Part 1 Introduction Introduction 39 | Contents I1 About this Report 41 I2 About the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability 41 1 I3 Ecosystem Services 42 I4 Environmental Awareness 43 Environmental change 43 Increasing awareness 43 Environmental governance 44 International governance 45 Australian national governance 45 State responsibilities 45 The role of local governments 45 The role of the Indigenous community 46 The role of the non-government sector 46 Environmental reporting 46 I5 Victoria’s Report on the State of the Environment 47 The reporting framework 47 Issues and indicators 48 Objectives, responses and recommendations 48 Critical environmental issues for Victoria 49 Data limitations of this report 49 Future reports 49 Acknowledgments 49 | 40 Part 1 Introduction I2 About the Commissioner I1 About this Report for Environmental Sustainability The purpose of this report, the first Throughout this report the capacity of The Commissioner for Environmental comprehensive report prepared on the the environment to provide essential Sustainability is an independent voice on state of Victoria’s environment, is to: ecosystem services is described. These environmental sustainability. His statutory include a stable climate, clean air and objectives are to report on matters relating • provide access to scientifically credible, water, productive land, and thriving to the condition of the natural environment timely and relevant information on the fisheries. Ecological Footprint is one of Victoria; encourage decision making current environmental conditions and measure of the impact of consumption that facilitates ecologically sustainable trends in Victoria. on the capacity of the Earth to provide development (ESD); enhance knowledge • identify driving forces and direct ecosystem services. Since the 1980s the and understanding of issues relating pressures influencing environmental planet has been in “ecological overshoot” to ESD and the environment; and change in Victoria. as the world’s population uses resources encourage sound environmental practices • identify the likely implications of at a faster rate than they can be replaced. and procedures to be adopted by environmental trends. Australia as a rich nation has a footprint the Government of Victoria and local • evaluate the effectiveness of higher than the average but Victoria’s government as a basis for ESD. current management responses to own footprint is even higher such that if environmental issues. everyone lived like Victorians, almost four Box I1 Definition and guiding planets would be needed. This indicates • assist decision-making in policy principles of Ecologically that - in the global context – Victorians’ development, environmental Sustainable Development way of life is not sustainable. management and resource use. The Commissioner for Environmental • raise public awareness and The Commissioner has assessed the Sustainability Act 2003 (the Act) defines understanding of environmental effectiveness of current policy and ESD as development that improves issues in order to improve the way management responses, and offers the total quality of life, both now and Victorians use, manage and value the recommendations for consideration in the future, in a way that maintains environment. by the Government and the Victorian the ecological processes on which community. A repeating theme • make recommendations on specific life depends. The Act requires that amongst the findings, and hence the actions and future directions required the following guiding principles are recommendations, is lack of suitable to advance Victoria’s progress towards considered: environmental sustainability. data to enable analytical reporting. The Commissioner recommends that better • that decision-making processes This report considers the state of Victoria’s data collection, monitoring and reporting should effectively integrate both environment not as an issue disconnected regimes be implemented, with a stress long-term and short-term economic, from the world but in the context of social on long-term, consistent data sets. A key environmental, social and equity and economic factors. These factors are focus of the next report, due by 2013, considerations. explored through an analysis of the driving will be an assessment of progress in the • if there are threats of serious or forces that lead to environmental change, condition of the environment over that irreversible environmental damage, and through an analysis of production, five-year period. This will be a more useful lack of full scientific certainty consumption and waste of three key assessment if data collection is improved. should not be used as a reason for resources – energy, water and materials, Improved environmental monitoring and postponing measures to prevent which identifies how the use of those improved coordination of reporting would environmental degradation. resources places direct pressures on the enable the Government to better manage • the need to consider the global natural environment. This provides the the environment as a valued asset from a dimension of environmental impacts context for a full analysis of the condition more informed perspective. of actions and policies. of the natural environment, which is described through four chapters on the • the need to develop a strong, atmosphere; land and biodiversity; inland growing and diversified economy waters; and coasts, estuaries and the sea. which can enhance the capacity for The report concludes with a reflection on environment protection. the implications of the state of Victoria’s • the need to maintain and enhance environment both now and into the future. international competitiveness in an environmentally sound manner. • the need to adopt cost effective and flexible policy instruments such as improved valuation, pricing and incentive mechanisms. • the need to facilitate community involvement in decisions and actions on issues that affect the community. One of the key functions of the Commissioner is to prepare a report on the state of Victoria’s environment at intervals not exceeding five years. The Minister is required to table the report in Parliament and the Government is required to table a response to the Commissioner’s recommendations within 12 months. 41 | State of the Environment Report - Victoria 2008 I3 Ecosystem Services The international Convention on Biological Ongoing degradation of ecosystem decline, albeit unevenly5. The value of Diversity defines an ecosystem as a services may prevent the UN’s Millennium ecosystem services is being recognised 1 ‘dynamic complex of plant, animal and Development Goals being reached. as a monetary price is being placed on micro-organism communities and their them. At the national level, the Carbon Since European settlement, much of non-living environment interacting as Pollution Reduction Scheme is the primary Victoria’s native vegetation has been a functional unit’. The Convention, to economic tool for managing greenhouse cleared to make way for towns and which Australia is a party, is dedicated to gas emissions to achieve a stable climate, primary production. Whilst those altered promoting sustainable development and though this is widely recognised as not landscapes are no longer high quality recognises that: sufficient alone and complementary habitat for indigenous flora and fauna, they measures are needed. biological diversity is about more than do provide other ecosystem services such plants, animals and micro-organisms as food production. An example of what The Victorian Government’s statement and their ecosystems – it is about can be done to reverse the degradation Our Environment, Our Future (OEOF) people and our need for food security, is through the use of water sensitive 2006 outlines actions to make Victoria medicines, fresh air and water, shelter, urban design. This enables filtration of a sustainable state. The ecoMarkets6 and a clean and healthy environment in nutrients from stormwater that can create project uses a market-based approach which to live.1 quality wetland habitat in urban settings. to environmental policy to achieve a Protection and maintenance of Victoria’s full range of ecosystem services whilst Throughout this report many issues are natural assets is essential not only for the improving agricultural productivity. The reported in terms of the benefits provided environment but also for society and the scheme provides economic incentives for to the environment, society and the economy. If ecosystems are degraded, delivering ecosystem services such as economy by healthy ecosystems. These their capacity to provide essential biodiversity conservation, salinity control, are known as ecosystem services. They ecosystem services is diminished. maintenance of water quality and land are the services that nature provides Throughout this report information is protection. Instead of relying on income which are essential for maintaining the presented on the condition of Victoria’s from primary production, ecoMarkets Earth in a state that can support life. They natural assets and what that means for the offers a potential new income stream include regulation of the atmosphere and environment and society. that rewards land-holders for improving climate; protection from the effects of ecosystem health. However, economic extreme weather; provision and storage Increasing community awareness of instruments are only part of the solution of water; production and protection of environmental issues is just