More than 40,000 hectares of koala habitat in Queensland has disappeared since the state’s land-clearing controls were weakened, a conservation group says.

WWF Australia has warned the vulnerable species will continue to decline unless the controls are strengthened as soon as possible.

The group’s scientist, Dr Martin Taylor, said his mapping of koala habitat loss illustrated what was a “cruel blow” for the species.

He said his analysis showed 40,312 hectares of habitat disappeared between the Newman government’s weakening of land-clearing controls in 2012 and 2014.

“The area is the equivalent of nearly one million house blocks – gone in just two years,” he said.

“That’s more than 1,300 house blocks per day of koala habitat being bulldozed.”

He said 200 threatened animals – including the greater bilby and northern quoll – and plants lost 211,820 hectares of habitat following the reduction in tree-clearing controls.