Just over 1/3 of Australia’s pre‑colonisation native forests remain as mature forests, according to the Australian Conservation Foundation, which, drawing on data from the Australian Government’s State of the Forests Report, revealed today that just 34.7% of Australia’s 18th‑century forests remain today.
“Australia has lost almost two‑thirds of its mature forest cover since Europeans arrived. This is utterly shameful. Mature forests are irreplaceable. They provide critical habitat, stable soil systems, and long‑term carbon storage that take centuries to develop,” according to Dr Paul Sinclair, ACF’s Acting CEO, adding that since 1990, at least 29 million hectares of mature forest have been affected by clearing or bushfire, an area more than four times the size of Tasmania.
The ACF said the findings provide evidence that imminent changes are needed to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, with the foundation pushing four legislative reforms: close deforestation loopholes across industries; set clear and enforceable nature-protection standards; establish an independent environmental regulator; and require explicit consideration of climate harms in all environmental decisions.
“An independent environmental watchdog that works at arm’s length to government is essential for consistency and certainty in delivering laws that are good for nature and for industry,” Dr Sinclair said. He warned: “Every two minutes, a football field’s worth of forests and bushland is bulldozed, displacing threatened species and destroying their homes.”
The ACF highlighted economic risks, noting that its analysis found around $900 billion—about half of Australia’s GDP—depends directly on natural systems, with tourism alone contributing roughly $60 billion a year and employing more people than mining. The foundation warned that ongoing forest destruction could threaten jobs and regional economies supported by healthy ecosystems.
The ACF says its four‑point plan aims to ensure decisions are guided by evidence rather than short‑term political or commercial interests. “You can’t claim to protect nature while hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest are cleared,” Dr Sinclair said. “The legislation must address deforestation and climate change. Without it, it doesn’t meet public expectations.”
Parliamentary debate this week will determine whether the government’s proposed reforms incorporate the regulatory independence, climate considerations, and tightened safeguards ACF and other advocates are demanding — measures campaigners say are essential if Australia is to halt a long decline in its native mature forests.
