In Queensland, woody vegetation has been monitored and mapped statewide at 10 metre resolution since 2018 through the Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS). This allows the analysis of its loss and gain of woody vegetation in riparian areas. Riparian reporting from 2018 onwards is not comparable with any reporting released before then.

Riparian areas are defined as a 50 metre buffer around drainage lines and riverine wetlands intersected by these drainage lines. Estuarine areas (where the river system is dominated by saltwater) are not included in the riparian area.

• In 2018, 70% (14,011,500 ha) of the state’s total riparian area comprised woody vegetation (Source: DESI, 2018 SLATS woody vegetation extent baseline report).
• Between 2018 and 2022, land-clearing activities resulted in the removal of approximately 100,500 ha (0.72%) of riparian woody vegetation.
• Regrowth mapped from 2019 onwards added about 9,000 ha (0.06%) of new woody vegetation to the woody extent dataset in riparian areas.
• Regrowth of vegetation is occurring slower than loss (due to clearing) across all catchments.

The loss of woody vegetation within the riparian zone was highest in the Murray Darling Drainage Division and the Fitzroy and Burnett Mary sub-catchments within the North East Coast (Great Barrier Reef) Drainage Division. More than 2% of the woody vegetation in these areas was cleared between 2018 and 2022. In contrast, minimal woody vegetation was lost in the Gulf Drainage Division (0.09%) and the Cape York sub-catchment (0.02%) within the North East Coast (Great Barrier Reef) Drainage Division.

Riparian vegetation is important because it:

• acts as a filter, reducing the amount of nutrients and sediments carried in runoff to streams
• provides habitats for various species, supporting the aquatic food web
• stabilises stream banks and reduces floodwater velocity
• offers recreation opportunities and scenic beauty.

Drainage division summaries

Bulloo

In the Bulloo Drainage Division in Western Queensland, 65% of the riparian area is covered with woody vegetation. Between 2018 and 2022, woody vegetation was reduced by 0.35% (1,000 ha) and 25 ha of regrowth was added.

Gulf

In the Gulf Drainage Division in North-Western Queensland, 81% of riparian zones are woody vegetation. From 2018 to 2022, woody vegetation was reduced by 0.09% (4,500 ha) and 700ha of regrowth was added. Over a third of the division’s vegetation loss occurred in the Flinders River basin (1,800 ha or 0.24% of woody riparian extent for Flinders River).

Lake Eyre

Amongst the drainage divisions, the Lake Eyre Drainage Division has the lowest proportion of woody vegetation within its riparian areas (46%). Between 2018 and 2022, woody vegetation decreased by 0.38% (8,700 ha) and 140 ha of regrowth was added. Most of the loss occurred in the Cooper Creek basin (8,600 ha or 0.78% of the woody riparian extent for Cooper Creek).

Murray Darling

In the Murray Darling Drainage Division in Southern Queensland, 66% of the riparian areas are woody vegetation. Clearing resulted in the loss of 2.22% (24,000ha) of woody vegetation between 2018 and 2022, and 1,140 ha of regrowth was added. Most of the clearing occurred in the Balonne-Condamine basin (11,300 ha or 2.5% of the woody riparian extent for this basin). The Border Rivers had the highest loss in this drainage division (3.21%).

North East Coast (non-GBR)

The North East Coast basins not within the Great Barrier Reef catchments have riparian areas with 67% woody vegetation. Clearing resulted in 3,400 ha (0.98%) lost between 2018 and 2022, and 780 ha of regrowth was added. Over half of the vegetation loss occurred in the Brisbane basin (1,900 ha or 0.95% of the woody riparian extent for this basin). The Maroochy basin showed the highest proportion of loss (2.04%) and the highest regrowth (1.22%).

North East Coast (GBR)

The North East Coast basins within the Great Barrier Reef catchments have one of the highest proportions of woody vegetation (82%) within riparian areas. Clearing resulted in 1.21% or 58,800 ha of woody vegetation lost between 2018 and 2022, and 6,200 ha of regrowth was added. Almost half of the vegetation loss occurred in the Fitzroy catchment (29,000 ha or 2.22% of the woody riparian extent for this basin). The Burnett Mary catchment experienced 15,200 ha or 2.01% loss.

Since 2018, clearing native vegetation has been regulated within 50m of an identified watercourse or drainage feature in all Great Barrier Reef catchments. This regulation is in addition to clearing protections provided by the vegetation management framework for Category B (regulated remnant vegetation) and Category C (high value regrowth) areas. The majority (approximately 72%) of detected clearing in riparian areas in 2018-2022 is the lawful clearing of regulated vegetation or re-clearing of areas where vegetation was previously lawfully cleared (Category X areas).