Queensland land-clearing figures show state remains ‘deforestation capital of Australia’, conservationists say

Increased destruction of remnant forests, which support endangered species, is the ‘most alarming’ revelation in Queensland land-clearing data, conservationists say. Photograph: Aston Brown/The Guardian

Forest and woodland across an area more than 1,000 times the size of the Sydney CBD was bulldozed in Queensland in 2022-23, newly published figures show, sparking warnings the state is escalating risks to endangered species and worsening climate change.

Almost half (44%) of the 332,015 hectares of clearing was in Great Barrier Reef catchment areas, causing nutrient and sediment flow that puts additional pressure on corals already bleaching due to climate change.