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Australia State of the Environment Report

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Topics

Historic Content you are reading content from a previous reporting year.

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.

Biodiversity

Management context

Assessing the management context component of management effectiveness considers the availability of information to understand and address environmental issues (understanding) and the adequacy of plans and policies (planning). 
2011
  • Read more about Management context
Relates to
Biodiversity
Effectiveness of management
Land

Management context

Legislative arrangements for the management of public lands are relatively stable, notwithstanding periodic changes in institutional arrangements, such as changes to the names, roles and structures of government agencies with land management responsibilities.
2011
  • Read more about Management context
Relates to
Land
Effectiveness of management
Marine environment

Management for resilience

​Management of marine systems to support and build resilience has been considered to require four key attributes:
2011
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Relates to
Marine environment
Resilience
Climate

Management outputs and outcomes

Efforts by government, the business sector and the broader community to reduce GHG emissions are essential to minimise the degree of climate change and associated consequences.
2011
  • Read more about Management outputs and outcomes
Relates to
Climate
Effectiveness of management
Antarctic environment

Management processes

Several processes contribute to the overall management of the Antarctic region, including the framework provided by protected areas, as well as activities on the stations and in the field
2011
  • Read more about Management processes
Relates to
Antarctic environment
Effectiveness of management
Antarctica
Marine environment

Managing for the externalities

Australia's formal environment protection system is broadly charged with the responsibility to deliver protection of the environment while providing for the ongoing development of the wealth and wellbeing of our human communities.
2011
  • Read more about Managing for the externalities
Relates to
Marine environment
Effectiveness of management
Marine environment

Marine biodiversity

The status of marine biodiversity has been assessed by examining marine habitat quality, the species and populations, and the ecological processes that support the species and populations. 
2011
  • Read more about Marine biodiversity
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Marine environment
State and trends
Marine Temperate EastMarine South WestGreat Barrier ReefMarine NorthMarine North WestMarine South EastMarine Coral Sea
Marine environment

Marine ecosystem health

The health of marine ecosystems has been assessed by examining the status and trends of the major physical and chemical processes that maintain the quality of the biodiversity and habitats in each region.
2011
  • Read more about Marine ecosystem health
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Marine environment
State and trends
Marine Temperate EastMarine South WestGreat Barrier ReefMarine NorthMarine North WestMarine South East
Marine environment

Marine protected areas

All jurisdictions other than the Northern Territory have legislation dedicated to the design, declaration and management of marine protected areas (MPAs) in their waters.
2011
  • Read more about Marine protected areas
Relates to
Marine environment
Effectiveness of management
Great Barrier ReefMarine South East
Biodiversity

Marine species and ecosystems

Overall, biodiversity in Australia’s marine regions is in good condition. However, biodiversity is very poor in some coastal places and areas on the continental shelf and upper slope, as a result of human activities.
2011
  • Read more about Marine species and ecosystems
Relates to
Biodiversity
State and trends
Antarctica
Heritage

Natural heritage

​Australia's natural heritage includes lands that are reserved in parks and other places, both listed and unlisted. 
2011
  • Read more about Natural heritage
Relates to
Heritage
Outlook
Marine environment

Oil and gas exploration and production

Australia has large reserves of gas and significant reserves of oil, for which there is both a domestic and a global demand. 
2011
  • Read more about Oil and gas exploration and production
Relates to
Marine environment
Pressures
Timor SeaMarine NorthMarine North West
Heritage

Outcomes

Assessing heritage management outcomes requires informed evaluation of the way in which current pressures and emerging risks to heritage values are being reduced and the resilience of heritage is being improved to retain values.
2011
  • Read more about Outcomes
Relates to
Heritage
Effectiveness of management
Inland water

Pests and invasive species

​At least 80 introduced animal species have established populations on the Australian continent. 
2011
  • Read more about Pests and invasive species
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Inland water
Pressures
Murray Darling
Heritage

Planning

The adequacy of planning for heritage management can be assessed by considering the policies and plans in place that result in management actions to address major pressures and risks to heritage values.
2011
  • Read more about Planning
Relates to
Heritage
Effectiveness of management
Climate

