Getting a fix on this figure is tough. statistics, Australia's Indigenous land and forest estate, Forestry regional profiles - data visualisation, Australia's native forest types - data visualisation, Australias State of the Forests Report 2018, an analysis by the CRC for Developing Northern Australia, Boundary maps for the eleven Regional Forestry Hubs, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website. "This streamlines regulatory processes for the timber industry," according to the Department. Meanwhile, Australia continues to be compared with some of the worst offending countries in the world when it comes to land clearing. We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions. The rampant deforestation for monoculture plantation and logging in western Indonesian Borneo has exacerbated the extinction risks of three plant species endemic . Bulldozers drag thick chains through the landscape, snapping trees like matchsticks. To stop extinction Australia needs to step up our efforts to protect critical forest habitats for Australian wildlife, particularly unburned low fire-risk refuges, and let those that have been cleared regenerate. A DES spokesperson told the ABC that "SLATs applies a highly rigorous methodology". Subscribe to FS Sustainability to get the latest ESG news and research. Deforestation has to stop. This includes Australias diverse native forests and plantations, regardless of age. As the only developed country with a deforestation front, it's no surprise Australias mammal extinction rates are the highest in the world. Our 1km wide strip of cleared land would stretch for a whopping 24,466 kilometres roughly all the way around Australia twice (minus Tassie). Of all its deforestation alerts, 85% have been within 4km of the predicted location. Lowering biosecurity risks to Australia, and assisting industry to accelerate growth towards a $100 billion agricultural sector by 2030. Forest policy in Australia is developed and implemented at the national, state and territory levels. In the first analysis, NSW and Queensland were singled out for high rates of clearing, but the new report identifies further areas of concern in Victoria and Tasmania. The most recent land-clearing data from Queensland for 2019-20 reveals a dire state of affairs in this state alone with: 418,656 hectares of forest and bushland was bulldozed between 2019/20; 85% of the deforestation and land clearing in Queensland was to make space for pasture; More than 180,000 ha was destroyed in Great Barrier Reef catchments, placing further serious stress on the natural wonder. Regional Forestry Hubs map graphic only PDF [0.6 MB], We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions. All comments are moderated. Eastern Australia is one of the top 24 global deforestation front, making Australia the only developed nation on a list from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). (modern). The southwest of Western Australia has been experiencing a long-term climate shift since the 1970s, which researchers have attributed to historical deforestation resulting in decreased rainfall. Over roughly the last 20 years, koalas numbers have declined by almost 50% across Queensland alone. Intensive palm oil production is also creating all kinds of environmental fall-out, including air, soil and water pollution, and soil erosion. Australia is the only developed nation on the list of the world's deforestation hotspots, according to a new report by WWF, previously known as the World Wildlife Fund. The moratorium on logging of around 356,000 hectares of that forest lifted in April of this year, and there are fears that the forestry wars of old could kick off again. This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Australian mangroves are dispersed . The Deforestation Fronts report offers an in-depth analysis of 24 'deforestation fronts' around the globe, from Latin America to Africa and Asia. Mining and building of town infrastructure like roads or commercial buildings are other drivers. In Eastern Australia, nearly half of the original forested area has been lost. 'Glum future for the platypus': why the elusive mammal is disappearing under our noses, Australian wildlife 20 times more likely to encounter deadly feral cats than native predators, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. We need to make this an issue they cant ignore, so that Queensland's spectacular forests and bushland, home to some of the most iconic animals in the world, remain intact and healthy. Since 2015 the Australian government has committed more than $1.5bn of . In addition to the NFPS and the RFAs, the Australian Government has a number of key forest policies to achieve key conservation and management outcomes for Australias forest and forest industries. RFAs are 20-year plans for the conservation and sustainable management of Australias native forests. ESG & greenwashing: how did the investment industry end up here? "It's ridiculous to say there is more forest [now than 10 years ago]," he said. . On 12 September 2017, Australian, state and territory forestry ministers issued a joint ministerial statement of support for the forestry industry. Deforestation in Australia has now reached globally significant levels, driven largely by land clearing in Queensland. These include recognising Indigenous groups, creating voluntary certification for products built from sustainable sources and creating supply chains that don't rely on old-growth forests. A total of 108,700 hectares was cleared in South