Document
Index
1999-2000 Ministerial Statements
Investing in our Natural and
Cultural Heritage
Chapter 3
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Document
Index |
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The dissemination of environmental information is the fundamental basis for more effective formulation and management of environmental policies and programmes.
| Box 3.4: Environmental Resources Information Network Environment Australia requires up-to-date environmental information for decision making. This is supplied by the Environmental Resources Information Network (ERIN). ERIN aims to provide:
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Contact: Environment Australia, Portfolio Strategies Group -- 02 6274 1262
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has continued the development work on environmental accounts. Physical accounts, showing the stocks and flows of natural resources, are nearing completion for energy and water. A resource account for minerals was released in March 1998 and fish stocks in March 1999. The ABS conducts an annual presentation of the national balance sheet, providing estimates for non-produced (natural) assets including land, subsoil and forest assets. Environment protection expenditure by the public and private sectors was released recently for the 1994-95 and 1995-96 financial years. Development work is under way to extend these accounts to a new framework, which is aligned more to the system of national accounts (SNA). Accounts on the SNA basis for 1995-96 and 1996-97 are expected to be released in May 1999. A household survey on the community's views and actions on environmental problems, and sources and conservation of water was undertaken in March 1998 and released November 1998. A survey about energy sources and conservation practices was conducted in March 1999. The results are expected to be released in November 1999.
Contact: Australian Bureau of Statistics -- 02 6252 7889
| Box 3.5: State of the Environment Reporting: Environment
Indicators A landmark has been reached in the development of environmental indicators for state of the environment reporting that will help track the condition of Australia's environment and the human activities that affect it. The development of the indicators has occurred at three levels, national, State and local.
The Environmental indicators will be used to support the next major national assessment of Australia's environment, due to be completed in 2001. The indicator development programme is also providing important input to other initiatives, such as, the National Land and Water Resources Audit and the ALGA's Regional Environmental Strategies. |
Contact: Environment Australia, Science Group -- 02 6274 2037
In 1998-99, the Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG)
continued a programme of maintaining and upgrading its national mapping series. NATMAP
topographic maps and associated GEODATA products together represent a significant national
asset for use in resources management, identification of natural resources and management
of natural disasters.
AUSLIG, through its Australian Centre for Remote Sensing (ACRES), continually acquires
imagery over Australia with an archive dating back to 1979. Satellite imagery is a
cost-effective tool for environmental monitoring and facilitates analysis of the impact of
phenomena such as deforestation, salinity, erosion and urban sprawl on the Australian
landscape. In 1998-99, AUSLIG introduced SPOT-LITE, an on-line, Internet-based catalogue
and distribution system for satellite imagery.
Contact: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group -- 02 6201 4201
Figure 3.1: File Requests for Environment Australia On-line Web site
Figure 3.2: Profile of Users of Environment Australia On-line Web site
Contact: Environment Australia, Portfolio Strategies Group -- 02 6274 1262
Environment Australia's on-line web site receives nearly one million 'hits' a month. Figure 3.1 illustrates the increasing use of the electronic information services provided by the Department with peak requests occurring in October 1998. The majority of on-line web site users are from within Australia (see Figure 3.2). However, a significant proportion of interest in the Department's web site can be attributed to commercial users from the United States of America. CSIRO in collaboration with Environment Australia and others, produced and informative booklet and complementary web site as a simple guide to use of environmental indicators. It can be found at http://www.csiro.au/csiro/envind/index.htm
The Audit will provide a nationwide assessment of Australia's land, vegetation and water resources to support sustainable development. The Audit is a five-year programme under the Natural Heritage Trust totalling $42 million.
Contact: Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Australia -- 02 6272 5849
