The Queensland Government is under pressure to stop the bulldozing of tens of thousands of hectares of bushland on Cape York, a move approved in the dying days of the previous Liberal National Party government.

Conservationists argue the land is of world heritage value and includes the headwaters of important rivers flowing into the Great Barrier Reef.

The ABC has discovered that approval to clear nearly 32,000 hectares on Olive Vale station was granted by Campbell Newman's LNP state government just days before the election in January. Initial clearing work has already begun.

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"The Olive Vale clearing is ... the largest single permit that we're aware of being granted for high value agriculture," said Tim Seeling of the Wilderness Society.

"[The approval process has been] very secretive, totally lacking transparency."

In response to questions from the ABC, deputy premier Jackie Trad has ordered an investigation into the decision.

"The allegations into the clearing [of nearly 32,000 hectares] of land on Olive Vale Station while the caretaker conventions were in place, is a matter of great concern to me," she said.

"Given the serious issues raised, I have instructed the Director General to investigate the allegations as a matter of priority."

Documents submitted during the assessment process by the owners of the station, Olive Vale Pastoral, lay out the timetable for bulldozers to begin felling trees and clearing ground.

"Pull timber after the wet season (after April) when it is dry enough to get dozers on country," states the company's Suitability Assessment, obtained by the ABC.

"September - burn the fallen timber. This avoids the more intense dry period ... it is envisaged the clearing will be completed over the period 2014 (from date of approval) to end 2024."

Paul Ryan, a director of Olive Vale Pastoral, confirmed to the ABC that the bulldozers have already moved in.

"We've started initial clearing at the moment, quite slowly and only just doing enough to do our trial cropping," he said.

Mr Ryan's company wants to establish dryland farming in the region, predominantly growing sorghum that could also supplement the station's cattle operation.

"It's a huge opportunity for the north," he said.

"We are possibly going to be the largest employer in the local area and [we will be] providing jobs for people who are desperate for work at the moment."

Wetlands adjacent to those on Olive Vale Station, which conservationists argue are nationally important. ( ABC News )

Conservationists argue against clearing

Conservationists argue that Olive Vale, which is on the Laura River 90 kilometres west of Cooktown, is home to 17 listed threatened species and a nationally important wetland.

"There's the golden-shouldered parrot, which is almost extinct frankly, the Gouldian finch, the red goshawk, the northern quoll," Mr Seelig said.

"This is a landscape that is worthy of world heritage protection.

"The property itself is really important because it's in the headwaters of some really important rivers that flow through Lakefield National Park and into the Great Barrier Reef."

But Mr Ryan said the company was doing more than anyone on Cape York to help protect the reef.

The area is a home to 17 threatened species, including the Gouldian finch. ( Sarah Pryke, file photo )

"Olive Vale station is possibly the biggest contributor to the Reef Rescue Program," he said.

"All rivers on Olive Vale are fenced off for the exclusion of livestock, particularly in the wet season, to limit the sediment run off into the reef. And we will be expanding this."

Approval to clear the land on Olive Vale was granted on January 20. Eleven days later premier Campbell Newman was swept from power in the state election.

Mr Seelig said there were serious question marks over the approval.

"The timing was interesting coming just a few days before the outcome of the election was known. So we're concerned there's some murky politics in here," he said.

He is now calling on the new Labor government led by Annastacia Palaszczuk to rescind the Olive Vale approval.

"The LNP created the opening for these large-scale clearing instances. So Labor has inherited a problem," he said.

"But they also have an obligation to act. They committed during the last election to be the government to restore strong land clearing controls, and we need them to act now on Olive Vale. Olive Vale is about to go off."

In the lead-up to the election Labor promised to reintroduce stricter tree-clearing laws, which the Newman Government watered down in 2013.

The amendments to the Vegetation Management Act made it easier for farmers to clear their land of native vegetation to make way for "high value" agricultural products.

The Federal Government has said it remains committed to a world heritage nomination for Cape York Peninsula, but only after "broad community agreement" on the issue.

Last year the Federal Government missed the deadline to submit a proposal to UNESCO, with Environment Minister Greg Hunt saying: "We have a very strong desire to see it happen, but it's important that we strike the right balance with everyone involved".

The Indigenous community is divided over whether the region should be put forward for world heritage listing.