Australia. There is no official data on how widespread this may be, however Dr Taylor said he had found numerous instances by trawling through satellite imagery several of which he showed to the ABC. "We know that the general public is outraged by this whenever they hear about it. Agriculture was the biggest driver of land clearing in Tasmania. Some forests on private land are publicly managed as conservation reserves. More than 43 million hectares were lost in these fronts between 2004 and 2017, an area roughly the size of Morocco or six times the size of Tasmania. Combined with hotter summer extremes this has resulted in the collapse of some species including around 16,000 hectares of northern jarrah forest. Imagine a strip of land 1-kilometre wide, and 15-kilometres long that's equivalent to the 1500 hectares cleared in the ACT. (We will update these figures to reflect the new stats for 2019-20 as soon as possible.). It is estimated that up to 10%, or approximately $900 million, of our timber imports could come from high-risk sources every year. Taylor said the analysis focused on so-called hotspot parts of the eastern states where land-clearing rates were highest. The 24 global deforestation fronts identified in the report accounted for 80 per cent of the world's clearing. This map shows the location of regions where forests are managed under a Regional Forest Agreement: PNG [0.8 MB], PDF [2.6 MB]. This map shows the distribution of the Callitris native forest type across Australia: PNG [1.9 MB], PDF [0.5 MB]. This map shows the distribution of the Indigenous forest estate, by land ownership and management category for northern Australia: PNG [1.2 MB], PDF [0.8 MB]. . Non-planted forest dominated by introduced species is also included in the Other forest category. The beef industry must show leadership and urgently change its practices to stop selling beef linked to deforestation. Mangroves on the move. In 2017, New South Wales relaxed its native vegetation clearing laws, however the impact that has had on land clearing is expected to show up in the reporting periods for 2019 and 2020. The following maps of forests in northern Australia were prepared in 2019 by ABARES for an analysis by the CRC for Developing Northern Australia. Is social the most important part of ESG investing? This map shows the distribution of the Mangrove native forest type across Australia: PNG [1.8 MB], PDF [0.5 MB]. Despite the clearing of more than 3.5 million hectares nationally during the 2010-2018 period, according to the National Greenhouse Accounts(NGA) data there has been a net increase in tree cover in Australia during that time. Queensland has contributed half of Australia's deforestation since the '70s, primarily to make way for cattle ranching. This map shows the distribution of forests in northern Australia, by forest subtype: PNG [1.7 MB], PDF [1.0 MB]. Dr Taylor said claims that forest area has actually expanded in Australia were misleading. , Over 92,718 hectares of koala habitat were cleared in Queensland in just one year (2018-2019), with 80% of that area destroyed for beef production. Your feedback has been submitted. State and territory governments have primary responsibility for forest management. The Australian, state and territory governments are all signatories to the 1992 National Forest Policy Statement (NFPS). Without a liveable climate, the vulnerable ecosystems that sustain us, wont. Australia is a global deforestation front, alongside Borneo, the Amazon and the Congo. This map shows the distribution of burnt forest in Australia, by the number of times each hectare was burnt in the period 201112 to 201516: PNG [1.0 MB], PDF [2.1MB]. Global infrastructure consulting firm AECOM has announced the creation of a specialized team dedicated to delivering nature-based client solutions in Australia and New Zealand. Beef farming in Australia is driving significant deforestation, including in the habitats of threatened species, according to a new satellite analysis. Australia is the only nation in the developed world to make the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) global list of deforestation hotspots. Where is the worst deforestation happening in Australia? "The LULUCF activity tables are very primitive," Dr Taylor said. 'Reclearing' refers to any forest younger than that.). , To date, 55 wildlife species and 37 plant species have gone extinct in Australia., Habitat loss is the biggest threat to koalas in Queensland and New South Wales. Australia is facing a deforestation crisis, with an area equivalent to MCG being destroyed every 86 seconds. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. This map shows the distribution of burnt forest in areas of northern and southern Australia, by the number of times each hectare was burnt in the period 201112 to 201516: PNG [1.3 MB], PDF [1.3MB]. An important secondary cause was logging, which the report says remains significant in some places in eastern Australia. In our home state of Queensland. Over 43 million hectares, an area roughly the size of Morocco, was lost in these 'deforestation fronts' between 2004 and 2017. The NGA data also fails to pick up forest thinning, according to Dr Taylor. Dr Taylor said that, despite being in the grips of a global economic downturn due to the COVID pandemic, now was a good time to examine how we could limit land clearing. This map shows the distribution of the Rainforest native forest type across Australia: PNG [2.0 MB], PDF [0.5 MB]. Of this total forest area, determined as at 2016, 132 million hectares (98%) are 'Native forests', 1.95 million hectares are 'Commercial plantations' and 0.47 million hectares are 'Other forest'. News, research and analysis of ESG integration factors for ASX listed companies and investors, * Mandatory fields. Calling on big business to source and sell products free from deforestation. , Only 50% of Australia's forests and bushlands remain intact compared to pre-European arrival. In total that roughly equals a 1-kilometre-wide piece of land 2,884 kilometres long or from Darwin to Adelaide with change. We acknowledge sovereignty was never ceded.