90,000 Hectares Of Koala Habitat Bulldozed In Queensland In 2018-19, Most Of It For Cattle Grazing
More than 90,000 hectares of koala habitat in Queensland was cleared in a single year, according to new analysis that finds most of that clearing occurred for beef production.
The analysis, produced by environmental organisation The Wilderness Society (TWS), examined the Queensland government’s most recent Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (Slats), which showed landholders cleared 680,688 hectares of woody vegetation in 2018-19. It calculates that 92,718 hectares of that clearing was in known or likely koala habitats, roughly equivalent to bulldozing two thirds of the Brisbane local government area, the organisation said.
The vast majority of the clearing – 73,825ha or 80% – was for beef production. Anita Cosgrove, the acting Queensland campaign manager for TWS, said most of the habitat destruction was not referred for approval under Australia’s national environmental laws. “[As] weak as existing deforestation and species protection laws may be, what is actually most alarming is when they simply aren’t applied at all,” she said.
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The analysis was produced by examining the Slats data and publicly available data from the federal government on the habitats of listed threatened species. It follows the recent upgrading of the koala’s conservation status to endangered by the federal environment minister, Sussan Ley, who has also promised to adopt a national recovery plan for the species.
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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/14/land-clearing-destroyed-90000-hectares-of-queensland-koala-habitat-in-single-year-analysis-finds
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