New data on bulldozing bushland in Queensland reveals a shameful increase in destruction of the state's most valuable forest and woodland.
While overall clearing was down 7% from the previous year, the destruction of remnant forest and woodland has increased.
The Australian Conservation Foundation has called out beef production as the main culprit for nature destruction in the state. The data shows deforestation in Queensland is the equivalent of six Brisbane CBDs every day.
The figures show:
- in 2022, in Queensland, 323,676 hectares was cleared (that's the equivalent of 2,352 Brisbane CBDS, or 6.4 a day).
- 88% of this clearing was for pasture (sheep and cattle), 5% for forestry, 2% for mining and less than 1% each for infrastructure and housing
- 65,776 hectares was remnant vegetation (this is a 22% increase on last year)
- the bush is being bulldozed 10x faster than new forests can even start to regrow
- 44% of the clearing was in the Great Barrier Reef catchment
Nathaniel Pelle, Business and Nature Lead at the Australian Conservation Foundation, said: "The latest deforestation numbers out of Queensland make it abundantly clear that bulldozing native forests is keeping Australia at the top of the list of global deforestation hotspots. No other developed country is demolishing forests at the rate that we are.
"While most have stopped, the beef producers who are still bulldozing massive swathes of forest and woodland remain the biggest culprits for deforestation in Australia - they are the reason Australia leads the OECD in forest destruction.
"Most graziers are doing the right thing, but the entire industry is tarnished by the minority of operators responsible for this large-scale destruction. This is surely creating a risk for those graziers who have worked hard to improve their sustainability.
"The fact remains that beef is the biggest driver of deforestation in Australia, overwhelmingly it's in Queensland, but New South Wales and increasingly the Northern Territory, have a major problem too.
"Most Australians, when they pick up a packet of mince from Coles or Woolworths, don't want their purchase to be contributing to the destruction of koalas' homes. Unfortunately, this data says they very likely are.
"Coles and Woolies should commit to only selling us beef that is deforestation-free, just as responsible supermarkets and food brands in the UK and Europe have done.
"It is not possible to end extinction or achieve net zero without halting deforestation."
