Queensland land clearing figures show state remains ‘deforestation capital of Australia’, conservationists say
by Lisa Cox Environment and climate correspondent from on (#6Z5X1)
Overall clearing was up 3%, with almost half in Great Barrier Reef catchment areas while 21% was remnant woodland, government data shows
Forest and woodland across an area more than 1,000 times the size of the Sydney CBD was bulldozed in Queensland in 2022-23, newly published figures show, sparking warnings the state is escalating risks to endangered species and worsening climate change.
Almost half (44%) of the 332,015 hectares of clearing was in Great Barrier Reef catchment areas, causing nutrient and sediment flow that puts additional pressure on corals already bleaching due to climate change.
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