New Queensland government data reveals disastrous deforestation continues to soar

Queensland’s latest deforestation and land clearing figures reveal a continuing environmental and extinction crisis unfolding across the state. This rampant deforestation is a threat to iconic species like koalas, red goshawks and greater gliders, smothering the Great Barrier Reef with chemical and sediment pollution and contributing to climate change.

The 2022-23 Queensland Government’s Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) figures, released quietly this week without public notification, reveal:

• Overall, Queensland’s bulldozed habitat (332,015 hectares) equalled more than ten times the forest area palm oil companies destroyed in Indonesia in the same year; 
• The vast majority of the deforestation and land clearing in Queensland was to make way for pasture (86%) and occurred in functioning forest ecosystems estimated to be greater than 15 years old (67%);
• Older forests were on the chopping block (with regenerating and mature forests bulldozed 30% more than the previous year)
• Bulldozing in endangered regional ecosystems soared compared to the previous year (up a staggering 21%);
• A significant portion of all clearing occurred in Great Barrier Reef catchment (44%), threatening this heavily at-risk, globally significant, ecosystem.

Wilderness Society analysis shows that year on year, the number one driver of deforestation in Queensland is for the expansion of beef pastures.

Hannah Schuch, Queensland Campaigns Manager at the Wilderness Society said, “The data is clear. Queensland is the epicentre of Australia’s deforestation crisis, and conversion to pasture–including for beef–is the number one driver of the destruction. These aren’t just stats. Bulldozing forests and bushlands across the sunshine state kills species like the koala, red goshawk and greater glider, smothers the Great Barrier Reef with chemical and sediment pollution and worsens climate change.

“Forests and bushland in Queensland are quite literally the lungs of our state yet government and corporate inaction continues to deal them this destructive hand.
Responsibility rests on the shoulders of companies including Coles and Woolies and the Albanese and Crisafulli governments to be leaders in forest protection rather than destruction, before there’s no forests left.”

This data comes amid mounting pressure on Coles and Woolworths to guarantee deforestation-free beef supply chains, and ahead of expected reforms to Australia’s national environment laws. Both supermarkets are under scrutiny for failing to implement strong commitments to eliminate forest and nature destruction, despite public pledges and investor concern.

“Aussie families don’t expect to be eating beef that could be from bulldozed koala habitat. Yet without strong federal laws, an accountable regulator and robust implementation of genuine corporate deforestation-free commitments, that’s what could be on the shelves,” continued Schuch.

“Extinction is not an option. The Albanese government and Environment Minister Murray Watt must do their job to end deforestation and protect Aussie wildlife. Likewise, Queenslanders expect the Crisafulli government to protect forests and bushland and the species that call them home. This is a crucial test for the Crisafulli government, who has been tasked with enforcing Queensland's land clearing law – the Vegetation Management Act.” 

Australia has signed onto the Glasgow commitment to end deforestation by 2030 while UNESCO has warned Australia has six months to avoid endangered listing for the Great Barrier Reef. 

The Wilderness Society is calling for:

• Coles, Woolworths and companies in the beef supply chain to eliminate the conversion of natural ecosystems – including deforestation – from their supply chains;
• The Queensland Government to boost the enforcement Queensland’s land clearing laws – the Vegetation Management Act 1999 and release up-to-date Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) figures annually; 
• The Albanese Government to 
  • Reform the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, including: stronger protections for critical habitat and amendments to stop continued deforestation.
  • Urgently improve federal environmental compliance and enforcement with more funding, updated policies and a clear prioritisation of cracking down on illegal deforestation. 
  • Support a National Deforestation Monitoring Program and Early-Detection System and a mandatory traceability system for agricultural products to ensure they can be traced from ‘farm-to-fork’, to enable companies to verify that their products are not connected to deforestation.
  • Require public disclosure of nature-related impacts, risks and opportunities by large companies and financial institutions.

Contact: Hannah Schuch, Queensland Campaigns Manager for the Wilderness Society on [email protected] or 0434 796 566

For more up-to-date statistics on the impact of beef production on threatened species’ habitat, check out the Wilderness Society’s latest report (May 2025), The drivers of deforestation and land clearing in Queensland.