We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. More than 88,000 hectares of primary forest was cleared in New South Wales. Ecuador was originally largely forested, but . 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. Tens of millions of native animals are killed annually by this scale of clearing. The classes can be grouped on the basis of ownership as public or private, with a small area of unresolved tenure. This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. 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. The data on this page will also be updated at that time. In 2019, Premier Dan Andrews committed to ending native forest logging in the state by 2030, and in the wake of last season's devastating bushfires there have been calls to bring that end forward. Deforestation in Australia has now reached globally significant levels, driven largely by land clearing in Queensland. The system used to estimate tree cover/loss for the NGA defines woody vegetation as of a "height or potential height greater than 2 metres, crown cover greater than 20 per cent and a minimum patch size of 0.2 hectares". For species like the koala, we know the biggest problem is the destruction of their forest homes. Culture is how an organisation thinks, acts, and interacts. But Dr Taylor from the WWF disputes that. It means just 50% of Australias forest and bushland remainsmuch of it degraded. Across the wide range of rainfall and soil conditions that support forest, most of Australia's 'Native forest' category of forest is dominated by eucalypts (77%) and acacias (8%). The moratorium on logging of around 356,000 hectares of that forest lifted in April of this year, and there are fears that the forestry wars of old could kick off again. The NGA data also fails to pick up forest thinning, according to Dr Taylor. The issue is that a mature forest can be cleared in one place, and an equivalent area of 2-metre saplings may have regrown in another. Organising a grassroots national movement for lasting change. Eastern Australia is now a recognised global deforestation hotspot, alongside places including the Amazon, the Congo and Borneo. In Eastern Australia, nearly half of the original forested area has been lost. Australia is the only developed nation on the list of the world's deforestation hotspots, according to a new report by WWF, previously known as the World Wildlife Fund. Sadly, these forests are under threat. In 2021, it lost 231kha of natural forest, equivalent to 90.8Mt of CO emissions. This continued destruction is devastating for the environment and wildlife. This map shows the distribution of forests in northern Australia, by forest tenure: PNG [1.3 MB], PDF [0.8 MB]. The WWF report lists a variety of ways in which governments around the world have tried to limit deforestation. View an interactive version of this map in ArcGIS Online map viewer. This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. But Dr Taylor said ultimately stronger laws are what drive down land clearing. WWF wants this to be the last time Australia winds up on this infamous list of deforestation fronts. Your feedback has been submitted. A leaked report from the Natural Resources Commission last year suggested that land clearing may have surged by as much as 13 times. reports, Plantation Reclearing takes the state's entire land clearing tally to 663,000 hectares. Blocks of land are still being sold for development in the Daintree. The only nationally consistent data comes from the Federal Government's National Greenhouse Accounts (NGA). 'Commercial plantations' are plantations grown on a commercial scale for wood production, while 'Other forest' includes small areas of mostly non-industrial plantations and planted forests of various types including sandalwood plantations, small farm forestry and agroforestry plantations, plantations within the reserve system, and plantations regarded as non-commercial. 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To give life a chance, we need strong, sensible deforestation laws. Our consumption, per person, out-strips that of people . Imagine a strip of land 1-kilometre wide, and 15-kilometres long that's equivalent to the 1500 hectares cleared in the ACT. 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. The once vast brigalow and grassy box forests of inland eastern . And a bad one. This map shows the distribution of native forest available and suitable for commercial wood production in northern Australia: PNG [1.3 MB], PDF [0.8 MB]. Let's look to a green recovery that's built on conservation, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture.". We have also seen isolated cases of high-value Australian timber being illegally logged. If we want to protect our climate, and the ecosystems that make our lives possible, theres no role for deforestation in Australias future. Read our WA native vegetation report detailing 7 ways to protect WA's most valuable natural asset. Only 50% of Australia's forests and bushlands remain intact compared to pre-European arrival. "We're putting huge amounts of taxpayer dollars into avoided deforestation and reforestation and at the same time we . Forest maps - DAFF - Agriculture 10 Countries With the Highest Deforestation Rates in the World Wilderness Society | Deforestation We recognise First Nations as the custodians of land and water across Australia and pay our respects to Elders past and present. Here, I describe the deforestation trends, drivers and policy responses in Australia over the last four decades. But currently, none of the big supermarkets and fast food chains can guarantee that the beef they source and sell is free of deforestation. Check out 10 facts about deforestation in Australia. Australia is the only developed nation on the list of the world's deforestation hotspots, according to a new report by WWF, previously known as the World Wildlife Fund. 