Qld forest clearing loopholes costly in climate change battle
07 Sep 2008
Forest clearing throughout Queensland has again spiralled out of control, accounting for 24 per cent of the state's greenhouse gas emissions, WWF said today.
After Dr Ross Garnaut this week said the preservation of northern Australia's forests is essential to combat climate change, new figures reveal the practice continues unabated in Queensland.
The Statewide Landcover and Trees Study confirmed 375,000 hectares of forest was cleared in 2005-06, the equivalent of 5.1 million average-sized suburban blocks of land.
The leading conservation organisation says that despite new state laws, loopholes have allowed farmers to find new ways to clear an enormous and unacceptable amount of land.
WWF is calling for a clearing moratorium until the loopholes are plugged in order to help reduce Queensland's carbon emissions, which are the highest for any state per capita in the country.
"There have been a lot of good intentions in recent years, but the fact remains total clearing is relatively unchanged from the 1990s," said Nick Heath, WWF's Queensland Program Leader.
"Land clearing is still occurring on a huge scale, causing 41.1 million tonnes of carbon emissions and driving seriously threatened wildlife towards extinction."
At a conservative carbon price of $20 per tonne, closing these loopholes and protecting northern forests will save Queensland and Australia $800m per year.
WWF is insisting the State Government plug four legal loopholes to reduce clearing, including:
- "Regrowth" exemption: 10-14 million hectares of recovering Queensland forests, often including endangered, vulnerable and threatened ecosystems can be cleared without a permit. This is about twice the size of Tasmania.
- Fodder Harvesting Code: over 110,000 hectares of Mulga trees cleared or "harvested".
- Urban, mining and infrastructure exemptions in small, but highly biodiverse areas.
- Boosted compliance to tackle unknown amounts of illegal clearing.
"The single largest environmental win of the Beattie era is being eroded. The Government cannot currently claim a significant clearing reduction as its legacy," Mr Heath said.
For more information
Nick Heath, Program Leader for Queensland: 041 888 5324
Julian Murphy, Press Officer: 0418 970 778
Timeline - Land clearing in Queensland
1800s+ Land clearing in Queensland follows the spread of white settlers
Post WWII Clearing rate soars. Twice as much land cleared in 50 years after WWII than in previous 150 years.
1960s First signs of concern about the level of clearing taking place in Queensland.
1970s Conservationists begin campaign to tackle highest rates of clearing in the developed world.
1991 For the first time leaseholders require a permit to clear land.
1999 Beattie Government enacts a new Vegetation Management Act to protect "endangered" forests.
2000 "Panic clearing" across the state, while State and Commonwealth squabble about compensating landholders.
2000 New laws failing to prevent record rates of clearing, huge public campaign condemning the practice. Premier Peter Beattie promises to take action.
2004 Election commitment to strengthen laws to ban broadscale clearing of all remnant clearing, but allowing exemption for recovering forests.
2006 Fodder harvesting code developed to assist farmers in overgrazed areas.
2006 Broadscale ban on remnant clearing becomes law on 31 December.
2008 Queensland DNRW release SLATs report indicating changed pattern of clearing targeting loopholes in the reforms.
