(1) According to the best information available to the Commonwealth, what was the estimated rate of land clearing, in hectares, in Queensland for each year since 1995.

(2) Has the Commonwealth proposed to the Queensland Government that the annual net loss of native vegetation cover, including regrowth, should be reduced to almost 100 000 hectares; if so, on what basis was this figure determined.

(3) According to Environment Australia and/or ABARE, what would be the likely reduction in the annual rate of land clearing in Queensland were the State Government's tree clearing legislation to be fully implemented with Commonwealth support.

(1) In August 1999, the Queensland Department of Natural Resources issued a report entitled Land Cover Change in Queensland 1995-1997. According to this report, the statewide average annual clearing rate for the 1995-97 period was 340 000 hectares per year. Analysis of satellite imagery to derive the clearing rate over the period since 1997 has yet to be completed. I understand that Queensland will complete its preliminary analysis of the 1997-99 data in the near future. This analysis will require ground-truthing before accurate and reliable information can be published.

(2) In signing the Natural Heritage Trust Partnership Agreements, all States and Territories have committed themselves to the national Bushcare program goal to reverse the long-term decline in the quality and extent of Australia's native vegetation. In August 1999, I wrote to my State counterparts to discuss barriers to the achievement of this goal.

In my letter to the Queensland Minister for the Environment, the Hon Rod Welford MLA, I noted that the national “no net loss” goal was out of reach unless the annual net loss of native vegetation cover in Queensland was reduced to around 100 000 hectares. This figure was based on analysis of estimates of the national rate of land clearing and of the area being revegetated each year, as well as on land clearing data provided by Queensland. I also noted that it would be unrealistic to expect Queensland to achieve the objective of “no net loss” of native vegetation at the State level within the foreseeable future and sought further information on current clearing and revegetation rates in Queensland.

(3) In its current form, the Queensland Vegetation Management Act 1999 would, when proclaimed, restrict the clearing of particular regional ecosystems, and areas declared to be of high nature conservation value or as vulnerable to land degradation. The Act does not establish any mechanism specifically to reduce the overall rate of clearing.