Topics

A topic is a specific issue or subject discussed in the report. Each theme discusses these topics in detail.

From this page you can use the filters below to refine a list of topics of interest to you, or, list all topics available in the SoE report.

Inland water

Climate change

Updated projections of climate change in Australia were released in 2015, and are explored in the Drivers and Atmosphere reports.
2016
Relates to
Inland water
Risks
South East CoastSouth Australian GulfNorth Western PlateauMurray DarlingNorth East CoastSouth Western PlateauTasmaniaTimor SeaEast CoastLake Eyre
Ambient air quality

Climate change

Climate change may also have a significant effect on air pollution.
2016
Relates to
Ambient air quality
Pressures
Ambient air quality

Climate change

Climate change poses a threat to urban air quality and health through increases in particulate pollution (associated with more frequent bushfires and dust storms), and increases in the formation of ozone and other components of photochemical smog.
2016
Relates to
Ambient air quality
Risks
Marine environment

Climate change

Anthropogenic ocean warming and ocean acidification, superimposed on natural climate variations—in particular, ENSO and decadal variability (Holbrook et al.
2016
Relates to
Marine environment
Pressures
TasmaniaMarine South WestGreat Barrier ReefEast CoastMarine South EastIndian Ocean
Heritage

Climate change

Climate change is already affecting Australia’s heritage (ANU 2009, Australia ICOMOS 2011).
2016
Relates to
Heritage
Pressures
Murray DarlingTasmaniaGreat Barrier ReefMarine NorthGreater SydneyAntarctica
Overview

Climate change is a key pressure on the Australian environment

Climate change is an increasingly important and pervasive pressure on all aspects of the Australian environment. Although our climate and its high natural variability from year to year have always been a major influence on the state of the Australian environment, strong evidence shows that the cl
2016
Relates to
Pressures
Land

Climate change–induced pressures

Our climate is changing.
2016
Relates to
Land
Pressures
South East CoastMurray DarlingNorth East CoastTasmaniaLake Eyre
Climate

Climate: 2011–16 in context

As reported in SoE 2011, climate change continues to be a global problem.
2016
Relates to
Climate
Introduction
Ambient air quality

Coarse particulate matter (PM10)

PM consists of microscopically small solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in the air.
2016
Relates to
Ambient air quality
State and trends
Greater BrisbaneGreater DarwinGreater HobartGreater AdelaideAustralian Capital TerritoryGreater MelbourneGreater PerthGreater Sydney
Biodiversity

Coastal and marine species and ecosystems

The condition of Australian estuaries and bays, and coastal freshwater lakes and lagoons is covered in detail in the Coasts report.
2016
Relates to
Biodiversity
State and trends
Murray DarlingNorth East CoastTasmaniaGreater DarwinGreater HobartGreat Barrier ReefEast CoastGreater MelbourneGreater PerthMarine NorthMarine North WestGulf of Carpentaria
Coasts

Coastal governance and management

As was emphasised in previous SoE reports (e.g. SoE 2011), coastal management in Australia is carried out using a range of approaches by multiple levels of government.
2016
Relates to
Coasts
Effectiveness of management
Great Barrier Reef
Coasts

Coastal heritage

The section should be read in conjunction with the Heritage report. Much of the data in the Heritage report include the coastal zone, so it is summarised here and readers are directed to the Heritage report for detail.
2016
Relates to
Coasts
State and trends
Great Barrier Reef
Coasts

Coastal land

Terrestrial pollution occurs when solid or liquid waste is deposited on land or underground, and has the potential to contaminate soil and groundwater.
2016
Relates to
Coasts
Pressures
Great Barrier ReefAntarctica
Coasts

Coastal land

Australia’s native vegetation and habitats have been severely affected since European colonisation. Almost 40 per cent of forest (Bradshaw 2012) and more than 90 per cent of grasslands have been lost or heavily degraded.
2016
Relates to
Coasts
State and trends
North East CoastMarine Temperate EastGreat Barrier ReefCocos ChristmasMarine NorthAntarctica
Coasts

Coastal waters

Pollution is a long-standing pressure on coastal rivers and estuaries, particularly in areas of urbanisation, industrialisation, mining and agriculture.
2016
Relates to
Coasts
Pressures
South Australian GulfMurray DarlingNorth East CoastTasmaniaTimor SeaMarine South WestGreater DarwinGreater AdelaideGreat Barrier ReefGreater MelbourneMarine NorthMarine North WestMarine South EastGreater SydneyGulf of Carpentaria
Coasts

