Excessive tree clearing skyrockets due to LNP

The rate of excessive tree clearing in Queensland has skyrocketed, reaching an alarming rate of 395,000 hectares in 2015-16, according to the annual deforestation report released today.

The 2015-16 Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) also showed the rate of tree-clearing in the Great Barrier Reef catchments had soared by almost 50 per cent since 2012-2013.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad and Environment Minister Steven Miles said this rate of excessive land clearing was driving native wildlife to extinction, risking the tens of thousands of jobs reliant on the Great Barrier Reef, and driving up Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“The Government promised at the 2015 State election to reinstate the vegetation management legislation that existed prior to the Newman-Nicholls LNP Government. The LNP blocked our legislation and excessive tree clearing has increased dramatically,” she said.

“Excessive land clearing in Queensland is now at a rate of 1000 football fields every day.”

Ms Trad said Labor would take new tree clearing laws to the next election after the LNP defeated previous attempts to reign in excessive clearing.

“This is worse than any of us imagined. It shows the rate of clearing has quadrupled since Tim Nicholls and the LNP tore up Labor’s laws,” Ms Trad said.

“This shocking escalation in clearing underlines the need to re-elect the Palaszczuk government with a working majority.”

Minister Miles said more than 138,000 hectares – or a third of the total clearing - was remnant forest and almost 50 per cent was in Great Barrier Reef catchments.

“That remnant forest is habitat for our native wildlife that hasn’t been cleared before,” he said.

“According to Scientific Review of Impacts of Land Clearing in Queensland released earlier this year, land clearing has been directly responsible for two plant species becoming extinct in the wild, and has been identified as a threatening process for many of the 739 threatened flora species and 210 threatened fauna species in Queensland.”  

“A key commitment of the Reef 2050 Plan is to reduce land clearing. Both the State and Federal Governments committed to this plan and it’s what has stopped UNESCO putting the reef on the ‘in danger’ list. The Reef’s World Heritage Status is vital for industry that relies on it and the 64,000 jobs it supports,” he said.

“This rate of land clearing is at odds with Australia’s commitment to the Paris Accord to Climate Change, committed to by Tony Abbott and maintained by his successor Malcolm Turnbull.”

“Some 45 million tonnes of emissions is generated in Queensland alone by land clearing. That more than wipes out the Federal Government’s $1.5 billion Emissions Reduction Fund.”

Ms Trad said thanks to Tim Nicholls and the LNP, Queensland was now responsible for 90 per cent of Australia’s emissions from land use, contributing to climate change and the coral bleaching threatening the Great Barrier Reef.

“Labor fought with everything we had to reintroduce sensible laws, but Tim Nicholls and the LNP blocked us,” she said.

“Malcolm Turnbull better tell his Queensland colleagues to pull their heads in because without the return of sensible tree clearing laws he won’t meet the emissions targets he signed up to in Paris.

“Only a Labor-majority Government can deliver real, balanced environmental protections. A re-elected Palaszczuk Government will introduce legislation to protect remnant and high conservation value non-remnant vegetation.

“We are committed to driving down clearing rates to protect Queensland’s iconic wildlife, climate and Great Barrier Reef.”

Minister Miles said Labor’s vegetation management laws will continue to provide flexibility to landholders in drought by recognising fodder harvesting as a key drought saving measure and would retain self-assessable codes as long as they provide appropriate protection, as was our commitment at the 2015 State election.

Labor promised at the 2015 State election to reduce Queensland’s carbon emissions by re-instating the nation-leading vegetation protection laws repealed by the Newman Government.

The 2015-16 SLATS report found:

• The total statewide woody vegetation clearing rate increased from 153,638 hectares per year in 2011-12 to 395,000 hectares in 2015-16. This is the highest woody vegetation clearing rate since 2003-04 (490,000 hectares per year)
• The clearing of highest conservation value vegetation (remnant) was 138,000 hectares per year— or 35% of total clearing. This compares to 34,590 hectares per year in 2011-12.
• 93 per cent of the total land cleared in 2015-16 was used for pasture, not cropping.
• Since 2011-12, 166 million tonnes of carbon dioxide has been released into the atmosphere from tree-clearing in Queensland.
• Queensland is now contributing 90% of Australia’s emissions from land use.

ENDS

Full report at: https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/vegetation/mapping/slats-reports#slats-most-recent-reports

Media contact: Deputy Premier – 0432 446 268 / Minister Miles – 0422 580 342