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'. EU parliament passes historic law forcing companies to track deforestation Land clearing in the ACT was the lowest of any Australian state or territory between 2010 and 2018. Historically, deforestation was considered best practice. In May of this year, a federal court ruled that VicForests had breached environmental laws by logging the habitat of threatened species. That will not change until we see rates of destruction go down, he said. Some forests on private land are publicly managed as conservation reserves. As the only developed country with a deforestation front, it's no surprise Australias mammal extinction rates are the highest in the world. On 11/02/22 the government officially listed the koala as Endangered in Queensland, NSW and the ACT. But these renowned forests, and unique species like the koala, are under enormous pressure from land clearing, logging and fire. One of the best parts of my job is working with experts in other organisations who share our passion for ending deforestation and transitioning to large-scale reforestation. However, the report says Forest fires are likely to increase due to longer and more extreme dry seasons as a result of climate change. Investing in health and disease prevention is the best cure, Identifying potential risks of COVID-19 and modern slavery in supply chain, How smart approaches to decarbonisation can generate alpha. National Forest Industries Plan:The Australian Governments National Forest Industries Plan. New drone footage has exposed shocking clearing of likely koala habitat in Far North Queensland, as our latest report, Whats at steak?, reveals more than one million hectares of forest was cleared for beef from 2014-2019. Australia has lost 27% of its rainforest, 19% of open forest, 11% of woodland forest, and 28% of mallee forest since 1750. 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. More than 100 nations including Australia this month signed up to stop or reverse deforestation by 2030. Could AI save the Amazon rainforest? 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. The NFPS provides the framework within which the governments work cooperatively to achieve their vision for sustainable management of Australia's forests, while ensuring that community expectations are met. Thanks! In 2015, WWFs Saving Forests at Risk analysis identified 11 global deforestation fronts including eastern Australia. 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. A new report by WWF has found Australia is one of the worlds hotspots for deforestation. This map shows the distribution of the Callitris native forest type across Australia: PNG [1.9 MB], PDF [0.5 MB]. "Deforestation in Australia took a marked downturn from 2004 to 2009. Learn more about these deforestation hotspots. The TCFD framework - What is it and how can it be applied to investment analysis? In addition to native forests, Australia's National Forest Inventory recognises two other categories of forest. All comments are moderated. 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, said WWF-Australia conservation scientist Dr Martin Taylor. These RFAs include their own environmental protections and because of this timber harvesting operations done in accordance with these agreements "are not subject to certain Commonwealth legislative requirements", according to the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). 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. Major retailers could, and as good corporate citizens should, chose to only buy deforestation-free beef. 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]. This map shows the location of Australia's Indigenous forest estate, by land ownership and management categories. Forests extend across Australia's northern tropical regions, and down the east coast through sub-tropical regions to temperate cool-season wet and coldwet zones in the south-east; they are also found in Mediterranean climate zones in the south-east and south-west. The analysis identifies 24 deforestation fronts worldwide where a total of 43 million hectares of forest was destroyed in the period from 2004 until 2017. That will not change until we see rates of destruction go down.. 