron said the scientists were yet to receive a response. 

"We have a national goal to increase the amount of vegetation by 2020 but not only does it looks like we will miss that, we're actually heading in the opposite direction," she said.

The new Queensland Labor Government is sitting on reports — known as SLATS — which reveal the extent of land clearing but are resisting requests to release it.

During her campaign launch, ALP leader Anastasia Palaszczuk said she wanted to tighten regulations which the then-current Liberal-National Party (LNP) government watered down.

"Our plan is to reintroduce Labor's nation-leading tree clearing laws, reinstating world class coastal planning laws axed by the Newman government," she said.

Queensland Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Anthony Lyneham declined an interview request from the ABC but said in a statement: "The government is continuing to talk to all stakeholders about its election commitments on vegetation management [but] unlike the previous LNP government, we will not act rashly".

Professor Maron said the public needed to know the details of what clearing had taken place. 

"We want to see a breakdown of the types of clearing so we can understand what eco systems, what habitats we're losing," she said. 

She said there were several ramifications of land clearing. 

"Land clearing threatens Australia's national commitments on a number of fronts, including preventing extinctions, reducing emissions and improving reef water quality," Professor Maron said.

Mr Taylor said it was also important to remember the millions of native animals who would lose their habitat as a result. 

"Back in the early 2000s, they estimated 100 million native animals were being killed as a result of land clearing each year — well guess what, we're back to at least half that level now," he said.