Although the landholder had a clearing permit, 132 hectares was cleared outside of the approved areaA Queensland farmer has been fined and ordered to restore native vegetation he cleared on his property, despite a significant media campaign from the farmer, lobby groups and conservative politicians, all claiming the farmer had done nothing wrong. In November, the Guardian reported on allegations that the owners of Wombinoo, south-west of Cairns, had illegally cleared 60 hectares of native trees. But despite no indication the government had approved it, the landholder went ahead and cleared the land. It said while the landholder had a clearing permit in place, approximately 132 hectares was cleared outside of the approved area. It said it had fined the landholders, and ordered that they restore the bulldozed areas.

Source: The Guardian December 19, 2017 16:52 UTC