Since 2017

Stopping Broadscale Tree-clearing

The Purves Environmental Fund (PEF) has long been supporting campaigns to control excessive broad-scale tree-clearing. In 2005 environmental and farming organisations came together with both state and federal governments to agree to end excessive tree-clearing by passing legislation that dramatically and effectively reduced clearing in NSW. This was followed in Queensland in 2006. However, these legislations were repealed, in 2012 in Queensland and subsequently in 2017 in NSW.

1.25 million hectares (equivalent to about 5 times the size of ACT) of bushland has been cleared between 2012 and 2016 in Queensland alone establishing the area as a global hotspot for deforestation alongside Congo, Amazon and Borneo. Tragically, it has been estimated that 34 million vertebrates are killed per year because of the clearing.

Adding to its devastating impact on biodiversity, tree-clearing also contributes to carbon emission. Clearing that occurred in Queensland alone in one year between 2013 and 2014 released carbon emission equivalent to 20% of the national electricity sector (nearly 7% of national emissions). This may look like a small contribution to climate crises at first sight, but since forests and woodlands can store about 23 times Australia’s annual emissions, one can really appreciate the value on keeping them in the ground as much as possible.

The PEF has supported different organisations over the years defending and enforcing land clearing laws, advocating for stronger and better legislations, raising awareness on the issue and the plight of biodiversity, researching and understanding key drivers, impacts and solutions, and working with key stakeholders to end excessive tree-clearing.

In 2017 the PEF launched Purves Tree-clearing Challenge raising $2 million with members of Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network (AEGN) to support a comprehensive action plan and campaign by an alliance made up to 20+ large and small organisations. The alliance (Deforestation-free alliance) has since run successful campaigns and activities that have raised awareness of the issue, iconised koalas, secured stronger clearing legislation in Queensland halving the bulldozing of mature and old growth forest and bushland, and convinced the Queensland government to establish a $500M Land Restoration Fund. It continues to raise awareness of the size and scale of mass clearing, engage with farmers, scientists, wildlife carers, the beef industry and decision makers, monitor and raise the alarm on some of the worst clearing happening, and work on advancing solutions to stop excessive clearing.

Since 2017

Stopping Broadscale Tree-clearing

The Purves Environmental Fund (PEF) has long been supporting campaigns to control excessive broad-scale tree-clearing. In 2005 environmental and farming organisations came together with both state and federal governments to agree to end excessive tree-clearing by passing legislation that dramatically and effectively reduced clearing in NSW. This was followed in Queensland in 2006. However, these legislations were repealed, in 2012 in Queensland and subsequently in 2017 in NSW.

1.25 million hectares (equivalent to about 5 times the size of ACT) of bushland has been cleared between 2012 and 2016 in Queensland alone establishing the area as a global hotspot for deforestation alongside Congo, Amazon and Borneo. Tragically, it has been estimated that 34 million vertebrates are killed per year because of the clearing.

Adding to its devastating impact on biodiversity, tree-clearing also contributes to carbon emission. Clearing that occurred in Queensland alone in one year between 2013 and 2014 released carbon emission equivalent to 20% of the national electricity sector (nearly 7% of national emissions). This may look like a small contribution to climate crises at first sight, but since forests and woodlands can store about 23 times Australia’s annual emissions, one can really appreciate the value on keeping them in the ground as much as possible.

The PEF has supported different organisations over the years defending and enforcing land clearing laws, advocating for stronger and better legislations, raising awareness on the issue and the plight of biodiversity, researching and understanding key drivers, impacts and solutions, and working with key stakeholders to end excessive tree-clearing.

In 2017 the PEF launched Purves Tree-clearing Challenge raising $2 million with members of Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network (AEGN) to support a comprehensive action plan and campaign by an alliance made up to 20+ large and small organisations. The alliance (Deforestation-free alliance) has since run successful campaigns and activities that have raised awareness of the issue, iconised koalas, secured stronger clearing legislation in Queensland halving the bulldozing of mature and old growth forest and bushland, and convinced the Queensland government to establish a $500M Land Restoration Fund. It continues to raise awareness of the size and scale of mass clearing, engage with farmers, scientists, wildlife carers, the beef industry and decision makers, monitor and raise the alarm on some of the worst clearing happening, and work on advancing solutions to stop excessive clearing.

Since 2017

Stopping Broadscale Tree-clearing

The Purves Environmental Fund (PEF) has long been supporting campaigns to control excessive broad-scale tree-clearing. In 2005 environmental and farming organisations came together with both state and federal governments to agree to end excessive tree-clearing by passing legislation that dramatically and effectively reduced clearing in NSW. This was followed in Queensland in 2006. However, these legislations were repealed, in 2012 in Queensland and subsequently in 2017 in NSW.

1.25 million hectares (equivalent to about 5 times the size of ACT) of bushland has been cleared between 2012 and 2016 in Queensland alone establishing the area as a global hotspot for deforestation alongside Congo, Amazon and Borneo. Tragically, it has been estimated that 34 million vertebrates are killed per year because of the clearing.

Adding to its devastating impact on biodiversity, tree-clearing also contributes to carbon emission. Clearing that occurred in Queensland alone in one year between 2013 and 2014 released carbon emission equivalent to 20% of the national electricity sector (nearly 7% of national emissions). This may look like a small contribution to climate crises at first sight, but since forests and woodlands can store about 23 times Australia’s annual emissions, one can really appreciate the value on keeping them in the ground as much as possible.

