The southwest of Western Australia has been experiencing a long-term climate shift since the 1970s, which researchers have attributed to historical deforestation resulting in decreased rainfall. Major retailers could, and as good corporate citizens should, chose to only buy deforestation-free beef. *This report is part of a journalistic collaboration . It's primarily driven by agriculture (mostly for beef production), mining and urban development. Almost two-thirds of NSW native forests burned during the Black Summer Bushfires, devastating huge swathes of threatened species habitat. Everything you need to know about the deforestation crisis taking place across Australia. Despite a range of reports recommending the urgent protection of unburnt patches to limit species decline, the NSW government continues to allow industrial logging at a rate of around 14,000 hectares per yeareven in extreme risk areas! Bulldozing trees worsens climate changecarbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when the fallen trees are left to burn or rot. The main cause of deforestation is agriculture (poorly planned infrastructure is emerging as a big threat too) and the main cause of forest degradation is illegal logging. Tens of millions of native animals are killed annually by this scale of clearing. Again, the lion's share of that regrowth 2.7 million hectares has reportedly happened in Queensland, and to a lesser extent in New South Wales. Over roughly the last 20 years, koalas numbers have declined by almost 50% across Queensland alone. Koalas live in gum trees, also commonly known as eucalyptus trees. Australia's land clearing rate is once again among the highest in the world. In Australia, the destruction of vegetation for cattle pasture is the most significant driver of forest loss and degradation, but the continued logging of native forests in a number of eastern states is named as an important secondary cause. Land clearing in the ACT was the lowest of any Australian state or territory between 2010 and 2018. Lowering biosecurity risks to Australia, and assisting industry to accelerate growth towards a $100 billion agricultural sector by 2030. The NGA data also fails to pick up forest thinning, according to Dr Taylor. The related formal genus names are italicised and have capitalised initial letters (e.g. Opinion. 2023 The Wilderness Society, Drivers of deforestation and land clearing in Queensland, Qld koala habitat clearing linked to beef production: 2018-19, Australian beef and deforestation: Corporate scorecard, Australia is facing a deforestation crisis, with an area equivalent to MCG being destroyed every 86 seconds. Learn more about deforestation in Queensland. On 11/02/22 the government officially listed the koala as Endangered in Queensland, NSW and the ACT. Ecuador was originally largely forested, but . . Australia is a global deforestation front, alongside Borneo, the Amazon and the Congo. Land clearing and habitat loss are the biggest drivers of animal extinction and in recent years, Australia's aggressive rate of land clearing has ranked among the developed world's fastest. But in 2012, a peace deal was struck between loggers and protestors. Deforestation is the purposeful clearing of forested land. An analysis of the imagery for Unearthed has identified 13,500 hectares of deforestation since 2018 - an area more than twice the size of Manhattan - across 57 beef cattle properties in . We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. Operation Artemis: Colombia's failed military operation to stop deforestation. In our home state of Queensland. Land clearing in Australia describes the removal of native vegetation and deforestation in Australia.Land clearing involves the removal of native vegetation and habitats, including the bulldozing of native bushlands, forests, savannah, woodlands and native grasslands and the draining of natural wetlands for replacement with agriculture, urban and other land uses. These stats show Australia's in the midst of a deforestation crisis that's affecting our wildlife, climate and future. Deforestation is Australia's hidden emitterlike adding 10 million cars to our roads. Only when an area drops below that 20 per cent threshold is it registered as forest loss. Deforestation and tree-clearing is the major cause of habitat loss for many threatened and endangered species. Regional Forestry Hubs boundaries (2022) is the spatial dataset of the boundaries for the Regional Forestry Hubs. "Nearly a million hectares of forest has been cleared just in Queensland and New South Wales and just in the hotspot areas," Dr Martin Taylor, Senior Scientist with WWF Australia, told Hack. Australian's have a huge appetite for shopping. Of this total forest area, determined as at 2016, 132 million hectares (98%) are 'Native forests', 1.95 million hectares are 'Commercial plantations' and 0.47 million hectares are 'Other forest'. Deforestation in Australia is a major