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SoE what? Has ten years or more of SoE reporting across Australia created or contributed to any environmental improvements or outcomes?
State of the Environment (SoE) Reporting has been carried out in Australia in various forms and across different levels of government for more than a decade. Under statutory and non statutory reporting provisions, SoE reports are intended to provide a “snapshot” or statement of environmental status at the national, regional or local levels, and provide an early notification of deteriorating resource conditions in time for policy- and decision-makers to proactively respond through relevant policies, strategies or other programs.
With more than a decade of practical experience in SoE reporting at various levels of government, stakeholders are entitled to ask what, if anything, has SoE reporting achieved, what has been learned as a result of preparing these reports and, has the investment in time and resources contributed toward or made any significant difference in improved outcomes for the natural and urban environment?
NSW is the only State where local councils have a statutory requirement to prepare annual state of the environment reports, although in other jurisdictions voluntary reporting has been undertaken by numerous councils in the form of Local Agenda 21 reports, Catchment Management Plans, Local Conservation Plans or similar. In the absence of other forms of sustainability reporting, many users have assumed that SoE reports can also usefully transmit findings related to sustainability status or progress as well.
This presentation attempts to outline practitioner’s experiences in SoE reporting, its success or otherwise in delivering on the interpretations of the statutory and non statutory reporting provisions and on the range of outcomes that make up expectations of an SoE target audience. In the event of shortcomings discussed, the author will also attempt to use the current evaluations or studies to identify changes that could be applied to improve the useful application of SoE reporting and consider the question as to whether SoE reporting has had its day and should be discontinued as a reporting measure.