The PEF has supported different organisations over the years defending and enforcing land clearing laws, advocating for stronger and better legislations, raising awareness on the issue and the plight of biodiversity, researching and understanding key drivers, impacts and solutions, and working with key stakeholders to end excessive tree-clearing.

In 2017 the PEF launched Purves Tree-clearing Challenge raising $2 million with members of Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network (AEGN) to support a comprehensive action plan and campaign by an alliance made up to 20+ large and small organisations. The alliance (Deforestation-free alliance) has since run successful campaigns and activities that have raised awareness of the issue, iconised koalas, secured stronger clearing legislation in Queensland halving the bulldozing of mature and old growth forest and bushland, and convinced the Queensland government to establish a $500M Land Restoration Fund. It continues to raise awareness of the size and scale of mass clearing, engage with farmers, scientists, wildlife carers, the beef industry and decision makers, monitor and raise the alarm on some of the worst clearing happening, and work on advancing solutions to stop excessive clearing.

Since 2017

Stopping Broadscale Tree-clearing

The Purves Environmental Fund (PEF) has long been supporting campaigns to control excessive broad-scale tree-clearing. In 2005 environmental and farming organisations came together with both state and federal governments to agree to end excessive tree-clearing by passing legislation that dramatically and effectively reduced clearing in NSW. This was followed in Queensland in 2006. However, these legislations were repealed, in 2012 in Queensland and subsequently in 2017 in NSW.

1.25 million hectares (equivalent to about 5 times the size of ACT) of bushland has been cleared between 2012 and 2016 in Queensland alone establishing the area as a global hotspot for deforestation alongside Congo, Amazon and Borneo. Tragically, it has been estimated that 34 million vertebrates are killed per year because of the clearing.

Adding to its devastating impact on biodiversity, tree-clearing also contributes to carbon emission. Clearing that occurred in Queensland alone in one year between 2013 and 2014 released carbon emission equivalent to 20% of the national electricity sector (nearly 7% of national emissions). This may look like a small contribution to climate crises at first sight, but since forests and woodlands can store about 23 times Australia’s annual emissions, one can really appreciate the value on keeping them in the ground as much as possible.

The PEF has supported different organisations over the years defending and enforcing land clearing laws, advocating for stronger and better legislations, raising awareness on the issue and the plight of biodiversity, researching and understanding key drivers, impacts and solutions, and working with key stakeholders to end excessive tree-clearing.

In 2017 the PEF launched Purves Tree-clearing Challenge raising $2 million with members of Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network (AEGN) to support a comprehensive action plan and campaign by an alliance made up to 20+ large and small organisations. The alliance (Deforestation-free alliance) has since run successful campaigns and activities that have raised awareness of the issue, iconised koalas, secured stronger clearing legislation in Queensland halving the bulldozing of mature and old growth forest and bushland, and convinced the Queensland government to establish a $500M Land Restoration Fund. It continues to raise awareness of the size and scale of mass clearing, engage with farmers, scientists, wildlife carers, the beef industry and decision makers, monitor and raise the alarm on some of the worst clearing happening, and work on advancing solutions to stop excessive clearing.

Since 2017

Stopping Broadscale Tree-clearing

The Purves Environmental Fund (PEF) has long been supporting campaigns to control excessive broad-scale tree-clearing. In 2005 environmental and farming organisations came together with both state and federal governments to agree to end excessive tree-clearing by passing legislation that dramatically and effectively reduced clearing in NSW. This was followed in Queensland in 2006. However, these legislations were repealed, in 2012 in Queensland and subsequently in 2017 in NSW.

1.25 million hectares (equivalent to about 5 times the size of ACT) of bushland has been cleared between 2012 and 2016 in Queensland alone establishing the area as a global hotspot for deforestation alongside Congo, Amazon and Borneo. Tragically, it has been estimated that 34 million vertebrates are killed per year because of the clearing.

Adding to its devastating impact on biodiversity, tree-clearing also contributes to carbon emission. Clearing that occurred in Queensland alone in one year between 2013 and 2014 released carbon emission equivalent to 20% of the national electricity sector (nearly 7% of national emissions). This may look like a small contribution to climate crises at first sight, but since forests and woodlands can store about 23 times Australia’s annual emissions, one can really appreciate the value on keeping them in the ground as much as possible.

The PEF has supported different organisations over the years defending and enforcing land clearing laws, advocating for stronger and better legislations, raising awareness on the issue and the plight of biodiversity, researching and understanding key drivers, impacts and solutions, and working with key stakeholders to end excessive tree-clearing.

In 2017 the PEF launched Purves Tree-clearing Challenge raising $2 million with members of Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network (AEGN) to support a comprehensive action plan and campaign by an alliance made up to 20+ large and small organisations. The alliance (Deforestation-free alliance) has since run successful campaigns and activities that have raised awareness of the issue, iconised koalas, secured stronger clearing legislation in Queensland halving the bulldozing of mature and old growth forest and bushland, and convinced the Queensland government to establish a $500M Land Restoration Fund. It continues to raise awareness of the size and scale of mass clearing, engage with farmers, scientists, wildlife carers, the beef industry and decision makers, monitor and raise the alarm on some of the worst clearing happening, and work on advancing solutions to stop excessive clearing.