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this website may contain images, names and voices of people who are deceased. Land clearing rates rocketed after the axing of restrictions in Queensland and NSW placing eastern Australia alongside the most infamous places in the world for forest destruction, said WWF-Australia conservation scientist Dr Martin Taylor. 2023 The Wilderness Society, Drivers of deforestation and land clearing in Queensland, Qld koala habitat clearing linked to beef production: 2018-19, Australian beef and deforestation: Corporate scorecard, Australia is facing a deforestation crisis, with an area equivalent to MCG being destroyed every 86 seconds. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. The data on this page will also be updated at that time. The following map was prepared and published by ABARES: This map provides a detailed snapshot of the forestry industry, including the location of major wood processing facilities, native forest tenure, hardwood and softwood plantations, as well as roads and forestry ports: PDF [12.1 MB] and higher resolution version PDF [36.6 MB]. To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Learn more about deforestation in Queensland. Blocks of land are still being sold for development in the Daintree. When comparing the data for land clearing in Queensland from the SLATs method and the NGA method, there are vast discrepancies between the two discrepancies which cast further doubt on the idea that Australia's tree budget is "in the black". This map shows the distribution of forests in northern Australia, by forest tenure: PNG [1.3 MB], PDF [0.8 MB]. The issue is that a mature forest can be cleared in one place, and an equivalent area of 2-metre saplings may have regrown in another. Our biosecurity system helps protects us. "As soon as the Newman Government came [into office in Queensland] and weakened the laws, in fact, in their own words they 'took the axe' to the vegetation laws, we saw a five-fold increase to just the mature forest being cleared in a five year period," he said. *This report is part of a journalistic collaboration . We acknowledge sovereignty was never ceded.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this website may contain images, names and voices of people who are deceased. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. The series of billboards across Brisbane drew attention to the devastating effects that deforestation and land clearing have on wildlife across Queensland. WWF's new report Deforestation fronts: Drivers and responses in a changing world , names 24 locations across Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia and Oceania. Using a newly developed satellite data classification technique, researchers from Geoscience Australia's Digital Earth Australia (DEA) program have created a series of maps that show how mangrove locations have shifted year-to-year in response to storm events and a changing climate. Communities need a real voice in environmental decision-making to have an effective say on the future of NSW forests. The once abundant koala is rapidly vanishing from New South Wales and Queensland. The once vast brigalow and grassy box forests of inland eastern . Actual ESG: growth investing in change | Baillie Gifford, A year in wealth management - what it means for 2023, Nicki Hutley: Policy, the budget and risks for investors. But in Eastern Australia, agriculture is by far the biggest driver of deforestation. Deforestationthe reduction or complete removal of native forest and bushlandhas escalated over the recent years to reach globally significant levels. Again, the lion's share of that regrowth 2.7 million hectares has reportedly happened in Queensland, and to a lesser extent in New South Wales. With clearing on this scale, no wonder they were recently declared endangered in Queensland, NSW and the ACT. To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. While the majority of landholders are eager to embrace new ways to look after their land, scattered rogue operators are holding us back. Throughout history and into modern times, forests have been razed to make space for agriculture and animal grazing, and to obtain wood for fuel, manufacturing, and construction.. Deforestation has greatly altered landscapes around the world. New drone footage has exposed shocking clearing of likely koala habitat in Far North Queensland, as our latest report, Whats at steak?, reveals more than one million hectares of forest was cleared for beef from 2014-2019. The 24 global deforestation . In New South Wales, 99% of koala habitat on private land is not protected from clearing. Forest destruction is a threat to more than 700 endangered Australian plants and animals and WWF-Australia has previously highlighted the effects of clearing conducted without threatened species assessments. Thats why WWF-Australia has launched Regenerate Australia, the largest wildlife and nature regeneration program in the nations history. This time our 1-kilometre-wide piece of land would stretch from Hobart to the southern suburbs or Brisbane. Acacia forest). "Let's not look for the same old bulldoze-and-dig-it-up model of recovery. