National Environment Protection Agency acts on reef land clearing

Key points

• The National Environmental Protection Agency has issued its first Environment Protection Order to Wombinoo Station in North Queensland. The order stops further land clearing that could send fine sediment into the Great Barrier Reef.
• It covers 1,600 hectares within the reef catchment, south of Cairns. Agency officials say more than 1,000 tonnes of sediment could reach the reef each year if clearing continues.
• The agency is still investigating the original clearing carried out in 2025.