More than 43 million hectares were lost in these fronts between 2004 and 2017, an area roughly the size of Morocco or six times the size of Tasmania. "It's ridiculous to say there is more forest [now than 10 years ago]," he said. , To date, 55 wildlife species and 37 plant species have gone extinct in Australia., Habitat loss is the biggest threat to koalas in Queensland and New South Wales. 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. Here we are, a developed country, chipping away, whereas every other developed country in the world has stopped doing that, Taylor said. In 2015, WWFs Saving Forests at Risk analysis identified 11 global deforestation fronts including eastern Australia. But these renowned forests, and unique species like the koala, are under enormous pressure from land clearing, logging and fire. The classes can be grouped on the basis of ownership as public or private, with a small area of unresolved tenure. 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. The Queensland government tightened land-clearing rules in 2018 but Taylor said there was not enough data available yet to determine the effect of those changes. Ecuador was originally largely forested, but . Sadly, these forests are under threat. 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. The NGA data also fails to pick up forest thinning, according to Dr Taylor. Australia is the only nation in the developed world to make the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) global list of deforestation hotspots. The beef industry must show leadership and urgently change its practices to stop selling beef linked to deforestation. About 2,000 years ago, 80 percent of Western Europe was forested; today the figure is 34 percent. This map shows the distribution of the Melaleuca native forest type across Australia: PNG [2.0 MB], PDF [0.5 MB]. Through these regions, forests grow on soils that vary from ancient, fragile and infertile soils, to recent, fertile soils of volcanic origin. The report says the comprehensive failure of the federal government to crack down on illegal clearing has limited the effectiveness of Australian environmental laws in protecting some habitats. Thanks! The related common names do not have capitalised initial letters (e.g. The once abundant koala is rapidly vanishing from New South Wales and Queensland. "There is no underestimate of areas or emissions reported in the National Greenhouse Accounts," the spokesperson said. 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. ESG & greenwashing: how did the investment industry end up here? Eastern Australia is now a recognised global deforestation hotspot, alongside places including the Amazon, the Congo and Borneo. 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. From a relative high point of 14,500 hectares cleared in a year back in 2008, only 5,300 hectares were cleared in 2018, according to NGA data. 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. That will not change until we see rates of destruction go down.. Let's look to a green recovery that's built on conservation, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture.". 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]. 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. This map shows the distribution of forests in northern Australia, by forest subtype: PNG [1.7 MB], PDF [1.0 MB]. The data for the 2018-19 reporting periods, particularly from Queensland and New South Wales, will determine whether that has changed. , Australia has lost 27% of its rainforest, 19% of open forest, 11% of woodland forest, and 28% of mallee forest since 1750., Australia holds the record for the highest number of mammal extinctions globally. 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. "This streamlines regulatory processes for the timber industry," according to the Department. The following maps of forests in northern Australia were prepared in 2019 by ABARES for an analysis by the CRC for Developing Northern Australia. In 2010, Australia had 38.0Mha of natural forest, extending over 5.1% of its land area. Australia is a world leader in chopping down trees and wiping out animals: two questionable accomplishments that are tightly connected. Despite Queensland restoring some restrictions in 2018, eastern Australia remains a deforestation front. Today, bare land is worth more than the intact ecosystems that support our lives. But in 2012, a peace deal was struck between loggers and protestors. Maps of Australia's forests are available on the Forest maps page. 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. 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. 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. 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. Subscribe to gain unlimited access to news, research and analysis of ESG factors for ASX listed companies and investors. 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]. 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First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Dr Taylor said his Pervasive Inaction report exposed poor enforcement of the national environment law, revealing that almost 250,000 hectares of threatened species habitat were destroyed between 2016 and 2018 in Queensland, with no evidence of any referral and approval under the EPBC Act. The pact put the spotlight on an issue that combines carbon emissions and threatened species. Over Christmas 2022, it tried to sneak out its land clearing data, the Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS), for 2019-2020. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. 