Land clearing approvals have now hit more than half a million hectares in four years in NSW, despite calls from the government that land clearing threatens biodiversity and emission reduction targets.

Data released from the government earlier this month shows more than 646,418 hectares have been approved between March 9, 2018 and April 1, 2022. Between 2018 and 2020, about 511,494 hectares were approved for clearing.

Most of the land approved for clearing is for native invasive species management, making up about 495,935 hectares of approvals, while pasture expansion comprises about106,646 hectares. This type of clearing was deemed by a cabinet-in-confidence report in July 2019 by the Natural Resources Commission as a “risk to biodiversity statewide”.

The majority of approvals occurred in the central west, north-west and western regions.

Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Dugald Saunders said that land management codes helped farmers “find a balance between agricultural production and ensuring biodiversity.”

“While landholders may obtain an authorisation under the code for the intended treatment of native vegetation, for a multitude of reasons, these authorisations may never actually be implemented,” he said. “Our latest data shows that between 2018 and 2020, just over 3 per cent of total authorisations were carried out.”

The latest NSW State of Environment report launched this year notes there needs to be significant action if NSW is to achieve its emissions reduction targets in sectors including agriculture, energy and land clearing. The report also found vegetation clearing and the spread of invasive species posed significant challenges for many threatened species.

Clearing of woody vegetation in NSW had been steadily increasing since 2015, with a slight decrease in 2019. While down about one-tenth on the previous year, the rate was 40 per cent more than the 2009 to 2017 average before new laws took effect, the report notes.