Multiscale Environmental Asset Condition Accounts for Australia

CARLA SBROCCHI Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists Accounting for Nature A C OMMON CURRENCY FOR MEASURING THE CONDITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSETS

Publication Accounting for Nature (2008) which proposed an environmental accounting framework based on: • Asset condition • Multilevel assessments (local to national) • Multi-institutional • Ongoing • All environmental assets • ‘Common currency’ - Econd

Accounting for Nature provides physical, ongoing measures of environmental asset condition for decision-making Accounting for Nature A C OMMON CURRENCY FOR MEASURING THE CONDITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSETS

Scope of Trial • Committees Develop and test Establish • Standards for Data and Processes processes and operational aspects of implementing Accounting for Nature • Guidelines to inform a national • Accounts tables templates approach. Develop • Information statements (metadata) • Technical Papers • Accreditation standards

• Science Integrate • Accounting • Economics Accounting for Nature A C OMMON CURRENCY FOR MEASURING THE CONDITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSETS

Context • Continental scale (10 test regions) • Range of assets • Assets of significance to communities (production and conservation) • Unique characteristics required unique indicators • Limited resourcing • Existing data sources Accounting for Nature A C OMMON CURRENCY FOR MEASURING THE CONDITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSETS

Data sources • Federal agencies • State agencies • Research agencies • Consultants to natural resource managers • Landholders

Synthesized at the regional management level

Results aggregated to: • levels (regional, national) and • scales (individual assets, asset classes, catchments) Accounting for Nature A C OMMON CURRENCY FOR MEASURING THE CONDITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSETS

Freshwater - Rivers

Summary Table

Class Asset Region 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 North Central CMA (VIC) 48 34 48 NRM North (TAS) 73 FRESHWATER Rivers Queensland Murray Darling Basin (QLD) 64 68 SEQ Catchments (QLD) 74 70 76 78 79 81

REGIONAL ASSET ACCOUNT NORTH CENTRAL CMA, VICTORIA Summary Table

Class Asset Econd & ICS 1999 2004 2006 2010 Econd 14 LAND Native Vegetation Extent (Ha) 32 Composition/Configuration (Hha) 40 Econd 48 34 48 Hydrology 63 48 43 Physical Form 43 49 68 Rivers Streamside Zone 50 58 56 FRESHWATER Water Quality 58 62 51 Aquatic Life 63 62 45 Econd 56 Wetlands Wetland Condition (Index) 56 © NCCMA 2013 Eyre Peninsula, South Australia Asset Table Accounting for Nature A C OMMON CURRENCY FOR MEASURING THE CONDITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSETS

Condition of Remaining Vegetation

Eyre Peninsula, South Australia Corangamite CMA, Victoria Northern Agricultural, WA

Northern Gulf-Cape York Peninsula SEQ Catchments, Queensland North Central, Victoria Healthy Waterways Partnership Report Cards Eyre Peninsula, South Australia Pressures

Weed Score 0 - 20 21 - 40 Whyalla ! 41 - 60 61 - 80 81 - 100

0100 200 Port Lincoln ! Kilometers Namoi Catchment Management Authority, NSW Setting Policy Objectives

100 100 90 90 80 80 70 70 60 60 50 50 40 40 30 30

Extent Extent Score Condition 20 20 10 10 Targets Plan 2020 Catchment 0 0 Native Vegetation Type Wooroonooran Nature Refuge, QLD Effectiveness of management interventions

Limited land management by Ngadyan people

Source: Richard Thackway, VAST Northern Gulf-Cape York, QLD Effectiveness of management interventions

Fire ICS

Coastal heathlands

Eucalpyt forests on floodplains Southern Right Whales Monitoring Policy Objectives

Current Econd 100 90 80 70 ? 60 50

Econd 40 30 20 10 0 1788 1798 1808 1818 1828 1838 1848 1858 1868 1878 1888 1898 1908 1918 1928 1938 1948 1958 1968 1978 1988 1998 2008 Year

100 90 80 70 60 50

Econd 40 30 20 10 0 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Year Moreton Bay Ramsar Site, QLD Monitoring Policy Objectives

BBB

CCC-C--- D/DD/DD/D-D/D ---

2011 2030

Moreton Bay held on to a High rainfall after a decade ‘Good ’ rating in spite of of drought A decade's Bay recovered 2011 Flood came increase in population – worth of sediment, slightly, but still on top of this significant investments in nutrients and other lower than recovery sewage treatment. contaminants was flushed average downstream .

