| Clearing type | Vegetation management category | 2018-19 area cleared (ha) | 2019-20 area cleared (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exempt | Category X Exempt PMAV | 374,000 (55%) | 236,000 (57%) |
| Category X Exempt RVMM | 112,300 (17%) | 85,200 (20%) | |
| Regulated | ADVCC | 102,500 (15%) | 33,500 (8%) |
| Unexplained | 63,700 (9%) | 38,300 (9%) | |
| Exempt other | 19,800 (3%) | 21,000 (5%) | |
| DA | 6,100 (0.9%) | 1,600 (0.4%) | |
| AMP | 2,800 (0.4%) | 2,000 (0.5%) |
SLATS vegetation management analysis
Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) is an annual scientific monitoring program undertaken by the Department of Environment and Science’s Remote Sensing Centre. SLATS uses satellite imagery to monitor changes in woody vegetation extent in Queensland.
In conjunction with the Remote Sensing Centre, the Department of Resources utilises the Early Detection System (EDS) as the primary tool to rapidly detect vegetation canopy cover change (every 16 days) within regulated vegetation areas. This provides timely monitoring, and the opportunity for early engagement with landholders if unexplained clearing is identified.
Further analysis of SLATS data is used as a validation tool to complement EDS. This SLATS analysis provides the department further intelligence regarding annual clearing activity in the context of the vegetation management framework. The analysis intersects SLATS data with available property-level data derived from accepted development vegetation clearing code notifications, development approvals and area management plans as well as spatial layers that represent exemptions. This generates a detailed breakdown of the statewide clearing identified in SLATS.
Regulated vegetation clearing data
Clearing of regulated vegetation reduced from about 195,000 hectares in 2018-19 to 96,000 hectares in 2019-20.
Clearing of Category X areas reduced from about 486,400 hectares in 2018-19 to 321,200 hectares in 2019-20. Areas are classified Category X if they have been previously cleared. They are generally exempt under the vegetation management framework.
Categories include the following:
- Category X areas are divided into Category X areas on property maps of assessable vegetation (PMAV) or Category X areas on the regulated vegetation management map (RVMM) respectively. Clearing in all Category X areas is generally exempt from requirements under the vegetation management framework.
- Accepted development vegetation clearing codes (ADVCCs) are self-assessable codes that apply to low-risk vegetation management activities. Landholders must notify of their intention to clear and then comply with the provisions of the relevant code.
- Exempt other clearing represents clearing that can be identified as exempt (other than Category X areas) under the vegetation management framework using available spatial layers. This includes tenures and grasslands not regulated under the Vegetation Management Act 1999 as well as clearing for resource activities (which are regulated under other legislation) and exempt clearing in urban areas.
- Development applications under the Planning Act may be approved for a specified purposes that involve the clearing of vegetation. When approvals are granted, the approved clearing of identified regulated vegetation is lawful.
- Area management plans (AMPs) apply to self-assessable, region-specific low-risk vegetation management activities. Landholders must notify the department of their intention to clear and then comply with the provisions of that AMP.
- All remaining clearing is categorised as ‘unexplained clearing’. Further analysis is undertaken by vegetation management staff to evaluate the identified clearing areas and assess these for further action as appropriate.
For more information, read an explanation of vegetation management framework mapping. You can also read details of vegetation management classes (i.e. endangered, of concern, least concern).
Due to the processing of various spatial and numerical data sets involved in this analysis and the rounding of numbers, clearing figures reported from this process may vary marginally from those reported by SLATS.
Figure 1: SLATS total clearing under the vegetation management framework Comparison between 2018-19 (681,000ha) and 2019-20 (418,000ha)
Clearing purposes/codes that are not displayed in the table made up less than 1% of the total clearing in both 2018-19 and 2019-20.
| Clearing purpose | 2018-19 area cleared (ha) (% of total 102,500ha) | 2019-20 area cleared (ha) (% of total 33,500ha) |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple purposes |
19,900 (19.4%) |
13,200 (39%) |
| Fodder harvesting |
71,300 (69.2%) |
12,000 (35.4%) |
| Native forest practice |
5,400 (5.2%) |
6,600 (19.5%) |
| Encroachment | (<1%) |
950 (2.8%) |
| Managing weeds | (<1%) | (1.1%) |
Clearing purposes/codes that are not displayed in the table made up less than 1% of the total clearing in both 2018-19 and 2019-20.