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. Check out 10 facts about deforestation in Australia A new report from the World Wide Fund for Nature names eastern Australia among 24 global deforestation fronts - the only developed nation on the list. Our 1km wide strip of cleared land would stretch for a whopping 24,466 kilometres roughly all the way around Australia . *This report is part of a journalistic collaboration . With clearing on this scale, no wonder they were recently declared endangered in Queensland, NSW and the ACT. Australia spends billions planting trees - then wipes out carbon gains Australia is a world leader in chopping down trees and wiping out animals: two questionable accomplishments that are tightly connected. Under commercial forestry activities, trees are regrown after harvesting. Deforestation Fronts | WWF To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Historical clearing has caused local climates to increase by up to 2 degrees . Only when an area drops below that 20 per cent threshold is it registered as forest loss. This map shows the location of regions where forests are managed under a Regional Forest Agreement: PNG [0.8 MB], PDF [2.6 MB]. Learn more about deforestation in Queensland. 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. Was a mine as big as Adani's approved during the election campaign? 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. Forests are generally confined to regions where average rainfall exceeds 500 millimetres per year. Whats a tree worth? If we want to protect Australia's remarkable biodiversity, including its most iconic animals, we must protect habitat. 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). Deforestationthe reduction or complete removal of native forest and bushlandhas escalated over the recent years to reach globally significant levels. Globally, commercial agriculture and tree plantations were identified as the biggest drivers of deforestation. 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]. And the state leading this destructive charge is Queensland. 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. Although native forest logging has been responsible for clearing a small area by comparison, it has been a flashpoint in Tasmania for decades. Your feedback has been submitted. "As soon as the Newman Government came [into office in Queensland] and weakened the laws, in fact, in their own words they 'took the axe' to the vegetation laws, we saw a five-fold increase to just the mature forest being cleared in a five year period," he said. Of that cleared land, 370,900 hectares were forests over 30 years old. Bulldozing trees worsens climate changecarbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when the fallen trees are left to burn or rot. , Only 50% of Australia's forests and bushlands remain intact compared to pre-European arrival. This map shows the distribution of burnt forest in Australia by the number of times each hectare was burnt in the period 201112 to 201516: PNG [0.9 MB], PDF [2.1MB]. These include recognising Indigenous groups, creating voluntary certification for products built from sustainable sources and creating supply chains that don't rely on old-growth forests. This map shows the distribution of the Mangrove native forest type across Australia: PNG [1.8 MB], PDF [0.5 MB]. "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. Subscribe to our channel. , A 2019 analysis found that 73% of deforestation and land clearing in Queensland is linked to beef production. To stop extinction Australia needs to step up our efforts to protect critical forest habitats for Australian wildlife, particularly unburned low fire-risk refuges, and let those that have been cleared regenerate. In a statement to the ABC, a spokesperson for the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources said that is was "misleading to make simple comparisons" between the different reporting methods, and that the Department was confident its records are "complete and accurate". 93% of forests and bushland bulldozed were for livestock pasture development, of which 73% was for pastures on beef properties; 78% of all deforestation of endangered regional ecosystems was for pasture development on beef properties; Deforestation for beef accounted for 73% of deforestation of koala habitat, while 83% of brigalow belt clearing was for beef; Deforestation for beef pastures destroyed habitats for 388 nationally threatened species and 14 threatened ecological communities; 60% of the clearing was deforestation of either mature forests or high value regrowth forests (more than 15 years old). Thanks! Land clearing in Australia: How does your state (or territory) compare? Australia is facing a deforestation crisis, with an area equivalent to MCG being destroyed every 86 seconds. Australia's illegal logging prohibition laws So despite our reputation for untamed wilderness and charismatic wildlife, it's perhaps no surprise that Australia has one of the highest rates of animal extinction in the world. Australia is a global deforestation front, alongside Borneo, the Amazon and the Congo. Read the, Weighing ESG risks of nickel as a critical mineral: ISS ESG, Hybrid working can reduce carbon emissions by up to 90%, No role for monetary policy to address climate change, $500bn investment needed to decarbonise NEM, Turning PV waste into investment opportunity, 140 years to gender parity in finance: OMFIF, Government to fund sustainable finance taxonomy development, South Korea leads with ESG fund disclosure taskforce and anti-greenwash laws, Executive directors overwhelmingly male: AICD.
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