Expert Alert: NSW land clearing driven by population expansion.
Sustainable Population Australia
Media Release: 7 August
In its annual Statewide Land and Tree Study survey, released in 28th July, 2025, the NSW Government says that more than 66,000 hectares of the bush was cleared in 2023 - equivalent to bull-dozing Sydney’s Royal National Park four times over.
Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) argues that this population driven biodiversity decline, driven by an increase in the human population, reduces Australia’s ability to feed a population nearing 28 million as climate change increases.
Available to comment:
Mr Michael Bayliss, Spokesperson and Communications Manager, Sustainable Population Australia
Contact: 0423 701 611 (from 7:00am AWST); [email protected]
Comments attributable to Mr Bayliss:
“The jump in land clearing across NSW by 40% during Labor’s first year of governing is a major red flag for sustainability.”
“Agriculture accounted for 51,201 hectares or 77 per cent or of all clearing. Private native forestry accounted for 15 per cent and 8% attributed to infrastructure development.”
“Sustainable Population Australia recognizes that the better approach is to reduce immigration-driven population demand for newly cleared land.”
Mr Peter Strachan, National President, Sustainable Population Australia
Contact: 0412 400 952 (from 06:30am AWST); [email protected]
Comments attributable to Mr Strachan:
“Currently, agricultural businesses can bulldoze bushland, including koala habitat, without any independent assessment, due to regulation changes by the previous Liberal National Coalition Government. The Labor Government promised to rein in land clearing before the last election, but it's still a free-for-all.”
“Australia has passed its ecological limits, and the environment is being sacrificed to satisfy growth lobbies. Should other species be driven to extinction so human numbers can rise indefinitely?”
Mr Simon Cole, Executive Committee Member
Contact: 0491 737 603; [email protected]
Comments attributable to Mr Cole:
“Too often, governments override their protection of native habitat in favour of development. In Queensland, the Crisafulli government is sweeping away environment, heritage and planning laws to build an Olympic Stadium in Victoria Park and under a Labor government, 1,000 m2 of koala designated habitat was paved last year for a parking lot to service an extra 120 beds at QEII Hospital.”
“Let’s give our environment a chance and call for regenerative agricultural practices that result in better quality food and healthier, more sustainable soils.”
About us:
SPA is an independent not-for-profit organisation seeking to protect the environment and our quality of life by ending population growth in Australia and globally, while rejecting racism and involuntary population control. SPA is an environmental advocacy organisation, not a political party.
For more SPA media stories visit our media release page: https://population.org.au/media-releases/