NSW land-clearing up 16% in 2024 as conservation groups say Minns government failing to rein in habitat loss

Decline in clearing of trees and shrubs offset by sharp jump in clearing of non-woody vegetation

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Almost 90 rugby league fields’ worth of woody habitat were bulldozed in New South Wales every day in 2024, according to new government data which shows the state has failed to rein in high rates of clearing.

Clearing of vegetation across the state increased by 16% in 2024, reaching 81,293 hectares (200,879 acres) in total – an area more than 275 times the size of the Sydney CBD. The increase was due to a sharp jump in clearing of non-woody vegetation, up 70% on the previous year.
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