EDO’s Analysis of Vegetation Management Regulatory Frameworks in Australia examines land clearing laws across all Australia jurisdictions, highlighting key issues and areas for improvement.  

In 2021, over 100 countries, including Australia, pledged to halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation by 2030 through the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use (Glasgow Declaration).1 The Glasgow Declaration includes six key commitments, including to conserve forests and accelerate their restoration; and to reverse forest loss and degradation while ensuring robust policies and systems are in place to accelerate the transition to an economy that is resilient and advances forest, sustainable land use, biodiversity and climate goals. 

WWF-Australia commissioned EDO to undertake an analysis of legal frameworks across Australia that regulate land clearing, to see how they match up against the Glasgow Declaration. 

EDO’s analysis was used by WWF-Australia to inform its Trees Scorecard 2023. The scorecard presents an overview of how state, territory and federal governments are performing in tree protection and restoration. It highlights where governments are standing tall and where more action needs to be taken. The scorecard shows New South Wales and Queensland sit at the bottom of the leaderboard, with South Australia placing first. 

Read the report

1 See Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use