Extract from The Guardian
Queensland’s relaxed land-clearing laws have allowed 84,000ha of habitat to be destroyed and must be rolled back, say WWF and Australian Koala Foundation
A relaxation in Queensland’s tree clearing laws led to the destruction of 84,000 hectares of critical koala habitat in the two years after the national icon was listed as vulnerable, according to new mapping by conservationists.
That koala habitat made up about 14% of all land cleared between mid-2013 and mid-2015 was an alarming revelation, WWF and the Australian Koala Foundation said.
Deborah Tabert, the chief executive of AKF, said the loss of that much habitat was “shocking given the recent statement that koalas are functionally extinct in various parts of Queensland”.Tabart asked how this could have been allowed when the koala was listed as vulnerable by the commonwealth in 2012.
“Why wasn’t this land clearing referred to the federal government instead of a rubber stamp here in Queensland?” she said. “The AKF stands ready to give any member of parliament a briefing on the plight of koalas.”
WWF scientist Martin Taylor said: “If we want to save koalas in Queensland then we have to stop the bulldozers destroying their habitat – it’s that simple.”
A Queensland government bill to restore clearing controls unwound by the former Liberal National government was due for debate in parliament on Wednesday.
The government argues land clearing reforms to stop runoff to the Great Barrier reef were a key plank of its lobbying of Unesco to keep the natural wonder off its “in danger” list last year.
The proposed reforms have provoked staunch opposition from the rural lobby AgForce. The Liberal National party and two Katter party crossbenchers will oppose it when the vote is expected to take place late on Thursday.
The independent parliamentary speaker, Peter Wellington, who could cast the deciding vote if fellow crossbencher Billy Gordon backs the bill, was due to meet Greenpeace representatives before the session began to accept a petition of almost 24,000 Queenslanders in favour of restoring controls.
An estimated 200 protesters earlier rallied outside parliament in favour of the laws.
The Queensland law society has condemned an aspect of the bill that reverses the onus of proof for landholders who must prove they did not unlawfully clear land. The Palaszczuk government has compared this situation to speeding tickets.
Last week the commonwealth environment department launched a landmark intervention to halt clearing on a north Queensland property to assess impacts under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The department expressed concern about possible impacts on the reef.
Queensland senator Ian MacDonald raised concerns about Canberra intervening in permits already granted by the state government.
The mapping of koala habitat clearing – the product of joint work by WWF and AKF cross-referencing state government land cover surveys with AKF’s highly-regarded koala population maps – shows 91% of clearing was for cattle pasture.
The rate of loss increased from 37,000 hectares in 2013-14 to 47,000ha in 2014-15.
The single largest amount of clearing took place in the old National party heartland of Maranoa shire in western Queensland.
At 11,656 hectares, it was nearly double the rate in the next highest local government area, Murweh shire in south central Queensland (6,647ha).
There was also significant clearing of koala habitat in Balonne shire (6,425ha), Blackall Tambo shire (5,595ha) and Isaac shire (5,080ha).
All are rural areas and, with the exception of Isaac, lie west of the Great Dividing Range.
Clearing in Queensland has more than tripled from about 78,000 hectares in 2009-10 to about 296,000 hectares in 2014-15.
That koala habitat made up about 14% of all land cleared between mid-2013 and mid-2015 was an alarming revelation, WWF and the Australian Koala Foundation said.
Deborah Tabert, the chief executive of AKF, said the loss of that much habitat was “shocking given the recent statement that koalas are functionally extinct in various parts of Queensland”.Tabart asked how this could have been allowed when the koala was listed as vulnerable by the commonwealth in 2012.
“Why wasn’t this land clearing referred to the federal government instead of a rubber stamp here in Queensland?” she said. “The AKF stands ready to give any member of parliament a briefing on the plight of koalas.”
WWF scientist Martin Taylor said: “If we want to save koalas in Queensland then we have to stop the bulldozers destroying their habitat – it’s that simple.”
A Queensland government bill to restore clearing controls unwound by the former Liberal National government was due for debate in parliament on Wednesday.
The government argues land clearing reforms to stop runoff to the Great Barrier reef were a key plank of its lobbying of Unesco to keep the natural wonder off its “in danger” list last year.
The proposed reforms have provoked staunch opposition from the rural lobby AgForce. The Liberal National party and two Katter party crossbenchers will oppose it when the vote is expected to take place late on Thursday.
The independent parliamentary speaker, Peter Wellington, who could cast the deciding vote if fellow crossbencher Billy Gordon backs the bill, was due to meet Greenpeace representatives before the session began to accept a petition of almost 24,000 Queenslanders in favour of restoring controls.
An estimated 200 protesters earlier rallied outside parliament in favour of the laws.
The Queensland law society has condemned an aspect of the bill that reverses the onus of proof for landholders who must prove they did not unlawfully clear land. The Palaszczuk government has compared this situation to speeding tickets.
Last week the commonwealth environment department launched a landmark intervention to halt clearing on a north Queensland property to assess impacts under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The department expressed concern about possible impacts on the reef.
Queensland senator Ian MacDonald raised concerns about Canberra intervening in permits already granted by the state government.
The mapping of koala habitat clearing – the product of joint work by WWF and AKF cross-referencing state government land cover surveys with AKF’s highly-regarded koala population maps – shows 91% of clearing was for cattle pasture.
The rate of loss increased from 37,000 hectares in 2013-14 to 47,000ha in 2014-15.
The single largest amount of clearing took place in the old National party heartland of Maranoa shire in western Queensland.
At 11,656 hectares, it was nearly double the rate in the next highest local government area, Murweh shire in south central Queensland (6,647ha).
There was also significant clearing of koala habitat in Balonne shire (6,425ha), Blackall Tambo shire (5,595ha) and Isaac shire (5,080ha).
All are rural areas and, with the exception of Isaac, lie west of the Great Dividing Range.
Clearing in Queensland has more than tripled from about 78,000 hectares in 2009-10 to about 296,000 hectares in 2014-15.
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