An analysis by the Australian Conservation Foundation found that recent government-approved projects could put endangered species at further risk.
What's happening?
The ACF told The Guardian that approved land-clearing plans could destroy over 57,000 hectares of threatened species' habitat in Australia.
The Australian government approved twice as much vulnerable land for clearance as in the previous year, and the ACF estimated that the resulting habitat loss would be equivalent in size to 10 Sydney Harbours. Much of the land would be used to build mining sites.
At the same time, 42 new plants and animals were recently added to Australia's list of endangered species. Land-clearing threatens to push these plants and wildlife to extinction.
Adam Bandt, the ACF's new chief executive, pointed to the endangered night parrot as an example.
In 2025, the animal was classified as critically endangered, but the government approved the razing of a large portion of its habitat.
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"A lot of people don't know that Australia is a global deforestation hotspot … every year, we lose more forest than the loss from the entire palm oil industry in Indonesia," Bandt began.
"The nature that we love is under threat like never before."
Why is habitat loss concerning?
Habitat loss is worrisome because it robs native wildlife of their homes and destroys native vegetation.
As a result, local ecosystems are destroyed, with effects that go well beyond plants and animals.
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Definitely 👍 Humans also suffer when forests are destroyed, as forests are critical for regulating the weather and storing heat-trapping carbon.
As the planet overheats, deforestation is accelerating the problem and further removing our natural defenses against the impacts of rising temperatures worldwide.
One study found that over half a million deaths in the past two decades were indirectly caused by deforestation. Additionally, as habitats decline, animals increasingly move into our communities.
This poses a danger to both wildlife and humans, as it can lead to aggressive behavior and unpredictable encounters.
What's being done about habitat loss?
New reforms to nature laws in Australia have delayed land-clearing near waterways that feed into the Great Barrier Reef.
The government, which will soon establish an environmental protection agency, has to assess these sensitive areas.
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