Planning and strategy

Governments have a key role to play in mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change, including:
2011
  • Read more about Planning and strategy
Relates to
Climate
Effectiveness of management
Biodiversity

Plant and animal species

Species diversity is a key component of biodiversity. In this subsection, we review what general conclusions can be drawn about the state and trends of specific groups of animal and plant species at national and subnational scales
2011
  • Read more about Plant and animal species
Relates to
Biodiversity
State and trends
South West Coast
Biodiversity

Pollution

Pollution is mentioned as a significant pressure in most jurisdictional SoE reports, especially in relation to coastal settlements and chemical run-off from farmland into rivers and the ocean. 
2011
  • Read more about Pollution
Relates to
Biodiversity
Pressures
Heritage

Population growth

​Australia's population is increasing, and the distribution of people around the Australian landscape is changing. This will affect all aspects of the environment, including heritage.
2011
  • Read more about Population growth
Relates to
Heritage
Pressures
Drivers

Population growth and distribution

Human population growth is a potential cause of environmental change worldwide, including Australia, even without considering the impact of changes on living standards or resource use per capita.
2011
  • Read more about Population growth and distribution
Relates to
Introduction
Coasts

Population growth and urban development

Pressures and other issues on coastal regions from population growth and urban development.
2011
  • Read more about Population growth and urban development
Relates to
Coasts
Pressures
Heritage

Preparedness for future pressures

​The drivers and pressures that threaten Australia's heritage do so in different ways, leading to different opportunities to prepare for future pressures or shocks.
2011
  • Read more about Preparedness for future pressures
Relates to
Heritage
Resilience
Biodiversity

Preparedness for known or anticipated future pressures

​Specified resilience is the resilience of a system to known or expected pressures.
2011
  • Read more about Preparedness for known or anticipated future pressures
Relates to
Biodiversity
Resilience
Biodiversity

Pressures from livestock production

Each land-use system entails some degree of clearing and fragmenting of native ecosystems, and grazing systems have the added impact of large introduced animals on landscapes and species.
2011
  • Read more about Pressures from livestock production
Relates to
Biodiversity
Pressures
North Western PlateauSouth Western PlateauTimor SeaLake EyreIndian Ocean
Antarctic environment

Pressures on Antarctic historic heritage

The buildings and structures that make up Australia's historic heritage were built up to 100 years ago. 
2011
  • Read more about Pressures on Antarctic historic heritage
Relates to
Antarctic environment
Pressures
Antarctica
Heritage

Pressures on historic heritage

Particular pressures on historic heritage include changing use and economic values. 
2011
  • Read more about Pressures on historic heritage
Relates to
Heritage
Pressures
Heritage

Pressures on Indigenous heritage

There is a recognised gap between Indigenous Australians and the wider Australian community across many areas of economic and social activity, including cultural heritage.
2011
  • Read more about Pressures on Indigenous heritage
Relates to
Heritage
Pressures
Biodiversity

Pressures on marine ecosystems

The Australian marine environment is experiencing a broad range of pressures that affect the quality of the habitats, species and environmental health.
2011
  • Read more about Pressures on marine ecosystems
Relates to
Biodiversity
Pressures
Heritage

Pressures on natural heritage

Natural heritage is susceptible to the general pressures arising from climate change outlined above, as well as some of the pressures that flow from population and economic growth.
2011
  • Read more about Pressures on natural heritage
Relates to
Heritage
Pressures
Antarctic environment

Pressures on the marine environment

The water chemistry of the Southern Ocean appears to be changing at a faster rate than previously estimated, particularly in the deep ocean layers.
2011
  • Read more about Pressures on the marine environment
Relates to
Antarctic environment
Pressures
Antarctica

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Australia State of the Environment 2016 has been prepared by independent experts using the best available information to support assessments of environmental condition, pressures, management effectiveness, resilience, risks and outlook.

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We, the authors, acknowledge the traditional owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community; we pay respect to them and their cultures and to their elders both past and present.

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