Recognition of Aboriginal cultural heritage
The Office of the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment recognises that Aboriginal people have traditionally had responsibility for custodianship of their country. Traditional custodianship acknowledged the spiritual and physical values of natural ecosystems of the region.
The Office of the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment acknowledges the continuation of these responsibilities and supports partnerships in the planning and management of the natural ecosystems of the region.
I am pleased to present the seventh State of the Environment Report for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It is prepared in accordance with the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment Act 1993. The Hon. Mr Simon Corbell, MLA, Minister for the Environment, agreed to the report being presented for transmission to the Legislative Assembly.
The 2015 report has been developed independently by the Office of the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment, assisted by the views of a wide range of experts. It builds on the strong legacy of the past Commissioners and staff who have prepared reports every four years since 1994–95. It completes the significant work undertaken under Robert Neil’s leadership during the past four years.
In preparing this State of the Environment Report, this Office has used a set of indicators consistent with previous reports so that trends can be revealed and changes assessed. However, we are aware that this indicator set has some limitations in providing a holistic picture of sustainability outcomes for the ACT. The Office intends to review the indicators as part of the statutory review of the state of the environment reporting process and the ongoing work of the Office in integrating the consideration of ecologically sustainable development into reporting.
This report undertakes the important task of collating the best information and standing back to assess how our environment is fairing on our watch. The dedicated staff of this Office have sought to access the best available information and use the assessment tools wisely. In doing so, they have relied on independent assistance and advice. The report has benefited from the contributions of highly qualified and passionate people, and outstanding institutions (listed in the acknowledgements). I welcome any additional advice that would improve the process and will consider it in the review of this report.
The context for this report is an increasingly highly modified environment. Human impact has reached even the most remote areas of wilderness, and climate change poses a significant threat. We must manage these threats and impacts, and we cannot wait until we have perfect information. What we can do is work with the best information available. The ACT is in the fortunate position to have an incredible wealth of scientific and practical environmental expertise. We are generally well placed to make informed decisions while continuing to build our knowledge base and recalibrate our actions. This ‘adaptive management’ approach is a logical, rational and cost-effective way to proceed.
Our biggest environmental challenge is climate change. It is the ‘tragedy of the commons’ on a global scale – climate change is the result of our combined decisions and behaviour – yet it is all of us that stand to lose from the degraded or dysfunctional ecosystems that will result.
Despite this, the key message from this State of the Environment Report is positive. On the defining issue of climate change, the ACT community and its Government have acted locally and shown leadership that will hopefully inspire other jurisdictions to commit to action.
We have also generally managed the local environment well, using an adaptive management approach to uncertainty. Where there are concerns and issues that this Office has raised previously, there is evidence of effort to address these. Where we consider there is still work to be done, we have made recommendations in this report. These are a short list of focused and targeted recommendations, and it is hoped that these will assist the Government in prioritising expenditure of funding given the many competing pressures on the budget.
I congratulate the community and the ACT Government for their commitment to improving the sustainability and resilience of our Territory and showing leadership in tackling climate change, our most pressing environmental challenge.
Ann Lyons Wright MEnv Stud, MMgt, BSc, Dip Ed
Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment
Australian Capital Territory