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Queensland landholders are planning to clear nearly
70,000 hectares of bush in Great Barrier Reef catchments, according to a
conservation group.
WWF Australia said public state government
records between July and November showed landholders statewide had
declared their intention to clear 165,270 hectares of bush, with 68,479
of those hectares in reef catchments.The figures emerge as the State Government prepares to meet with UNESCO early next year to discuss the impact its failure to pass tighter tree-clearing laws will have on the reef.
Martin Taylor from WWF said there was nothing to stop the clearing going ahead.
"Occasionally you'll see an audit of the clearing that's done," he said.
"But the most shocking amount of clearing is still being waved through, with the State Government saying they're constrained by the codes they inherited from the Newman government."
UNESCO must know, says WWF
Dr Taylor said the problem with clearing in reef catchments was twofold."Once you remove the trees, it exposes soil to erosion that can wash onto the coral and seagrass on the reef," he said.
"But also the emissions enter the atmosphere and contribute to global warming."
He said the Palaszczuk Government must make the tree-clearing figures available to UNESCO as the body considers whether to list the Great Barrier Reef as "in danger".
"If the State Government doesn't we will. UNESCO has to know about this," he said.Environment Minister Steven Miles said the State Government had not given up on tightening tree-clearing laws.
"We need stronger tree-clearing laws to protect our precious Great Barrier Reef and we will continue to make that clear to UNESCO," he said.
"I am confident UNESCO will take into account the great progress made towards protecting the Great Barrier Reef through the implementation of the Reef 2050 Plan and give us more time to crack down on tree clearing."
A spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources said any clearing was monitored through the department's early detection system.
He said appropriate action was taken for any unlawful clearing.
The spokesman said the Federal environment department could also assess clearing in Great Barrier Reef catchments under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
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