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Environmental Protection Authority State of the Environment Report: Western Australia 2007 Website www.soe.wa.gov.au Environmental Protection Authority www.epa.wa.gov.au State of the Environment Report: Western Australia 2007 website www.soe.wa.gov.au Copyright © Government of Western Australia 2007 ISBN 1 920947 98 1 The preferred reference for this publication is: Environmental Protection Authority (2007) State of the Environment Report: Western Australia 2007, Department of Environment and Conservation, Perth, Western Australia. Reprinted September 2007 2007356-0907-750 This report was produced by the Environmental Protection Authority with oversight by the State of the Environment Steering Group, the assistance of the State of the Environment Project Team, and the advice of various working groups and independent reviewers. See Appendix for detailed acknowledgements. State of the Environment Project Team c/ Department of Environment and Conservation PO Box K822 Perth Western Australia 6842 Internet www.soe.wa.gov.au Email [email protected] Project manager: Dr Ray Wallis Principal authors: Brad Jakowyna, Karen Crews, Jelena May Spatial data co-ordination, analysis and maps: Rodney Nowrojee, Bernadette Streppel Editing of final report: Dr David Sutton; Editing of draft report: Dr David Sutton, Jan Knight (Flying Edits) and Amanda Ellis Graphic design and layout: Grant Fuller, John Pinneri (John Pinneri Design Services) Internet design: Freckle Creative Printing: Advance Press, a Level 2 Green Stamp accredited business. This report is printed in Western Australia on 9Lives, which is 80% recycled, chlorine free paper that is accredited under the Forest Stewardship Council. Dyes are vegetable based inks. Copies from: Department of Environment and Conservation Library The Atrium, Level 4, 168 St Georges Tce, Perth [email protected] Phone: +61 8 6364 6510 Fax: +61 8 6364 6511 Internet: www.soe.wa.gov.au Front cover and theme cover images courtesy of Tourism Western Australia, Department of Environment and Conservation, and Office of Energy. FOREWORD I am pleased to present the State of the While it is crucial that the State Government takes Environment Report: Western Australia 2007. a lead role in providing direction for environmental management and protection, it is equally important for In 2003, the Government of Western Australia announced the whole community to recognise that, collectively and that the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) individually, we all have a role to play. We must all take would develop the next State of the Environment (SoE) responsibility for the environment that we live in and for the Report. This represents the third formal SoE Report environment that future generations will one day inherit. for Western Australia, with reports being previously undertaken by State governments in 1992 and 1998. I encourage government, business and industry, peak bodies, academic and research institutions, community The EPA welcomed the responsibility of coordinating groups and individuals to consider and develop actions the SoE Report, which closely links to its duties in the addressing the findings and suggested responses in this Environmental Protection Act 1986. The EPA is an report. Through collaborative efforts we can generate independent statutory authority that provides advice on positive change for a healthier environment and an environmental matters, undertakes impact assessments, and improved quality of life for all Western Australians. assesses the performance of natural resource management. This report identifies the most important environmental issues facing Western Australia. It also identifies the current condition of the State’s environment and what we are doing, or should be doing, to improve our environment. A draft version of the SoE Report was released for public comment in 2006, followed by public seminars across the Dr Wally Cox State to present the report’s findings. A range of submissions Chairman were received, for which the EPA is extremely grateful. In due Environmental Protection Authority course, a summary of these submissions will be made publicly available. They have provided the EPA with valuable feedback on all aspects of the report and subsequently a number of changes have been made to the report. An overview section has been added to summarise the major findings, while some chapters have been considerably revised, most noticeably for Fundamental Pressures, Biodiversity, and Heritage. I am also thankful for the many individuals, and representatives of peak bodies, environmental groups, universities, industries, businesses, and government agencies who contributed to the development of this report. In particular I would like to thank the members of the SoE Steering Group and the 16 working groups, many of whom volunteered their time and made a substantial contribution. I would also like to gratefully acknowledge the members of the SoE Project Team within the Department of Environment and Conservation who helped the EPA compile this report. STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT WESTERN AUSTRALIA 2007 CONTENTS FOREWORD ..........................................................................................................................................................................................iii CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................................................................ iv OVERVIEW Western Australia’s environment report card .............................................................................................................. vi Western Australia’s environment hotspots ................................................................................................................... vii Western Australia’s environmental priorities .............................................................................................................. viii Environmental issues ........................................................................................................................................................ ix Towards sustainability ...................................................................................................................................................... xi Government’s response to the State of the Environment Report: Western Australia 1998 .................................. xii EPA’s action agenda ......................................................................................................................................................... xii The need for change ........................................................................................................................................................ xii ABOUT THIS REPORT Purpose ............................................................................................................................................................................. xiii History ............................................................................................................................................................................... xiii Reporting framework ..................................................................................................................................................... xiii Theme structure ............................................................................................................................................................... xiii Issue structure .................................................................................................................................................................. xiii Maps and boundaries ..................................................................................................................................................... xiv 1 FUNDAMENTAL PRESSURES Theme overview ................................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Population and consumption ................................................................................................................................. 2 1.2 Climate change ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 References ......................................................................................................................................................................... 17 2 ATMOSPHERE Theme overview .............................................................................................................................................................. 20 2.1 Stratospheric ozone depletion ............................................................................................................................. 25 2.2 Greenhouse gas emissions .................................................................................................................................... 29 2.3 Particulates ..............................................................................................................................................................34 2.4 Photochemical smog .............................................................................................................................................38 2.5 Sulfur dioxide ........................................................................................................................................................
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