environmental concern, leading to the loss of millions of native animals, including endangered species, and destruction of forests and woodlands. In WWFs new report Deforestation fronts: Drivers and responses in a changing world, published today, the deforestation fronts have been expanded to 24 with eastern Australia remaining on the list. It can't be done, forestry industry says. If we want to protect Australia's remarkable biodiversity, including its most iconic animals, we must protect habitat. In the first analysis, NSW and Queensland were singled out for high rates of clearing, but the new report identifies further areas of concern in Victoria and Tasmania. The Regional Forestry Hubs were created under the National Forest Industries Plan [PDF 3.1 MB . Our 1km wide strip of cleared land would stretch for a whopping 24,466 kilometres roughly all the way around Australia twice (minus Tassie). The data on this page will also be updated at that time. But most of the deforestation is hidden from view.". Except where otherwise explicitly authorised, any material on this website which may be construed as electoral material or an electoral matter under any State or Commonwealth Law is authorised by M. Brennan on behalf of The Wilderness Society Ltd, 132 Davey Street, Hobart Tasmania 7000. The biennial Living Planet Report, published this week, puts . Annual subscription for $129.95 for 1 year. ESG & greenwashing: how did the investment industry end up here? The six tenure classes used for forests in the National Forest Inventory are amalgamations of the wide range of classes used by various state and territory jurisdictions. Let's look to a green recovery that's built on conservation, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture.". More than 40 per cent of the country's forests and woodlands are estimated to have been cleared since European colonisation. Forest destruction is a threat to more than 700 endangered Australian plants and animals and WWF-Australia has previously highlighted the effects of clearing conducted without threatened species assessments. This map shows the distribution of the Melaleuca native forest type across Australia: PNG [2.0 MB], PDF [0.5 MB]. In Asia, this includes orangutans, tigers, rhinos and elephants, some of which are on the brink of extinction.Moreover, the direct impacts of clearing are compounded by the fact that it brings such species into closer and more frequent contact with humans, which can lead to poaching . Using satellite imagery of forest cover and deforestation events across Australia . We can't protect nature and wildlife, safeguard human . According to the report, expansion of commercial agriculture and tree plantations are the biggest drivers of deforestation around the world. The categories are: Indigenous owned and managed; Indigenous managed; Indigenous co-managed; having Other special rights (Note: Indigenous is used here to refer to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people): PNG [0.8 MB], PDF [2.3 MB]. A further 21.7 million hectares of native forest (17%) are in formal nature conservation reserves, and 9.8 million hectares of native forest (7.4%) are in multiple-use public native forests., More than half of Australias forests (69.5 million hectares, 52% of Australia's forest area) is identified as part of the Indigenous forest estate as one of four broad Indigenous land tenure and management categories: Indigenous owned and managed; Indigenous managed; Indigenous co-managed; and Other special rights. "People do see their local favourite patch of bush being bulldozed for a housing or industrial estate, or a road That turns out to be a small percentage of the total destruction in Eastern Australia. Regional Forestry Hubs boundaries (2022)is the spatial dataset of the boundaries for theRegional Forestry Hubs. Its primarily driven by agriculture (mostly for beef production), mining and urban development. Land-clearing rates rocketed after the axing of restrictions in Queensland and NSW placing eastern Australia alongside the most infamous places in the world for forest destruction, WWF-Australia conservation scientist Martin Taylor said. However, that figure comes with some very big caveats because during that same period, more than 82,000 hectares were granted approval for clearing under pastoral land clearing applications in the NT. Everyone has a role in supporting our biosecurity system. Bulldozers drag thick chains through the landscape, snapping trees like matchsticks. Western Australia's forests, woodlands and outback native vegetation play a critical role in preserving biodiversity, providing a home for threatened species and storing huge quantities of carbon. "We know that the general public is outraged by this whenever they hear about it. Eastern Australia is one of the top 24 global deforestation front, making Australia the only developed nation on a list from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). A