Queensland has been labelled the 'deforestation capital of Australia' after newly published government data revealed that 332,015 hectares of forest and woodland were cleared in the state in 2022-23, an area more than 1,000 times the size of the Sydney CBD. The figures show a 3% increase in overall clearing compared to the previous year, with almost half (44%) occurring in Great Barrier Reef catchment areas, raising concerns about nutrient and sediment flow damaging coral already stressed by climate change.
Of the total cleared, 21% (70,799 hectares) was remnant woodland, defined as forest that had not been cleared before or closely resembled uncleared vegetation. This represents an 8% increase from the previous year and is particularly concerning for biodiversity, as remnant vegetation supports endangered species such as the koala and greater glider. Dave Copeman, director of the Queensland Conservation Council, described the figures as 'shocking', warning that clearing in reef catchments is adding 'devastating additional pressure on an already damaged Great Barrier Reef'.
The Australian Conservation Foundation's Nathaniel Pelle said the data confirms Queensland 'remains the deforestation capital of Australia' and called for tighter regulations. Approximately 86% of the clearing (283,918 hectares) was for pasture expansion, while 77% (254,647 hectares) fell under category X, meaning it did not require a permit under state vegetation management laws. Hotspots included the Brigalow and Mulga Lands regions, and 33,000 hectares of clearing was unexplained, potentially including unlawful activity.
Although less than 1% (3,040 hectares) of cleared land contained endangered ecosystems, this was a 21% increase on the previous year, which Copeman called 'distressing'. Conservation groups are urging the federal environment minister, Murray Watt, to address the issue in upcoming reforms, noting that much pastoral clearing is not assessed under national nature laws. The Wilderness Society's Hannah Schuch emphasised that bulldozing forests kills species like the koala and greater glider, pollutes the reef, and worsens climate change, calling for an end to 'government and corporate inaction'.