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/deforestation-land-clearing-australia-state-by-state/12535438, Your information is being handled in accordance with the, Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article, Jock Zonfrillo remembered as an 'incredible chef' and icon of Australia's culinary landscape, Jock Zonfrillo, celebrated chef and judge on MasterChef Australia, dies aged 46, Donald Trump denied mistrial in rape accuser Carroll's civil case, 34 injured and houses destroyed after Russia launches early morning strikes on Ukraine, Russian freight train derails after being hit by explosive device, governor says, Major route into the Kokoda track appears to have been blockaded amid tour operator feud, Tony Abbott mounts attack on Voice after a spat with parliamentary committee, Female teacher admits sexual offences against teen student, fights 10 other charges, Sudan humanitarian crisis turning into a 'full blown catastrophe', says UN, are the biggest drivers of animal extinction, Australia has one of the highest rates of animal extinction, reclassified around 400,000 hectares of forest designated as "future reserve land" to "future potential production forest", the critically endangered Leadbeater's possum, RFAs include their own environmental protections, critics say RFAs allow logging operations to bypass federal environment laws, Western Australia's forests are under threat from climate change, historical deforestation resulting in decreased rainfall, The environmental impact of Australia's bushfires has been exacerbated by decades of environmental mismanagement, A billion trees planted by 2030? 2023 The Wilderness Society, 5 things you need to know about Deforestation in Australia, majority of landholders are eager to embrace new ways, 7 ways to protect WA's most valuable natural asset. That's why I'm leading WWF-Australia's work to help our country transition from a global deforestation hotspot to a world leader in reforestation and ecological restoration. In NSW, the Berejiklian government weakened land-clearing rules in 2017 and habitat destruction has since increased. We recognise First Nations as the custodians of land and water across Australia and pay our respects to Elders past and present. Although Operation Artemis cost Colombia more than 3.4 billion Colombian Pesos (about $765,000), deforestation did not slow down, going from 158,894 ha (about 392,636 acres) lost to deforestation . This map shows the extent and distribution of Australia's forests by forest type: PNG [1.1 MB], PDF [3.6 MB]. View an interactive version of this map in ArcGIS Online map viewer here. Despite a range of reports recommending the urgent protection of unburnt patches to limit species decline, the NSW government continues to allow industrial logging at a rate of around 14,000 hectares per yeareven in extreme risk areas! And around 73,285ha of thator a whopping 80%was destroyed for beef production. We recognise First Nations as the custodians of land and water across Australia and pay our respects to Elders past and present. An analysis of the imagery for Unearthed has identified 13,500 hectares of deforestation since 2018 - an area more than twice the size of Manhattan - across 57 beef cattle properties in . But Dr Taylor from the WWF disputes that. Native forests are categorised in Australia's National Forest Inventory into eight national forest types named after their key genus or structural form: Acacia, Callitris, Casuarina, Eucalypt, Mangrove, Melaleuca, Rainforest, and Other native forest (which includes a range of minor native forest types that are named after their dominant genera, including Agonis, Atalaya, Banksia, Hakea, Grevillea, Heterodendron, Leptospermum, Lophostemon and Syncarpia). Bulldozing trees worsens climate changecarbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when the fallen trees are left to burn or rot. Over roughly the last 20 years, koalas numbers have declined by almost 50% across Queensland alone. Undertaking research to blow the lid off this hidden crisis. Was a mine as big as Adani's approved during the election campaign? Acacia).. Deforestation is the purposeful clearing of forested land. The next biggest contributor to the data was "grazing modified pastures" at around 125,000 hectares. This was rooted in some flawed ideas about the biology of soils and the resilience of our landscapes. Land-clearing rates rocketed after the axing of restrictions in Queensland and NSW placing eastern Australia alongside the most infamous places in the world for forest destruction, WWF-Australia conservation scientist Martin Taylor said. The pact put the spotlight on an issue that combines carbon emissions and threatened species. In the climate crisis, theres economic opportunity for landholders. Get all the latest science stories from across the ABC. This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Australia has a total of 134 million hectares of forest, which is equivalent to 17% of Australia's land area. Australia is the only country in the developed world to appear on the list, with eastern Australia named alongside Colombia, Peru, Laos and Mozambique as locations with medium rates of deforestation.
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