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. Under commercial forestry activities, trees are regrown after harvesting. This map shows the extent and distribution of Australia's forests by tenure: PNG [0.9 MB], PDF [3.6 MB]. State and territory governments have primary responsibility for forest management. 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. Also like Tasmania, native forest logging in Tasmania has been a hotly contested issue. RFAs are 20-year plans for the conservation and sustainable management of Australias native forests. A DES spokesperson told the ABC that "SLATs applies a highly rigorous methodology". "Eighty-five per cent of it is just for beef cattle pasture or for sheep pasture," Dr Taylor said. On 12 September 2017, Australian, state and territory forestry ministers issued a joint ministerial statement of support for the forestry industry. Mangroves on the move. Deforestationthe reduction or complete removal of native forest and bushlandhas escalated over the recent years to reach globally significant levels. The Deforestation Fronts report offers an in-depth analysis of 24 'deforestation fronts' around the globe, from Latin America to Africa and Asia. An MCG-sized area of forest and bush is bulldozed every 86 seconds in Australia. This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. But currently, none of the big supermarkets and fast food chains can guarantee that the beef they source and sell is free of deforestation. This map shows the distribution of the Callitris native forest type across Australia: PNG [1.9 MB], PDF [0.5 MB]. Rounding out the bottom of the top, as it were, are Ecuador, Liberia, and Haiti, all of which have witnessed 22% declines in forest cover since 1990. Everything you need to know about the deforestation crisis taking place across Australia. More than 40 per cent of the country's forests and woodlands are estimated to have been cleared since European colonisation. Its primarily driven by agriculture (mostly for beef production), mining and urban development. Of all its deforestation alerts, 85% have been within 4km of the predicted location. "Deforestation in Australia took a marked downturn from 2004 to 2009. Text available under Creative Commons license. While the majority of landholders are eager to embrace new ways to look after their land, scattered rogue operators are holding us back. It expands on a 2015 report by WWF which named 11 hotspots, with eastern Australia also appearing on that list. If this happened, the whole industry would need to clean up its act. Communities need a real voice in environmental decision-making to have an effective say on the future of NSW 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. This map shows the distribution of burnt forest in areas of northern and southern Australia, by the number of times each hectare was burnt in the period 201112 to 201516: PNG [1.3 MB], PDF [1.3MB]. Our 1km wide strip of cleared land would stretch for a whopping 24,466 kilometres roughly all the way around Australia . This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Australia's most-read trade publication for wealth management professionals. Our analysis of the Queensland government's own land clearing data for 2018-19 reveals that approximately 92,718 ha of likely or known koala habitat was destroyed across Queensland in one year alone between 2018 and 2019. The inaccuracies and lack of context in this article as originally published unduly focused on the role of native forestry in land-clearing. 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. This map shows the location of Australia's Indigenous forest estate, by land ownership and management categories. Agriculture was the biggest driver of land clearing in Tasmania. Bulldozers drag thick chains through the landscape, snapping trees like matchsticks. But how much land are we clearing? To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. In New South Wales, 99% of koala habitat on private land is not protected from clearing. That will not happen until state safeguards axed in the past decade are restored and until the national environment law starts to be fully enforced, he said. Like Tasmania, native forest logging in Victoria has been responsible for clearing a relatively small area compared to agriculture. The following map was prepared and published by ABARES: This map provides a detailed snapshot of the forestry industry, including the location of major wood processing facilities, native forest tenure, hardwood and softwood plantations, as well as roads and forestry ports: PDF [12.1 MB] and higher resolution version PDF [36.6 MB]. Using satellite imagery of forest cover and deforestation events across Australia . And the state leading this destructive charge is Queensland. Logging is considered a threat to species such as the critically endangered Leadbeater's possum and vulnerable greater glider. There is no official data on how widespread this may be, however Dr Taylor said he had found numerous instances by trawling through satellite imagery several of which he showed to the ABC. View an interactive version of this map in ArcGIS Online map viewer. Acacia forest). It can't be done, forestry industry says. But critics say RFAs allow logging operations to bypass federal environment laws and often result in the habitat of threatened species being cleared without any environmental impact assessment. A new report by WWF has found Australia is one of the worlds hotspots for deforestation. Almost two-thirds of NSW native forests burned during the Black Summer Bushfires, devastating huge swathes of threatened species 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] and associated budget measures to identify economic and social opportunities and benefits in regions with existing