NT environmentalists ‘gobsmacked’ at federal green light to bulldoze nearly 3,000 hectares of tropical savanna

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 1 min read 100% complete by Lisa Cox Environment and climate correspondentFebruary 24, 2026 at 03:00 PM

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Australia's Environment Minister Murray Watt has approved the clearing of nearly 3,000 hectares of tropical savanna in the Northern Territory's Daly River region. Top End Pastoral Company plans to bulldoze 2,723 hectares of woodland on Claravale farm and station for agricultural development, specifically to grow crops like sorghum and cotton. The approved clearing will occur without a formal assessment under Australia's national environmental laws. Environmentalists have expressed concern, as the area is habitat for threatened species including the ghost bat, Gouldian finch, pig-nosed turtle, and red goshawk. The scale of the clearing is approximately ten times the size of Sydney's central business district.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Sydney 30% Australia 40% Claravale farm 50% Daly River region ×260% Top End Pastoral Company 70% Northern Territory 70% Murray Watt 80%

Keywords

tropical savanna 90% land clearing 80% environmental assessment 70% threatened species 70% daly river region 60% northern territory 60% murray watt 50% agriculture 50% top end pastoral company 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

85%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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tropical savanna land clearing environmental assessment threatened species daly river region northern territory murray watt agriculture top end pastoral company

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