Re: landclearing - and the future of birds in nsw

hi all
the laws in queensland appear to be already having some effect on land clearing. anecdotal reports from western queensland tell me that any uncleared blocks have become difficult to sell because of the laws and some eco-minded people are actively seeking these blocks out, buying them on the cheap and hopefully preserving them. 
the recent drought there was the worst on record. i experienced first-hand the hardship some families faced. some had a choice between pulling scrub to feed stock or selling off herds that took decades to build up. others had to walk away from properties their families had held for generations. or all of the above. 
when the rains and even floods finally came, some of the survivors had no money left to replenish stock. watching all that feed go to waste was the last straw. there were several suicides. 
i am personally against land-clearing but i thought these observations might offer some perspective.
i understand that farmers today are paying the price for over-clearing and other unsustainable practices in the past. many are open to new ideas.
a final note: in some parts of far south-western queensland (gidgee and mulga country) old-timers told me how they could ride for a day and be lucky to find a single tree to shade under on the vast grasslands that existed ... before the sheep arrived.
shane b
vaucluse