Deforestation is a huge problem in Australia.

Deforestation is the major cause of habitat loss for most endangered species. The direct impacts of clearing bring threatened species into more frequent contact with humans, which can lead to poaching. In Australia, 964 plants and 286 animals list deforestation and resulting habitat loss as threats. These include many of Australia’s beautiful and unique wildlife. Forests play a major role in slowing harmful climate change. Whilst alive trees trap carbon for photosynthesis, they release the carbon that they have stored after being cut, further contributing. In Australia, sediment, nutrient and pesticide pollution from run-off (caused by deforestation) is threatening the health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef. Millions of people around the world depend directly on forests for hunting, gathering and medicine.

Solution

Laws are currently controlled by each state. Australia is a signatory to the 1992 to the National Forestry Policy Statement but all States can act in the way they see that best fits the descriptions given here. As such some states are not doing enough to stop deforestation. Illegal logging also is still widespread and the laws around illegal logging need to be enforced by the police or some form of E.P.A. (Environment Protection Authority [this is in South Australia])

We need new Federal regulations that state:  

- Everyone needs permission (from a government body such as RFA) to cut down a native tree or other tree that is not a pest in that region.

 - however, many trees that are cut down need to be paid for to replant in a area that has suffered deforestation

- farmers received monetary amounts to encourage planting trees on vacant blocks of land/land that isn’t used.