The Federal Government has blocked land clearing that may have damaged the Great Barrier Reef.

In 2014, the Queensland government approved the clearance of 2900ha of land for the expansion of the Kingvale cattle station on Cape York.

The federal environment department overturned that approval on advice from ocean experts.

The action against Kingvale marks the first time that powers under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act have been used by the federal government to block land clearing.

Under the Newman government, Queensland granted permission for a number of Cape York cattle stations to clear land in a bid to boost employment.

At the same time, the Great Barrier Reef has experienced some of its worst-ever coral bleaching events, with damage to growing portions of the World Heritage Park, particularly in northern parts.

Reports say the federal government blocked the approvals in response to advice from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).

The experts were concerned that the land clearing and increased scale of operations would dump more freshwater, sediment, nutrients, pesticides and other pollutants into the Great Barrier Reef.

The station is 200km from the coast, but sits among several rivers that flow to reef catchments.

“GBRMPA considers that caution should be taken in approving any further clearing in the Normandy catchment because (it) has already been subject to such a large amount of increased erosion,” Dean Knudson, Deputy Secretary of the Environment Protection Group within the Department of the Environment and Energy, told News Corp.

“I consider the proposed ­action is likely to result in ­additional nitrogen, phosphorus and/or sediment entering the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park... which has been scientifically linked to coral bleaching, outbreaks of crown of thorns starfish, and smothering of... coral.”