new report by WWF has found Australia is one of the worlds hotspots for deforestation. The report warns that nearly half of the standing forests in the 24 deforestation fronts have suffered some type of fragmentation and trends suggest clearing will persist unless countries act to protect them. Despite Queensland restoring some restrictions in 2018, eastern Australia remains a deforestation front. This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Once native forest logging emissions are included, this is equivalent to at least half the carbon pollution of all Australian coal-fired power stations., Increasing demand for deforestation-free commodity supply chains is putting pressure on Australia's soft commodity sectors to adopt sustainable practices. Your feedback has been submitted. This time our 1-kilometre-wide piece of cleared land would stretch 318km, say from Canberra to just beyond Sydney. Forest policy in Australia is developed and implemented at the national, state and territory levels. Australia has strengthened seasonal measures to manage the risk of BMSB. ('Primary' refers to forests 30 years and older. Data on this page are from Australia's State of the Forests Report 2018 (SOFR), with data up to or as at 2016. The main driver of clearing in New South Wales is agriculture. And its not good news for nature. In NSW, the Berejiklian government weakened land-clearing rules in 2017 and habitat destruction has since increased. The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) is committing almost three quarters of its Australian Recycling Investment Fund to develop a flagship construction and demolition (C&D) recycling facility in Queensland. The interim report called for an independent regulator that would be responsible for enforcing and monitoring compliance with the law. But in April this year, the Victorian Environment Department updated and extended five regional forest agreements (RFAs) covering native forest logging in different parts of the state. This was rooted in some flawed ideas about the biology of soils and the resilience of our landscapes. In that case, the data would show no net loss in forest cover, despite a significant deficit of habitat occurring. A law passed by the European Parliament requires companies working in cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy and wood to demonstrate their products aren't sourced to deforested land or . This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. (We will update these figures to reflect the new stats for 2019-20 as soon as possible.). We recognise First Nations as the custodians of land and water across Australia and pay our respects to Elders past and present. The primary issue I have found is that deforestation leads to mass habitat and food loss for koalas. A key element of the approach adopted in the NFPS involved the negotiation of Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs) between the Australian Government and some state governments. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/deforestation-land-clearing-australia-state-by-state/12535438, Your information is being handled in accordance with the, Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article, Jock Zonfrillo remembered as an 'incredible chef' and icon of Australia's culinary landscape, Jock Zonfrillo, celebrated chef and judge on MasterChef Australia, dies aged 46, Donald Trump denied mistrial in rape accuser Carroll's civil case, 34 injured and houses destroyed after Russia launches early morning strikes on Ukraine, Russian freight train derails after being hit by explosive device, governor says, Major route into the Kokoda track appears to have been blockaded amid tour operator feud, Tony Abbott mounts attack on Voice after a spat with parliamentary committee, Female teacher admits sexual offences against teen student, fights 10 other charges, Sudan humanitarian crisis turning into a 'full blown catastrophe', says UN, are the biggest drivers of animal extinction, Australia has one of the highest rates of animal extinction, reclassified around 400,000 hectares of forest designated as "future reserve land" to "future potential production forest", the critically endangered Leadbeater's possum, RFAs include their own environmental protections, critics say RFAs allow logging operations to bypass federal environment laws, Western Australia's forests are under threat from climate change, historical deforestation resulting in decreased rainfall, The environmental impact of Australia's bushfires has been exacerbated by decades of environmental mismanagement, A billion trees planted by 2030? Global infrastructure consulting firm AECOM has announced the creation of a specialized team dedicated to delivering nature-based client solutions in Australia and New Zealand. by Basten Gokkon on 21 April 2023. That's why I'm leading WWF-Australia's work to help our country transition from a global deforestation hotspot to a world leader in reforestation and ecological restoration. RFAs are 20-year plans for the conservation and sustainable management of Australias native forests. We acknowledge sovereignty was never ceded.