Coastal waterways

Australia has a wide variety of coastal waterways.
2016
Relates to
Coasts
State and trends
South East CoastSouth West CoastMurray DarlingTasmaniaGreater BrisbaneGreater DarwinGreat Barrier ReefGreater MelbourneGreater PerthGreater Sydney
Coasts

Coasts: 2011– 16 in context

The past 5 years have been characterised by extreme weather events, many with strong impacts on the coast. In 2011, a marine heatwave in Western Australia decimated kelp forests, causing profound changes in ecosystem structure that have yet to be reversed.
2016
Relates to
Coasts
Introduction
Great Barrier Reef
Ambient air quality

Commercial and other domestic sources

Emissions from commercial and domestic sources (domestic wood heaters are considered separately) exert pressure on local air quality and on airshed quality. Domestic sources, for example, can affect photochemical smog by releasing VOCs.
2016
Relates to
Ambient air quality
Pressures
Ambient air quality

Commercial and other domestic sources

Commercial premises can pose a threat to health and amenity at the local level, mainly through emissions of particles and VOCs. VOC sources include aerosols, surface-coating operations and solvents (the latter being a particular cause of odour complaints).
2016
Relates to
Ambient air quality
Risks
Greater MelbourneGreater Sydney
Marine environment

Commercial and recreational fishing

Australia’s commercial wild-caught marine fisheries are highly diverse and contribute significantly to the economy.
2016
Relates to
Marine environment
Pressures
TasmaniaMarine Temperate EastGreat Barrier ReefMarine South EastIndian Ocean
Overview

Conclusion

Our natural environment makes human life possible. It is therefore essential that our population and economic growth are environmentally sustainable.
2016
Relates to
Outlook
Heritage

Condition and Integrity: Listing Jurisdictions

This section examines the condition and integrity of Australian heritage places according to both jurisdiction and type.
2016
Relates to
Heritage
State and trends
South CoastSouth East CoastSouth Australian GulfNorth East CoastTasmaniaTimor SeaGreater BrisbaneGreat Barrier ReefEast CoastMarine North WestGreater SydneyAntarctica
Heritage

Condition and Integrity: Types of Heritage

This section examines the condition and integrity of Australian heritage places according to both jurisdiction and type.
2016
Relates to
Heritage
State and trends
Timor SeaGreater AdelaideLake Eyre
Biodiversity

Consumption and extraction of natural resources

The impact of harvesting is considered a potential threat to 30 per cent of listed threatened species across a wide range of taxa.
2016
Relates to
Biodiversity
Pressures
Murray DarlingTasmania
Land

Contemporary land-use pressures

Almost two-thirds of land in Australia has been modified for human uses, primarily grazing of natural vegetation.
2016
Relates to
Land
Pressures
Murray DarlingNorth East CoastGreat Barrier ReefEast CoastGreater Sydney
Marine environment

Cumulative impacts and management of multiple uses

Ecosystem-based management aims to balance human activities with environmental stewardship to maintain ecosystem properties, functions and services.
2016
Relates to
Marine environment
Effectiveness of management
Great Barrier Reef
Coasts

Cumulative impacts and management of multiple uses

Cumulative impacts management is the process of determining the desired future state of an ecosystem, and how this will be achieved through control of developments that may have direct, indirect or interactive impacts on that ecosystem (
2016
Relates to
Coasts
Effectiveness of management
Great Barrier Reef
Built environment

Current urban planning and management

Our growing cities require careful planning and management to ensure that they remain attractive and livable, and that ecosystem services are maintained.
2016
Relates to
Built environment
Effectiveness of management
Greater BrisbaneGreater AdelaideAustralian Capital TerritoryGreater MelbourneGreater PerthGreater Sydney
Drivers

Decoupling population change and economic activity from environmental harm

Drivers are the underlying natural and human-caused forces that generate the pressures on the environment.
2016
Relates to
Introduction
Climate

Direct (primary) effects of pressures on climate

The CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology State of the climate 2014 (CSIRO & BoM 2014) concluded that, in the coming decades, Australia’s temperatures are projected to continue to rise.
2016
Relates to
Climate
Pressures
Greater Sydney

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