28 July 2025
Queensland’s newest land clearing report shows that while the rate of clearing has slowed slightly over the past five years, the scale of destruction remains staggering and continues to devastate wildlife habitat.
Clearing on a massive scale
The Queensland Government’s 2022–2023 Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) confirms that 332,015 hectares of woody vegetation were cleared in that single year. Put another way, that’s 0.35 per cent of all woody vegetation in Queensland lost in just twelve months.
At first glance, 0.35 per cent might seem minor. But Queensland began the period with 95,115,403 hectares of woody vegetation, making the impact significant with over 330,000 hectares cleared. That’s an area larger than the entire Australian Capital Territory (ACT), wiped out in just a year.
Habitats under threat
The report also records 84,649 hectares of new regrowth, equal to 25.5 per cent of the total clearing. However, most regrowth is sparse and young, under five metres tall. It simply doesn’t provide the tree hollows, dense canopy, or stable microclimates that species, such as gliders, owls, cockatoos, parrots, koalas and quolls need.
Of all the land cleared, 70,799 hectares (21.3 per cent) was identified as remnant regulated vegetation (Category B), which is the older, more intact ecosystems that form the backbone of Queensland’s biodiversity. Even more alarming, around 35,000 hectares (10.6 per cent of total clearing) of this was fully cleared, leaving no habitat behind.
Where it’s happening
The bulk of the destruction occurred in two key bioregions:
- Brigalow Belt – 49% of total clearing (~161,000 ha)
- Mulga Lands – 22% (~74,000 ha)
Together, these regions accounted for almost three-quarters of Queensland’s land clearing. Both are recognised as biodiversity hotspots, harbouring endangered species such as the greater glider (Petauroides volans ), koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), and the bridled nailtail wallaby (Onychogalea fraenata).
Even more concerning, nearly 44 per cent of all clearing occurred in Great Barrier Reef catchments, where the removal of vegetation increases sediment and nutrient runoff into waterways, jeopardising reef health.
What’s driving it
The report shows that pasture expansion for grazing was the single biggest driver, responsible for 86 per cent of clearing. Forestry contributed six per cent, mining two per cent, and infrastructure and cropping less than one per cent each. This ongoing conversion of forests to grasslands directly pits agricultural land use against the survival of Queensland’s native species.
What it means for Queensland’s wildlife
- Habitat loss: Species that depend on older, intact forests, such as greater gliders (Petauroides volans) and glossy black-cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus lathami), are losing the very trees they need to survive.
- Fragmentation: Clearing disrupts corridors that allow animals to move safely across the landscape, isolating populations and reducing genetic diversity.
- Reef impacts: Sediment from cleared catchments can smother corals, reduce water quality, and weaken already stressed ecosystems.
A recent peer-reviewed study confirms these threats. Thomas et al. (2024) found that widespread exemptions and weak compliance in northern Australia, including Queensland, continue to drive unsustainable levels of deforestation, undermining laws designed to protect biodiversity.
What happens now?
The SLATS report only covers the period between August 2022 and August 2023. It leaves us with an urgent question: If this much was cleared then, what is happening now?
Dr John Tracey, CEO of Wildlife Queensland, said:
“The good news is that Queenslanders can turn this around. If we act now, by protecting remnant forests, restoring degraded land, addressing fragmentation and strengthening laws, we can safeguard the habitats our unique wildlife relies on. It’s not too late, but every year we delay makes the task harder.”
What you can do
Although Queensland has slowed its rate of clearing, it is still losing habitat at a rate far too high for wildlife to survive in the long term. Regrowth is not enough.
- Contact the Queensland Minister for the Environment and Tourism and Minister for Science and Innovation, the Hon. Andrew Powell MP and your local MP to call for stronger action on land clearing.
- Become a Wildlife Protector. Donating regularly allows Wildlife Queensland to plan and allocate resources to campaigns and projects, now and into the future.
- Subscribe to our eBulletin Talking Wildlife to learn more about your local wildlife, plus Wildlife Queensland’s latest news and offers.
Further reading
- Queensland Government (2024). Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) Report 2022–23. Available at: https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/management/mapping/statewide-monitoring/slats/slats-reports/2022-23-slats-report