ACF says satellite evidence shows mass native habitat destruction by farmers
Investigations are under way into a report by a leading conservation group that farmers have illegally cleared thousands of hectares of native bushland across Australia in a few years.
The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) used satellite images and on-the-ground volunteers to document what it says are 90,000 hectares, or 900 square kilometres, of lost bush on 176 properties in NSW, QLD, WA and NT.
It says all the sites contained threatened species habitat and the land cleared between 2020 and 2025 equalled an area the size of about 320 Sydney CBDs.
ACF business and nature lead, Nathaniel Pelle, said beef production was the primary culprit.
"Among these 90,000 hectares that we've identified, the majority of it is identifiable as cattle properties," he said.
"It's all pretty mature bush that is being cleared here … some of it might be 20-year-old regrowth and that's still valuable habitat for species."
Retired IT professional Ruth Hughes took part in the project as a citizen scientist comparing before-and-after satellite images.
"ACF has set it up and we get these shots of high-value nature areas," Ms Hughes said.
Land clearing likely to impact threatened species must receive federal approval through the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act).
ACF claimed none of the land clearing it documented had EPBC approval.
Mr Pelle said federal and state governments had to do more to protect Australia from further deforestation.
"Unfortunately, federal and state authorities are not properly monitoring or protecting habitat across the country," he said.
"It is extremely important that we don't allow environmental degradation to continue.
The ACF said the majority of the land clearing was in NSW and Queensland.
State and territory governments are the main bodies responsible for enforcing land management and policing land clearing.
The NSW government confirmed it received material from the ACF and has launched an investigation.
"The department has received and is investigating allegations referred by the ACF," said a Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water spokesperson.
"We are unable to comment on cases currently under investigation, as it could impact future legal processes."
Queensland's Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing, and Regional and Rural Development said it investigated all land clearing allegations, "including from ACF".
The National Farmers Federation (NFF) hit back at the report.
President David Jochinke said the report was full of holes, anti-agriculture and gave no credence to the hard work farmers undertook to preserve biodiversity and habitats.
"You tell me how much of that 90,000 hectares is woody weed management … how much of that 90,000 hectares were legitimately cleared with offsets?" Mr Jochinke told the NSW Country Hour.
"This so-called report is just an attack on agriculture, without even any context or knowledge of both what land stewardship is and how agriculture looks after over half of Australia's natural environment.
Mr Jochinke said the NFF opposed illegal land clearing "but we know the majority of farmers do the right thing … and actually offset a lot of their land management".
He said the majority of farmers worked with Landcare and other organisations to plant trees and regenerate farmland.
"We understand we've got to look after nature because it absolutely helps our production systems," he said.
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