Million hectares of threatened species' habitat cleared without assessments

WWF Australia says after new analysis that federal department is failing to enforce environmental laws

More than a million hectares of threatened species' habitat was cleared for agriculture in New South Wales and Queensland without referral to the federal environment department for assessment, according to new analysis by WWF Australia.

Data for land-clearing in both states suggests the department is failing to ensure developers and farming operations are following environmental laws, according to the analysis.