Source: Assoc. Prof. Eva Abal North Central CMA, VIC Prioritising Management Actions SEQ Catchments, QLD Investment Strategies Accounting for Nature A C OMMON CURRENCY FOR MEASURING THE CONDITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSETS

Key messages

Designed as a feasibility study to inform national approach Now have methodological approach (published Quick Guide 2013) Identified needs and gaps (institutional arrangements, resourcing, data) Identified practical solutions Accounting for Nature A C OMMON CURRENCY FOR MEASURING THE CONDITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSETS

Lessons learned FEASIBLE: • Regions are right level -> but need some national coordination and resourcing ROBUST : • Science - the concepts of the Econd stack up; Future work in further developing set of best practice/standards • Environmental accounting – Does it align?; Future work in integrating condition measures PRACTICAL : • Annual accounts possible and supported -> not annual data collection • Processes (accreditation, multiscale accounts holders) ensure maximum application of framework Australian Regional Proof of Concept Trials Accounting for Nature

“Composite indicators should never be seen as a goal, per se, regardless of their quality. They should be seen, instead, as a starting point for initiating discussion and attracting public interest and concern.” European Commission Joint Research Centre, 2002

FULL REPORT AVAILABLE EARLY 2015

Carla Sbrocchi Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists WWW .WENTWORTHGROUP .ORG Condition of Native Vegetation across 7 Trial Regions

100

Econd 50

0 Namoi QMDB NACC SEQ Eyre Peninsula Corangamite North Central Region Central West, NSW Trends in condition and management response

100

30 Extent (% of reference) of (% Extent 20

0 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Dry sclerophyll forests (Shrubby subformation) Dry sclerophyll forests (Shrub/grass subformation)

Semi-arid woodlands (Shrubby subformation) Wet sclerophyll forests (Grassy subformation)

Forested wetlands Grassy woodlands

Grasslands Freshwater wetlands

Semi-arid woodlands (Grassy subformation) Arid shrublands (Acacia subformation)

Arid shrublands (Chenopod subformation) TOTAL EXTENT South East Queensland Catchments Trend in Estuary Condition All Estuaries 100 Albert River estuary 90 Bremer River estuary Brisbane River estuary 80 Cabbage Tree Creek estuary Caboolture River estuary 70 Coomera River estuary 60 Currumbin Creek estuary Eprapah Creek estuary 50 Logan River estuary

Econd 40 Maroochy River estuary Mooloolah River estuary 30 Nerang River estuary 20 North Pine River estuary Oxley Creek estuary 10 Pimpama River estuary Tallebudgera Creek estuary 0 Tingalpa Creek estuary 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Noosa River estuary Moreton Bay Ramsar site 100 Bramble Bay 90 Broadwater 80 70 Central Bay 60 Deception Bay 50 Eastern Banks

Econd 40 Eastern Bay 30 Pumicestone Passage 20 10 Southern Bay 0 Waterloo Bay 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Condition of Environmental Assets in each Region ( Econds )

Central West CMA Corangamite CMA Eyre Peninsula NRM Board New South Wales Victoria South Australia 100 100 100 80 80 80 60 60 60

Econd 40 40 40 20 20 20 0 0 0 Native Fauna Native Vegetation Wetlands Native Vegetation Whales

Northern Agricultural Namoi CMA North Central CMA Western Australia New South Wales Victoria 100 100 100 80 80 80 60 60 60 40 40 40 Econd 20 20 20 0 0 0 Native Vegetation Native Fauna (birds) Native Vegetation (Partial) Native Vegetation Rivers Wetlands

NRM North Queensland Murray Darling SEQ Catchments Tasmania Queensland Queensland 100 100 100 80 80 80 60 60 60

Econd 40 40 40 20 20 20 0 0 0 Native Vegetation Rivers Wetlands Native Rivers Moreton Estuaries Dugongs Rivers Estuaries Vegetation Bay (Novel) River Indicators SRA SEQ - EHMP Fish Phys / Chem Nutrient cycling Expectedness – – DelN – Nativeness – NPtoC Macro-invertebrates Biological – AssayCtrl - SIGNAL – DelC Hydrology – R24 – High-Flow Events – GPP Macro-l – Low- and Zero-Flow Events – Ref - MacroRich – Variability – Ref - PET – Seasonality – Ref - SIGNAL – Gross Volume Fish – Ref - PONSE – Ref - FishOE – Ref - PropAlien Accounting for Nature A C OMMON CURRENCY FOR MEASURING THE CONDITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSETS

Accounting for Nature provides physical, ongoing measures of environmental impact on environmental assets for decision-making

Biophysical Environment Physical Physical ASSETS ECOSYSTEM measures SERVICES measures Ecosystems

Quantity Quantity and Environmental- Quality economic assets

Decision- making Decision-making

Monetary Monetary measures measures