The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest and most diverse reef ecosystem. The Reef’s scientific, cultural and environmental values are world-renowned. However, the Reef is currently facing unprecedented challenges. Since 2016 the Reef has experienced six mass bleaching events, driven by rising ocean temperatures. Climate change impacts are compounded by local pressures, including tree clearing in adjacent catchments, which is a major source of sediment and nutrient runoff. Fine sediment increases water turbidity and can smother seagrasses and inshore corals, which provide critical habitat for threatened species such as turtles and dugongs.
Our report is a technical analysis assessing the scale and distribution of deforestation in Great Barrier Reef catchments between 2018 and 2022, a period marked by efforts in Queensland to strengthen vegetation protections. While these years saw an average 19 percent drop in clearing, overall levels remained high, showing that state-based measures alone have not been effective in reducing deforestation pressure on the Reef. From 2018 to 2022, about 684,000 hectares were cleared across the Reef’s catchments, with 88 percent of this clearing for livestock grazing. Most occurred in the Fitzroy and Burdekin regions, which together made up 82 percent of all clearing.
The report was written for the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) by Martin Taylor (NatureAnalytics, University of Queensland) and Imogen Zethoven AO (Blue Ocean Consulting).
View or download reports
Summary: Tree Clearing and Sediment Pollution in Great Barrier Reef Catchments
Technical report: Tree Clearing and Sediment Pollution in Great Barrier Reef Catchments 2018–2022 (2nd Edition)
For further information or comment contact:
Dr Lissa Schindler, AMCS Great Barrier Reef Campaigns Manager, 0400 830 502 [email protected]