State of Environment report highlights challenges ahead
Published Saturday, 12 April, 2008 at 12:01 AM
Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation
The Honourable Andrew McNamara
A new report on the state of the environment in Queensland identifies climate change as the next challenge facing our environment.
Minister for Sustainability, Climate and Innovation, Andrew McNamara, said the State of the Environment Queensland Report 2007 contains the most comprehensive information on environmental performance available.
“The report – presented by more than 100 experts across government and academic institutions – identifies climate change as an issue of international significance and local consequences,” Mr McNamara said.
“The potential impacts of climate change on Queensland’s natural environment presents challenges for the state’s biodiversity, lifestyle and economy.
“Since the previous State of the Environment Report in 2003, the State Government has implemented several key policies, to address these challenges.
“However, our environment is under increasing pressure from a rapidly growing population that is consuming more land, more energy and more water, generating more waste and impacting on the natural systems that support life.
“Addressing the potential impacts of climate change is the big challenge facing all individuals, organisations and communities, so that we can preserve both our lifestyle and the environment.
“Our future depends on building resilience into our systems so that the environment, society and the economy are all in good condition and work in harmony together.”
Among the key findings of the report are:
• the ecological footprint – a measure of sustainable consumption – for the average Queenslander is nearly three and a half times higher than the world average;
• the state’s average temperature increased by one degree Celsius between 1910 and 2006;
• in the five years to March 2007, nearly all of Queensland received below average or well below average rainfall;
• Queensland’s air has become cleaner as measured by the Air National Environmental Protection measure;
• beef cattle and sheep graze approximately 85 percent of the state’s land, while crops account for only about 2 percent;
• fresh water habitats are under increasing pressure from drought, floods, climate change and Queensland’s burgeoning population;
• the condition of rivers in northern regions was better than in southern regions;
• agriculture is the major user of surface water in Queensland, currently standing at 67 percent of the total water used;
• the Queensland Government bore capping program in the Great Artesian Basin has saved 130,000 megalitres of water each year;
• the loss of remnant vegetation hasn’t changed significantly since 2003;
• trawl fishers trialling bycatch reduction devices have reported reductions greater than 20 percent in the eastern king prawn, tiger prawn and scallop fisheries;
• almost half the flora and fauna species living in Queensland aren’t found anywhere else in the world;
• there are more native plants and animals living in Queensland than any other state of Australia;
• there has been a reduction in the number of presumed extinct flora species with the rediscovery of two species previously thought to be extinct;
• there was a 26 percent decline from 1997 to 2005 in the koala population in the south-east Queensland Koala Coast due to urban expansion;
• pest animals cost Queensland at least $110 million a year by preying on livestock, causing crop losses, competing for pasture and spreading disease;
• invasive weeds cost Queensland an estimated $600 million a year in lost primary production and control;
• public transport patronage in south-east Queensland increased by 9 percent in 2004-05 and 11 percent in 2005-06; and
• In 2004-05, Queenslanders generated 314 kg of domestic waste per capita, with only about 50 kg per capita recycled.
Mr McNamara said the Queensland Government had introduced a broad range of initiatives to meet the challenge of climate change and to build resilience into the environment to cope with the range of activities associated with human habitation.
He said these are outlined in a companion Government Response document to the State of the Environment Report.
“The Queensland Government takes seriously its responsibility to protect and preserve our environment so that it can sustain civilisation for many centuries to come.
“An important component of protection is monitoring the state of the environment so that any deterioration can be identified and rectified.
“The State of the Environment Report provides a measure against which past actions can be assessed and future initiatives judged.”
Copies of the key findings, the Queensland Government response and the full report are available at: www.epa.qld.gov.au/environmental_management/state_of_the_environment.
Media contact: Peter McCarthy 3336 8004
Minister for Sustainability, Climate and Innovation, Andrew McNamara, said the State of the Environment Queensland Report 2007 contains the most comprehensive information on environmental performance available.
“The report – presented by more than 100 experts across government and academic institutions – identifies climate change as an issue of international significance and local consequences,” Mr McNamara said.
“The potential impacts of climate change on Queensland’s natural environment presents challenges for the state’s biodiversity, lifestyle and economy.
“Since the previous State of the Environment Report in 2003, the State Government has implemented several key policies, to address these challenges.
“However, our environment is under increasing pressure from a rapidly growing population that is consuming more land, more energy and more water, generating more waste and impacting on the natural systems that support life.
“Addressing the potential impacts of climate change is the big challenge facing all individuals, organisations and communities, so that we can preserve both our lifestyle and the environment.
“Our future depends on building resilience into our systems so that the environment, society and the economy are all in good condition and work in harmony together.”
Among the key findings of the report are:
• the ecological footprint – a measure of sustainable consumption – for the average Queenslander is nearly three and a half times higher than the world average;
• the state’s average temperature increased by one degree Celsius between 1910 and 2006;
• in the five years to March 2007, nearly all of Queensland received below average or well below average rainfall;
• Queensland’s air has become cleaner as measured by the Air National Environmental Protection measure;
• beef cattle and sheep graze approximately 85 percent of the state’s land, while crops account for only about 2 percent;
• fresh water habitats are under increasing pressure from drought, floods, climate change and Queensland’s burgeoning population;
• the condition of rivers in northern regions was better than in southern regions;
• agriculture is the major user of surface water in Queensland, currently standing at 67 percent of the total water used;
• the Queensland Government bore capping program in the Great Artesian Basin has saved 130,000 megalitres of water each year;
• the loss of remnant vegetation hasn’t changed significantly since 2003;
• trawl fishers trialling bycatch reduction devices have reported reductions greater than 20 percent in the eastern king prawn, tiger prawn and scallop fisheries;
• almost half the flora and fauna species living in Queensland aren’t found anywhere else in the world;
• there are more native plants and animals living in Queensland than any other state of Australia;
• there has been a reduction in the number of presumed extinct flora species with the rediscovery of two species previously thought to be extinct;
• there was a 26 percent decline from 1997 to 2005 in the koala population in the south-east Queensland Koala Coast due to urban expansion;
• pest animals cost Queensland at least $110 million a year by preying on livestock, causing crop losses, competing for pasture and spreading disease;
• invasive weeds cost Queensland an estimated $600 million a year in lost primary production and control;
• public transport patronage in south-east Queensland increased by 9 percent in 2004-05 and 11 percent in 2005-06; and
• In 2004-05, Queenslanders generated 314 kg of domestic waste per capita, with only about 50 kg per capita recycled.
Mr McNamara said the Queensland Government had introduced a broad range of initiatives to meet the challenge of climate change and to build resilience into the environment to cope with the range of activities associated with human habitation.
He said these are outlined in a companion Government Response document to the State of the Environment Report.
“The Queensland Government takes seriously its responsibility to protect and preserve our environment so that it can sustain civilisation for many centuries to come.
“An important component of protection is monitoring the state of the environment so that any deterioration can be identified and rectified.
“The State of the Environment Report provides a measure against which past actions can be assessed and future initiatives judged.”
Copies of the key findings, the Queensland Government response and the full report are available at: www.epa.qld.gov.au/environmental_management/state_of_the_environment.
Media contact: Peter McCarthy 3336 8004