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this website may contain images, names and voices of people who are deceased. For species like the koala, we know the biggest problem is the destruction of their forest homes. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We need to make this an issue they cant ignore, so that Queensland's spectacular forests and bushland, home to some of the most iconic animals in the world, remain intact and healthy. woodland, open, closed, or unknown): PNG [0.9 MB], PDF [3.6 MB]. Australia has lost 27% of its rainforest, 19% of open forest, 11% of woodland forest, and 28% of mallee forest since 1750. Boundary maps for the eleven Regional Forestry Hubs are hosted on the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website along with information about the Regional Forestry Hubs.. Deforestationthe reduction or complete removal of native forest and bushlandhas escalated over the recent years to reach globally significant levels. Nearly 50% of our forest cover has been cleared in the last two centuries, making Australia one of the worst developed countries for deforestation. If we go back to our 1-kilometre-wide strip of land, South Australia's total clearing stretches almost 1,100km from Newcastle to Melbourne. Maps of Australia's forests are available on the Forest maps page. Neither Queensland's Department of Environment and Science (DES) nor the Federal Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources responded directly to questions from the ABC about the differences in their methodologies, but both said they were confident in their systems. 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Actual ESG: growth investing in change | Baillie Gifford, A year in wealth management - what it means for 2023, Nicki Hutley: Policy, the budget and risks for investors. Thanks! Our 1km wide strip of cleared land would stretch for a whopping 24,466 kilometres roughly all the way around Australia . In contrast to New South Wales, Queensland's land clearing laws were tightened in 2018 and it's expected that clearing figures will drop significantly in the coming reporting periods. View interactive maps of Australia's key spatial forest datasets in ArcGIS Online map viewer: Boundary maps for the eleven Regional Forestry Hubsare hosted on the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry websitealong withinformation about the Regional Forestry Hubs. Of that, around 73,825 ha, or 80%, was bulldozed for beef production. Thats why WWF-Australia has launched Regenerate Australia, the largest wildlife and nature regeneration program in the nations history. All rights reserved. Such claims are based on classifying young regrowth, often only knee-high, from previous clearing, as forest. Meanwhile, Australia continues to be compared with some of the worst offending countries in the world when it comes to land clearing. Sadly, these forests are under threat. Over roughly the last 20 years, koalas numbers have declined by almost 50% across Queensland alone. ABARES is in the process of updating indicators for SOFR with data up to or as at 2021, with the intention of publishing the updated indicators from mid to late 2023. The Australian, state and territory governments are all signatories to the 1992 National Forest Policy Statement (NFPS). In 2019, the tropics lost close to 30 soccer fields' worth of trees every single minute. Except where otherwise explicitly authorised, any material on this website which may be construed as electoral material or an electoral matter under any State or Commonwealth Law is authorised by M. Brennan on behalf of The Wilderness Society Ltd, 132 Davey Street, Hobart Tasmania 7000. While the majority of landholders are eager to embrace new ways to look after their land, scattered rogue operators are holding us back. Mangroves on the move. On 12 September 2017, Australian, state and territory forestry ministers issued a joint ministerial statement of support for the forestry industry. The lion's share of land cleared in Western Australia was for agriculture, horticulture and forestry. With deforestation comes extinction: Australia is the worst offending country for mammal extinctions. With the support of people like you, the Wilderness Society recently launched a billboard campaign highlighting deforestation rates across Queensland, and the harm this causes to wildlife. Everything you need to know about the deforestation crisis taking place across Australia. Most of it is out bush, far from the public gaze, and most people don't know it's going on," he explained. In 2017, New South Wales relaxed its native vegetation clearing laws, however the impact that has had on land clearing is expected to show up in the reporting periods