The Commonwealth Environment Department has confirmed that a North Queensland farmer cleared a section of land without approval required under Federal Law.

Key points: Wombinoo proposed clearing "action" of more than 2,700 hectares

Wombinoo proposed clearing "action" of more than 2,700 hectares Federal Environment Department decided assessment and approval was required

Federal Environment Department decided assessment and approval was required Spokesman confirmed there was clearing in small area of overal referall

Last year the Federal Environment Minister, Josh Frydenberg, stated that allegations aired on ABC News, of unauthorised clearing on Wombinoo Station south-west of Cairns, were "dismissed as unfounded".

Now in a statement, a Commonwealth Environment Department spokesman has confirmed that some clearing did occur in an area that had not yet been approved under Federal Law.

Wombinoo Station self-referred proposed clearing "action" of more than 2,700 hectares to the Federal Environment Department for assessment under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

In March 2017 the Commonwealth Department decided that Federal assessment and approval was required for the proposed clearing.

Today, a department spokesman confirmed that there has been clearing in a small area of one of the zones (known as A8) which makes up part of the overall referral (EPBC 2017/7903) for approval to clear land.

Satellite images show the area cleared includes most of a channel, estimated to be approximately 60 metres wide, which cuts through the area that was pending approval.

The statement says:

"The Department confirms that there is a very small overlap between the area cleared in early 2017 and the proposed clearing currently under assessment by the Department."

A statement from the department last week noted:

"… it is an offence to take an action before a decision has been made in relation to a referral under the EPBC Act."

However, in this case, the department deemed that the clearing was insignificant.

"We then assessed the clearing to determine if the EPBC Act applied. We determined that the clearing was not significant under the EPBC Act, and therefore no compliance action was required," the statement says.

The owner of the station, Warren Jonsson, has already been informed by the State Department responsible for land clearing that he's being fined for unauthorised clearing.

Queensland's Department of Natural Resources and Mines also said he has been ordered to replant more than 130 hectares of land cleared outside zones approved for clearing.