Tell QLD politicians you want strong deforestation laws

Queensland is a global deforestation hotspot and clears the most forest and bushland of any Australian state—in 2018, the state bulldozed about an area the size of the Gabba stadium every 3 minutes*. 

These deforestation rates are unsustainable and have a huge impact on our wildlife.  Habitat loss is the number one threat for many threatened species, including our iconic koalas. We’ve lost around half of Queensland’s koalas in the last 20 years.

With the Queensland election fast approaching, it’s crucial that decision makers know that people care deeply about saving our forest and bushland and the wildlife they support.

SIGN THE PLEDGE SUPPORTING STRONG DEFORESTATION LAWS

So, where do the major parties stand on these issues at the moment?

We put four key asks to each of the major parties requesting that they make commitments to stop deforestation and save koalas. The Queensland ALP and the Queensland Greens both responded to our letter. We have provided information about their responses below. The Queensland LNP have not yet replied to us, but we have gathered information on their stance from public sources. 

The four key overarching asks we posed to the parties were:

1. Strong laws that protect remnant and High Conservation Value regrowth forests and threatened species habitats from destruction.
2. Improved incentives for land restoration with positive biodiversity and carbon benefits.
3. Mapping and protecting koala habitat right across Queensland, not just in South East Queensland.
4. Continuing improvements in methods and technology to detect and publicly report on forest cover change, deforestation and enforcement of laws.

Queensland ALP stance, at the time of writing

1. Will ensure that the strong vegetation management laws passed in 2018 will remain in place.
2. Made no commitment to continue to roll out the remainder of the $500m Land Restoration Fund.
3. Made no commitment to map or protect koala habitat right across Queensland, but did flag that there is an opportunity for the koala habitat methodology used in South East Queensland to be refined at a regional scale.
4. Will publicly release the newly enhanced 2018-2019 deforestation dataset (SLATS) by 31 December 2021.

View a copy of their full written response.

Queensland LNP stance, at the time of writing 

1. Will commence a review of the deforestation laws in their first 30 days in government with a view to weakening the laws to make it easier to clear. The only protections to remain untouched will be riparian areas in reef catchments, covenants and offsets. Protections for old growth forest and bushland and mature regrowth, both of which are vitally important for maintaining healthy ecosystems, will be overhauled. 
2. Made no commitment to continue to roll out the remainder of the $500m Land Restoration Fund.
3. Made no commitment to map or protect koala habitat right across Queensland, but did flag that more could be done to help koalas in the Gold Coast area.
4. Made no commitment about detecting or publicly reporting on deforestation or on enforcing deforestation laws.

View the media release from the LNP; watch a recording of the online Environmental Town Hall Debate between the Environment Minister, the Shadow Environment Minister and the Greens MP; read a response to the Queensland Conservation Council’s asks (which included deforestation laws and koala habitat protections). 

Queensland Greens stance, at the time of writing 

1. Supports strong laws that protect remnant and High Conservation Value regrowth forests and threatened species habitats from destruction. Also flagged that loopholes in the deforestation laws must be tightened to properly protect native forests on the urban fringe, and that currently unregulated native forests (Category X) must be brought into the framework of the laws.
2. Supports improved incentives for land restoration with positive biodiversity and carbon benefits.
3. Supports mapping and protecting koala habitat right across Queensland, not just in South East Queensland.
4. Supports continuing improvements in methods and technology to detect and publicly report on forest cover change, deforestation and enforcement of laws.

A copy of their full written response can be viewed here. They provided additional comments to the Queensland Conservation Council which can be viewed here.

Minor party stances, at the time of writing

The Wilderness Society has not actively sought responses to our asks from the minor parties. However:

• The Katter Australia Party website states “Implemented by both major political parties, the current regime of vegetation management laws across Australia have caused and continue to cause enormous personal, social and economic hardship to both individuals and entire communities as a direct result of government’s failure to adhere to the principles of justice, forcing one minor sector of society to carry the entire burden of purported environmental conservation for the supported benefit of all.”
• Deforestation laws do not seem to be part of the One Nation Party’s Queensland election policy platform on their website. Pauline Hanson has stated on the One Nation Facebook page that “One Nation will abolish Labor's Vegetation Management Bill that continues to demonise and attack our farmers”. However, no further detail is available.

At the end of November, thanks to you, we’ll deliver thousands of pledges to the new government. This early delivery will help shape the agenda for the next four years. Together, we can make sure that protecting our forests and all that call them home is on that agenda.

Please take the pledge saying that you support strong deforestation laws and will consider deforestation when you cast your vote at the upcoming Queensland election.

* For a comprehensive guide to deforestation in Queensland, check out our supporting facts guide.