for 2019 and 2020. Unlike other states and territories, Queensland also has its own statewide annual land clearing monitoring program based on a method called Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATs). ACT is tiny, and since 2011 its forestry industry figures are reported as part of New South Wales. The definition of forest used by Australia's National Forest Inventory is: An area, incorporating all living and non-living components, that is dominated by trees having usually a single stem and a mature or potentially mature stand height exceeding 2 metres and with existing or potential crown cover of overstorey strata about equal to or greater than 20 per cent. It's clear that the destruction of forest and bushland across Queensland continues to be the biggest contributor to Australia's terrible deforestation record. Queensland has contributed half of Australia's deforestation since the '70s, primarily to make way for cattle ranching. If we convert Tasmania's 66,500 cleared hectares to a 1-kilometre-wide strip of land, it would be 665-kilometres long or the distance from Melbourne to Canberra. Explore interactive charts and maps that summarize key statistics about forests in {area}. To get to that conclusion, they have compared the amount of cleared land (3.78 million hectares) with the amount of land regrown (4.19 million hectares), to come up with a "net forest clearing" figure of negative-401,000 hectares. The NGA method is based on satellite imagery where 20 per cent canopy cover or greater is classified as forest. Australias 2019-20 bushfires were too recent to be considered in the analysis which tracked 24 deforestation fronts from 2004 to 2017. The classes can be grouped on the basis of ownership as public or private, with a small area of unresolved tenure. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians, whose land we work upon and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. "The LULUCF activity tables are very primitive," Dr Taylor said. It will take more than a century for central banks and other financial institutions to reach gender balance in leadership, according to the Gender Balance Index 2023. Is social the most important part of ESG investing? This map shows the location of Australia's commercial hardwood and softwood plantations and the boundaries of National Plantation Inventory (NPI) regions: PNG [0.7 MB], PDF [1.4 MB]. Click here to access all of the maps from Australia's State of the Forests Report 2018. 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Editor's note (12/10/2020): This story has been updated to clarify that agriculture has a bigger impact than native forest logging on land clearing in Victoria and Tasmania, and to define woody vegetation under the National Greenhouse Accounts guidelines.Editor's note (16/12/2020): This article has been edited to remove inaccurate references to deforestation; additional context has been included to clearly identify that agriculture has a much bigger impact than native forest logging on land clearing in Australia; and the definition of woody vegetation under the National Greenhouse Accounts guidelines has been corrected. This gives you a picture of how much land has been cleared, right across Australia, from 2010 until the most recently available data in 2018. The TCFD framework - What is it and how can it be applied to investment analysis? While Tasmania's area of land clearing is more than double the Northern Territory's, the total land area of Tasmania is only one-twentieth the size. The UN Global Compact Network Australia (UNGCNA) has hired a new executive director, recruiting from the Victorian government. And the state leading this destructive charge is Queensland. (Supplied: Steven Nowakowski Panoscapes)Mr Davies heads up Rainforest 4: one of several conservation groups raising money to try . A DES spokesperson told the ABC that "SLATs applies a highly rigorous methodology". The total area of land cleared in Queensland was 2,446,600 hectares. The Queensland government's own data shows what a massive problem deforestation is in the state. It stuffs our soil and water, suffocates the Reef, kills wildlife, drains our carbon budgetand leaves our towns and suburbs hotter and less liveable. But in Eastern Australia, agriculture is by far the biggest driver of deforestation. Australia is the only nation in the developed world to make the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) global list of deforestation hotspots. Over 43 million hectares, an area roughly the size of Morocco, was lost in these 'deforestation fronts' between 2004 and 2017. Except where otherwise explicitly authorised, any material on this website which may be construed as electoral material or an electoral matter under any State or Commonwealth Law is authorised by M. Brennan on behalf of The Wilderness Society Ltd, 132 Davey Street, Hobart Tasmania 7000.
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