While Queensland, Australia Government Dithers, Land Clearing Soars
11/22/99
OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY
Here is an update on the shameful acceleration of land clearance
occurring in Northern Australia. Queensland's record on land
clearing is the worst in the Western world, with 340,000 hectares a
year being cleared between 1995 and 1997. In anticipation of
legislation to curb habitat conversion, the rate this year is
estimated between 400,000 and 500,000 hectares. The result has been
rising soil salinity, erosion and the extinction of animal species.
It is the opinion of many that Australia has zero credibility in
condemning any other country for forest loss. However correct their
concerns may be, they need to get their own house in order (like most
of the over-industrialized countries).
g.b.
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Land law 'too late' to stop clearing
Source: The Australian
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: November 22, 1999
Byline: LEISA SCOTT
CONSERVATIONISTS yesterday urged Queensland Premier Peter Beattie to
dispense with his bid to get consensus on land clearing laws and act
decisively to stop the destruction of an estimated 1000ha of land
each day.
Green groups have been pushing for legislation to control land
clearing to be passed and in force by the end of the year, but Mr
Beattie's spokesman said yesterday it was expected there would be an
agreement between all relevant parties and a cabinet decision by
Christmas.
Legislation was unlikely with only three weeks of parliamentary
sittings before the end of the year.
"It's a matter of brokering an agreement to make sure we come up with
a solution that is going to work, that is more important than setting
a time limit," the spokesman said.
Queensland Conservation Council co-ordinator Imogen Zethoven said
that time frame was unacceptable and would enable graziers to
continue the "panic clearing" that had begun since Mr Beattie
promised the legislation last year.
She said Queensland had the worst record of land clearing in the
Western world, with satellite imaging showing an average clearing of
340,000ha a year between 1995 and 1997.
It was believed the rate this year was between 400,000 ha and 500,000
ha as farmers cleared land ahead of the legislation.
The result - especially in woodland and brigalow inland areas - was
rising salinity, soil erosion and the extinction of animal species,
she said.
Ms Zethoven said Mr Beattie - who last week called on federal
Environment Minister Robert Hill to provide $100 million for
compensation as part of the agreement package - had to show
leadership.
"It's unrealistic to expect we can all come to an agreement that
would be sufficiently strong to protect the environment and the
productivity of our lands into the next century," Ms Zethoven said.
"The Premier has got to act decisively on this."
She said any of Queensland's 1000-plus ecosystems, which had been
cleared by 50 per cent or more, should be protected by the
legislation against further land clearing.
Australian Conservation Foundation executive director Don Henry said
he appreciated that Mr Beattie was attempting to do something about
an issue that had been ignored by successive governments, but warned:
"The bulldozers won't stop over the Christmas-New Year break."
Mr Henry said Queensland's high tree-clearing rate - accounting for
80 per cent of all tree clearing in Australia - was largely due to
the fact that the southern states had already cleared most of their
land. States such as Victoria and NSW were now paying for that by
increased salinity and soil erosion.
"Tree clearing and the salinity it brings already costs rural
Australia about $1 billion a year in lost productivity," Mr Henry
said.
He said that in the past, a lot of the tree clearing took place
because of ignorance about the effects on the land but that was no
longer an excuse.
Most farmers were responsible and angered by their fellow farmers'
insistence on clearing land, he said.