SLATS vegetation management analysis
Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) is an annual scientific monitoring program undertaken by the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation’s (DETSI) Earth Observation and Social Sciences team. SLATS uses satellite imagery to monitor changes in woody vegetation extent in Queensland.
In conjunction with the DETSI, the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development utilises the Early Detection System (EDS) as the primary tool to rapidly assess vegetation canopy cover change (every 14 days) within regulated vegetation areas. This provides timely monitoring, and the opportunity for early engagement with landholders if unexplained clearing is identified.
Further analysis of SLATS data is used as a validation tool to complement EDS. This SLATS analysis provides the department further intelligence regarding annual clearing activity in the context of the vegetation management framework. The analysis intersects SLATS data with available property-level data derived from accepted development vegetation clearing code notifications, development approvals and area management plan notifications as well as spatial layers that represent exemptions. This generates a detailed breakdown of the statewide clearing identified in SLATS. In 2018–19 the SLATS methodology changed. The data below reports on clearing from this period.
Vegetation clearing data
Clearing of regulated vegetation increased from about 71,100 hectares in 2021-22 to 77,200 hectares in 2022-23. Since the 2018-19 SLATS report there has been a reduction in regulated vegetation clearing of about 60% over the past 5 years.
Clearing of Category X areas increased from about 252,500 hectares in 2021-22 to 254,800 hectares in 2022-23. Areas are mapped as Category X if they have previously been lawfully cleared. They are generally exempt on most private tenures under the vegetation management framework.
Overall, total vegetation clearing increased from 323,700 hectares in 2021-22 to 332,000 hectares in 2022-23. Since the 2018-19 SLATS report there has been a reduction in overall vegetation clearing of about 51% over the past 5 years.
Categories include the following:
- Category X areas are divided into Category X areas on property maps of assessable vegetation (PMAV) or Category X areas on the regulated vegetation management map (RVMM) respectively.
- Accepted development vegetation clearing codes (ADVCCs) are self-assessable codes that apply to low-impact vegetation management activities.
- Exempt other clearing represents clearing that can be identified as exempt (other than exempt clearing in Category X areas) under the vegetation management framework using available spatial layers. This includes tenures and grasslands not regulated under the Vegetation Management Act 1999 as well as clearing for resource and forestry activities (which are regulated under other legislation) and exempt clearing in urban areas.
- Development approvals (DA) under the Planning Act 2016 may be approved for specified purposes that involve the clearing of native vegetation. When approvals are granted, the approved clearing of identified regulated vegetation is lawful.
- Area management plans (AMPs) apply to self-assessable, region-specific low-impact vegetation management activities.
- All remaining clearing is categorised as ‘unexplained clearing’. Further analysis is undertaken by vegetation management staff to evaluate the identified clearing areas and assess these for further action as appropriate.
For more information, read an explanation of vegetation management framework mapping. You can also read details of vegetation management classes (i.e. endangered, of concern, least concern).
Note: In the data below, 'regulated vegetation' refers to mapped remnant and mapped regrowth vegetation.
Due to the processing of various spatial and numerical data sets involved in this analysis and the rounding of numbers, clearing figures reported from this process may vary marginally from those reported by SLATS.
Figure 1: SLATS total clearing under the vegetation management framework
Comparison between 2020-21 (348,000ha), 2021-2022 (323,700ha) and 2022-23 (332,000ha)
Figure 2: SLATS full and partial clearing of regulated vegetation under the vegetation management framework
Comparison between 2020-21 (61,400ha), 2021-22 (71,100ha) and 2022-23 (77,300ha)
Note that the SLATS report groups clearing activity as either full clearing or partial clearing. The SLATS report further breaks down partial clearing as either partial (major) or partial (minor). Partial minor and major are aggregated in Figure 2.