Spotlight on our forests
Australia is losing its native forests at a rate of at least 1,500 square kilometres a year, according to the Resource Assessment Commission. And in some States, deforestation appears to be occurring at a faster rate today than throughout most of the last 200 years. The Commission warns that clearing, mainly for agriculture and grazing, threatens the survival of some forest types, such as the Queensland brigalow, and that deforestation on unreserved public and private land is cause for concern. Deforestation and excessive logging also have serious implications for biological diversity.