concentrations of wood supply resources, processing and/or manufacturing operations, established transport links, and strong potential for growth. Deforestation and tree-clearing is the major cause of habitat loss for many threatened and endangered species. In the 60s and 70s, agriculturalists in Queenslands Brigalow Belt were actually fined for letting their land regenerate. The report says cattle ranching (the destruction of trees to create pasture for cattle) was by far the most significant driver of forest loss or degradation in eastern Australia. Additional references: State of the Environment report 2021, We recognise First Nations as the custodians of land and water across Australia and pay our respects to Elders past and present. Your information is being handled in accordance with the. Australia remains one of the worlds hotspots for deforestation according to a new report by WWF, which finds an area six times the size of Tasmania has been cleared globally since 2004. Leasehold forest is forest on Crown land (land that belongs to a national, state or territory government) that is typically privately managed. 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. Australia has a total of 134 million hectares of forest, which is equivalent to 17% of Australia's land area. This wood isnt used for anythingits burned or left to rot. 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! , A 2019 analysis found that 73% of deforestation and land clearing in Queensland is linked to beef production. 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. An important secondary cause was logging, which the report says remains significant in some places in eastern Australia. We can't protect nature and wildlife, safeguard human . Operation Artemis: Colombia's failed military operation to stop deforestation. The total area of land cleared in Queensland was 2,446,600 hectares. The forests of Australia are diverse and highly valued, and are among the country's most important natural resources. Publicly owned forests include nature conservation reserve, multiple-use public forest and other Crown land. Over 43 million hectares, an area roughly the size of Morocco, was lost in these 'deforestation fronts' between 2004 and 2017. Queensland has contributed half of Australia's deforestation since the '70s, primarily to make way for cattle ranching. Subscribe to our channel. It means just 50% of Australias forest and bushland remainsmuch of it degraded. To satisfy investors, boards need to take succession planning more seriously. Even iconic native species, like the koala and the greater glider, are on the road to extinction.In the last 20 years, Queenslands koala population has declined by almost 50%. WWF-Australia 2018, All rights reserved. We enhance our agricultural industries and trade, and manage the threat of biosecurity risks to Australia. 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). Note: The names of the national native forest types have capitalised initial letters (e.g. On 11/02/22 the government officially listed the koala as Endangered in Queensland, NSW and the ACT. The 24 fronts identified in the report are: 10 West Africa Liberia/Ivory Coast/Ghana, 12 Central Africa Gabon/Cameroon/Republic of Congo. 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). 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 . '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. 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. 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. The extent of northern Australia in this analysis includes Western Australia and Queensland north of the Tropic of Capricorn and the entire Northern Territory. But most of the deforestation is hidden from view.". Using a newly developed satellite data classification technique, researchers from Geoscience Australia's Digital Earth Australia (DEA) program have created a series of maps that show how mangrove locations have shifted year-to-year in response to storm events and a changing climate. The NGA method is based on satellite imagery where 20 per cent canopy cover or greater is classified as forest. First, let's look at the numbers state-by-state from lowest to highest. And a bad one. , Carbon emissions released by land clearing across Australia are equivalent to about a third of the total emissions released by all of the coal-fired power stations in the country. Combined with hotter summer extremes this has resulted in the collapse of some species including around 16,000 hectares of northern jarrah forest. Only when an area drops below that 20 per cent threshold is it registered as forest loss. . 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. Thats the misunderstanding driving our countrys deforestation crisis. Land clearing in Australia: How does your state (or territory) compare? Taylor said the analysis focused on so-called hotspot parts of the eastern states where land-clearing rates were highest. In addition to native forests, Australia's National Forest Inventory recognises two other categories of forest. The WWF report lists a variety of ways in which governments around the world have tried to limit deforestation. The main driver of clearing in New South Wales is agriculture. This map shows the distribution of the Rainforest native forest type across Australia: PNG [2.0 MB], PDF [0.5 MB]. Acacia).. 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 [1.0 MB], PDF [2.1MB]. Australian mangroves are dispersed . Regional Forestry Hubs boundaries (2022)is the spatial dataset of the boundaries for theRegional Forestry Hubs. State and territory governments have primary responsibility for forest management.
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