Australia’s forests and woodlands are among the most biologically diverse in the world. They shelter thousands of plant and animal species, regulate water cycles, store vast quantities of carbon, and provide livelihoods for rural communities. They are also being cleared at rates that place Australia among the world’s deforestation hotspots.
🌲 Australia clears approximately 400,000 hectares of native vegetation every year — one of the highest rates in the developed world.
The Scale of Clearing
Queensland and New South Wales bear the brunt of land clearing, primarily driven by agriculture — both livestock grazing and cropping. While Queensland introduced strong tree clearing controls in the 2000s, these were significantly weakened in the 2010s before being partially restored. The regulatory landscape varies significantly between states and territories.
Impacts of Forest Loss
Biodiversity
Habitat fragmentation is a key driver of species decline. When forest is cleared, the remaining patches become islands — too small and isolated to support viable populations of many species. Edge effects (changes in temperature, wind, and predator access at forest boundaries) reduce the effective area of remaining forest further.
Carbon Storage
Australian forests store approximately 19 billion tonnes of carbon. When cleared, this carbon is released to the atmosphere. Australia’s land clearing emissions are a significant and often under-reported component of the country’s overall greenhouse gas footprint.
Water Regulation
Trees regulate water cycles. In cleared catchments, runoff increases, leading to flooding and erosion. Deep-rooted native vegetation also prevents dryland salinity — a major land degradation problem in southern Australia caused by rising water tables after clearing.
Restoration Efforts
Australia has committed to planting one billion trees by 2030 under the Trillion Trees pledge. Landcare Australia coordinates thousands of local revegetation groups. Indigenous land management programs integrate traditional ecological knowledge into landscape-scale restoration.
How to Help
- Join a local Landcare group: landcareaustralia.org.au
- Support the National Farmers’ Federation‘s sustainable agriculture programs
- Choose certified sustainably produced timber products (look for FSC certification)
- Advocate for strong native vegetation protection laws in your state