One million hectares lost to tree clearing

QUEENSLAND is in the middle of an environmental crisis from tree clearing.

In 2009, under the ALP government, Queensland cleared 77 590 ha.

In 2013, the Newman LNP government reversed previous native vegetation laws that had successfully reduced land clearing rates.

The Palazsczuk government took charge in February 2015 and vowed to address the changes to tree clearing laws as an election pledge but failed miserably. SLATS data revealed that 395 000 ha of land was cleared in Queensland in 2015/16 which is more than five times the rate in 2009.

Queensland has lost more than one million hectares of native forests and woodlands because of tree clearing in the past four years of which 100 000 ha were old growth forests. Eighty-five per cent of all land clearing in Australia happens in Queensland.

About half of the cleared area occurred in river catchments near the GBR which has increased sediment flows onto offshore coral and sea grass ecosystems. Our federal government has allocated millions of dollars toward improving GBR water quality while ongoing tree clearing in reef catchments wipes out the gains.

Australia’s federal government is sponsoring a plan to plant 20 million trees by 2020, at a cost of $50 million, to ameliorate historical damage from tree clearing. Queensland destroyed more than 20 million trees in the past 12 months of land clearing.

Native vegetation is a major carbon sink and habitat loss is the number one threat to Australia’s unique biodiversity.

Australia pays billions of dollars to the Emission Reduction Fund to offset industry carbon emissions yet the emissions from Queensland deforestation in the past 12 months was 45 million tonnes. This essentially wiped out any GHG emissions reductions Australia made through its $2.55 billion Direct Action Fund.

Inept political leaders throw millions of taxpayer dollars at problems created by their own policies.

Politicians have “eyes wide shut” when it comes to our environment because jobs, progress and money are getting them re-elected.

Maybe progress needs to lose for once because when the trees and the animals are gone, so are we, and at best, your $100 notes might be good for starting the fire that keeps you warm at night.

Queensland destroyed more than 20 million trees in the past 12 months of land clearing.