Great Barrier Reef: forest three times size of ACT cleared in past five years

Clearing of forests in reef catchment zone show Australia a global deforestation hotspot, campaigners say

New official data shows clearing of forests near and along the Great Barrier Reef continued despite Australian government pledges to protect the natural wonder, with at least 152,000 hectares felled in 2016-17 alone.

Forests covering 770,000ha - an area about three times the size of the Australian Capital Territory - in the reef catchment zone have been bulldozed over the past five years. The area cleared last year was larger in size than that covered by new re-growth.