| Clearing purpose | 2018-19 area cleared (ha) (% of total 2,800ha) | 2019-20 area cleared (ha) (% of total 2,000ha) |
|---|---|---|
| Managing thickened vegetation | 1,430 (51.8%) | 1,250 (63.5%) |
| Managing thickened vegetation/Encroachment | 440 (22.3%) | |
| Managing weeds | 670 (24.4%) | 180 (9.1%) |
| Encroachment | (<1%) | 92 (4.7%) |
| Fodder harvesting | 620 (22.3%) |
Clearing purposes/codes that are not displayed in the table made up less than 1% of the total clearing in both 2018-19 and 2019-20.
| Clearing purpose | 2018-19 area cleared (ha) (% of total 6,100ha) | 2019-20 area cleared (ha) (% of total 1,600ha) |
|---|---|---|
| MCU/RaL |
620 (10.2%) |
740 (43.3%) |
| High-value-agriculture |
89 (1.5%) |
550 (32.1%) |
| Fence/Firebreak/Road/Infrastructure | (<1%) |
150 (8.8%) |
| Multiple purposes |
100 (1.7%) |
120 (7.1%) |
| Managing thickened vegetation | (<1%) |
69 (4%) |
| Extractive industry | (<1%) |
44 (2.6%) |
| Necessary environmental clearing |
35 (2.1%) | |
| Fodder harvesting |
5,200 (85.6%) |
Figure 2: SLATS full and partial clearing of regulated vegetation under the vegetation management framework Comparison between 2018-19 (195,000ha) and 2019-20 (96,000ha)
Note that the SLATS report classifies clearing activity as either full clearing or partial clearing. The SLATS report further breaks down partial clearing as either partial (major) or partial (minor). Partial minor and major are aggregated in Figure 2.
For detailed definitions of full and partial clearing, see the SLATS report 2018-19.
| Type of clearing | Full clearing (ha) | Partial clearing (ha) | Total (ha) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | |
| Unexplained | 34,300 | 21,100 | 29,400 | 17,200 | 63,700 | 38,300 |
| ADVCC | 45,700 | 10,400 | 56,800 | 23,100 | 102,500 | 33,500 |
| Exempt other | 13,700 | 14,200 | 6,100 | 6,900 | 19,800 | 21,100 |
| DA | 800 | 1,200 | 5,300 | 400 | 6,100 | 1,600 |
| AMP | 1,500 | 500 | 1,300 | 1,500 | 2,800 | 2,000 |
Clearing by vegetation management class of regulated vegetation
Read details of vegetation management classes (i.e. endangered, of concern, least concern).
| Clearing type | Vegetation management category | Endangered (ha) | Of concern (ha) | Least concern (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unexplained | Regulated remnant | 2,680 | 7,262 | 23,754 |
| Regulated regrowth | 1,259 | 1,607 | 1,769 | |
| ADVCC | Regulated remnant | 674 | 9,223 | 21,864 |
| Regulated regrowth | 212 | 820 | 676 | |
| Exempt other | Regulated remnant | 651 | 1,701 | 16,503 |
| Regulated regrowth | 469 | 820 | 903 | |
| DA | Regulated remnant | 60 | 197 | 1,319 |
| Regulated regrowth | 9 | 32 | 39 | |
| AMP | Regulated remnant | 0 | 1,194 | 763 |
| Regulated regrowth | 0.001 | 0.003 | 8 | |
| Total | 6,014 | 22,857 | 67,596 | |
Read details of vegetation management classes (i.e. endangered, of concern, least concern).
| Clearing type | Vegetation management category | Endangered (ha) | Of concern (ha) | Least concern (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unexplained | Regulated remnant | 2,563 | 9,708 | 46,092 |
| Regulated regrowth | 1,096 | 1,809 | 2,469 | |
| ADVCC | Regulated remnant | 744 | 7,659 | 91,973 |
| Regulated regrowth | 276 | 751 | 1,045 | |
| Exempt other | Regulated remnant | 655 | 1,061 | 15,805 |
| Regulated regrowth | 425 | 1,031 | 745 | |
| DA | Regulated remnant | 43 | 159 | 5,805 |
| Regulated regrowth | 18 | 40 | 20 | |
| AMP | Regulated remnant | 0 | 1,432 | 1,297 |
| Regulated regrowth | 0 | 0 | 31 | |
| Total | 5,820 | 23,650 | 165,282 | |