Australia's destruction of bushland continues. Every year tens of thousands of hectares of Australian bushland are bulldozed, chained or poisoned to 'improve' land for forestry and agriculture. This is particularly the case in NT, Tasmania and parts of NSW. Clearing is a significant threat to wildlife and source of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Land Clearing in Queensland
- Impacts of Land Clearing
- Choosing a future for Victoria's forests
Huge bulldozers using chains to drag down swathes of native bushland were a common sight in western Queensland for many years - but thanks to pressure from the community the State Government has acted to phase out broadscale land clearing by December 2006.
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The disastrous impacts of Land Clearing have been well documented. Land clearing directly kills millions of birds and animals leading to the extinction of species, it is the biggest cause of salinity ruining farmlands and farmers' livelihoods and it causes a significant amount of Australia's greenhouse gases. Land clearing is destroying our wildlife, rivers and farmland...
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The Wilderness Society along with other members of the Victorian Forest Alliance have just released a plan for Victoria's forests that spells a brighter future for our wildlife, air and water, while also offering a comprehensive transition strategy for the logging industry.
more »Land Clearing Updates
- The myth of Northern Australia becoming the “food bowl of Asia” has been dealt a crushing blow - February 23, 2010
- Historic trial: farmer fined $408,000 for illegal landclearing - March 01, 2009
- Garnaut shows native forests part of climate solution - February 12, 2010
In early February 2010, the Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce released a scientific report produced by the CSIRO that examined the future of development in Northern Australia. The report emphasized that massive irrigated development would face substantial natural constraints and severely impact on the region’s fragile ecosystems.
Thanks to the efforts of The Wilderness Society in investigating and publicising illegal landclearing and urging the authorities to act, the landowner behind the Gwydir wetland clearing was prosecuted and this month, the Land and Environment Court of NSW imposed a fine of $408,000 on two counts of breaching the NSW Native Vegetation Act. This is one of the first successful prosecutions under the 2003 legislation and the largest fine imposed to date.
The final report from Professor Garnaut’s Climate Change Review says that Australia’s greenhouse emissions can be reduced significantly if logging of native forests and land clearing are stopped immediately.
Land Clearing Media Releases
- Myth of Northern 'food bowl' finally put to rest - February 08, 2010
- High hopes for forests may be shattered in Copenhagen - December 09, 2009
- Tiwi Logging Inquiry Fails to Flush out Finances - October 29, 2009
The Wilderness Society and Environs Kimberley today welcomed key elements of the new policy blueprint for future development in Northern Australia released by the Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce.
REDD Text Needs Major Revisions to Produce Workable Treaty. Copenhagen – Talk that an agreement to address deforestation will be the silver lining at Copenhagen hangs under a cloud as climate change negotiations open today.
Tiwi logging inquiry has not investigated the propriety of complex financial arrangements surrounding the clearing of 30,000 hectares of valuable native forest, despite being specifically required to do so.
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