The Federal Environment Department has launched an investigation into the allegation that protected greater glider habitat was illegally cleared by north Queensland graziers.

Key points: The Environment Department is investigating the allegation but won't comment further

The Environment Department is investigating the allegation but won't comment further ACF policy analyst James Tresize says the land clearance approval was flawed

ACF policy analyst James Tresize says the land clearance approval was flawed Property owner Glen Cameron declined to comment on the unlawful clearing allegation

Last week, the department sent officials to Meadowbank Station, south-west of Cairns, after satellite imagery appeared to show the destruction of woodlands marked off-limits by the Federal Government.

The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) claims up to 7 per cent of the 106-hectare zone on Meadowbank set aside for the vulnerable species has been razed.

The department had insisted that parcel was "not to be cleared" as a condition of approving the clearance of 1,365 hectares elsewhere on the property near Mt Garnet on the Atherton Tablelands.

Clearing of the larger site was approved last year, despite warnings from the department's own officials that habitat critical to the greater glider would likely be destroyed.

ACF policy analyst James Trezise said it was a flawed approval based on insufficient information.

"What we've now discovered is that the area that was meant to be protected for the greater glider on Meadowbank, according to the satellites, has a serious incident of habitat loss occurring on it," he said.

"It's very concerning, and we see a pattern of this, particularly in Queensland, and we see huge amounts of political pressure come to bear on the Federal Environment Department as the regulator."

It is the second alleged breach under federal conservation laws raised by ACF, after it claimed in September that part of the glider protection zone had been burnt off.

Part of an area put aside for greater gliders was burnt off, according to the ACF. ( Supplied: Australian Conservation Foundation )

Property owner Glen Cameron has rejected that claim, but declined to comment on the latest allegations of unlawful clearing.

The Environment Department told the ABC in a statement it was "aware of allegations relating to activities on Meadowbank Station in north Queensland".

"A site visit was undertaken on 20 November 2019 by departmental officials. A report of that visit is being prepared," the statement said.

The greater glider eats eucalyptus leaves, lives for up to 15 years and is the largest gliding marsupial, able to glide more than 100 metres.

Meadowbank is towards the northern end of the gliders' range.

The bid by Mr Cameron and his wife Laurel to clear native vegetation in an area 10 times the size of Brisbane's CBD came during the former Newman government's deregulation of land-clearing laws to allow "high-value" agriculture.

The couple originally proposed clearing 6,533 hectares — more than 40 times the size of the Brisbane CBD — to grow crops to feed cattle, including for the live export trade.

A map showing where the greater glider habitat should be protected. ( Supplied )

The Newman government's laws have since been reversed by the Palaszczuk Government.

Supporters of clearing included then-deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, who wrote to then-federal environment minister Josh Frydenberg to urge approval with "no unnecessary intervention under the [Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act]".

Mr Cameron commissioned a survey showing there were no gliders in the clearing zone.

Department officials 'report directly to Minister'

But the ACF claims it observed seven greater gliders in and near the area slated for clearing over two days in June.

The conservation group said it had repeatedly written to Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley calling for Meadowbank's clearing approval to be suspended, but that she had not responded.

This month, the ACF alerted the department to the latest images it said showed clearing in the glider protection zone.

The greater glider nests in old tree hollows to breed. ( Supplied: Australian Conservation Foundation )

"We need to understand exactly what's caused this habitat loss event," Mr Trezise said.

"Not forgetting that Australia is in the midst of an extinction crisis, and that we lead the world on mammal extinctions, and this is habitat critical to the greater glider.

"We need to see a proportionate response from the federal regulator, but what we also are concerned about is the amount of political pressure that will come to bear on those officers in the department."

Mr Trezise said Australia lacked a national environmental regulator that could operate "at arm's length from government".

Meadowbank Station is at the northern end of the gliders' range. ( ABC Open: Trish Mathers )

He said departmental officials "report directly to the Minister" and are obliged to give regular briefings to other members of Cabinet and backbenchers.

The ACF has urged the Federal Government to use a review of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to set up an independent environmental protection agency.

Mr Trezise said a "shocking" 7.7 million hectares of threatened species habitat had been lost under the current federal environmental laws.

He said a "significant" proportion of this came under the Newman-era clearing laws, which "devastated native wildlife in Queensland".

Federal Coalition parliamentarians such as LNP senator Ian Macdonald have argued that north Queensland property owners should be entitled to develop land for agriculture.

A spokesman for Ms Ley said the Federal Government was "committed to protecting the environment, including the protection of threatened species such as the vulnerable greater glider".

He said the department undertook all assessments in accordance with the requirements of environmental legislation.

"All compliance activities are undertaken in accordance with the department's published compliance policy and Australian Government investigation standards," the spokesman said.

"Consistent with the department's published compliance policy, the department will not comment on the details of any investigation."