Australian Natural Resources Information 2002

National Land and Water Resources Audit, 2002
ISBN: 0 642 37131 8

Introduction

Before Federation, a Royal Commission into water conservation in New South Wales in 1887 reported on the adequacy of information about water resources:

On entering our duties we found ... that information available regarding our rivers was meagre and fragmentary, and that in some important points public opinion was in danger of being misled by statements and theories which there was ample evidence to refute.

... we beg to recommend that the maintenance of river gauge records as extended by us should be made still more complete, and the records kept continuously and in a careful and systematic manner.

Parliament of the Colony of New South Wales (1887)

One hundred and fourteen years after the Royal Commission, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Environment and Heritage Inquiry into Catchment Management reported:

... from the evidence it has received, it is convinced that there is enough information to formulate policies and strategies. The Committee, however, is aware that the dissemination of reliable information throughout government, industry and local communities can be very poor.

... It is also clear that ineffective use of data have limited the success of current catchment management programs.

... the Committee concludes that while there is an expanding body of information in this area, it is often inaccessible, patchy, uncoordinated and uncollated.

Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia (2001)

The messages about the availability and quality of natural resources information today are fundamentally the same as in 1887. In many cases there is already ample information to inform debate, but:

data and information are often fragmented and difficult to find;
some fundamental natural resource data
are not being managed systematically; and
coordinated programs are needed to maintain and fill gaps in time series data.

Australian Natural Resources Information 2002 describes the progress made by the Audit and its State, Territory, Commonwealth and industry partners in addressing these issues.

Community access to data and information about natural resources has been improved by establishing one of the world's most comprehensive natural resource information systems. Access is through the Australian Natural Resources Atlas and Data Library where results of Audit assessments and integrated views of data and information are presented.
New Australia-wide natural resources data about land use, soils, salinity, estuaries, water and native vegetation resources have been developed.
A landmark agreement has been developed between the Audit and ANZLIC - the Spatial Information Council, supported by the Commonwealth and all States and Territories, to significantly streamline access to data required for natural resource assessments and management.

Collecting, collating and standardising information through programs such as the Audit is expensive. Lessons from the past suggest there is a danger that the systems, data and partnerships that have been developed over the past four years will not be maintained. This report provides a plan to help ensure that this investment is not lost.

Summary of recommendations

This report discusses the development of Australia-wide natural resource information and demonstrates the benefits of a coordinated and integrated approach to the development of information products to support natural resource managers. It also highlights areas where we must better manage our investment in information.

Recommendations are summarised below and are described in detail in the report:

Building fundamental data

Consistent, Australia-wide natural resource data must be maintained and updated to recognised standards to support multiple uses by governments, industry and the community. Maintenance of the data will support applications including:

future natural resource assessments;
programs such as the Natural Heritage Trust and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality; and
local, regional and national State of the Environment reporting.

It is recommended that the following Australia-wide databases developed by the Audit continue to be updated and maintained as part of the Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure. They should be maintained by a partnership of governments, industry and community.

Surface water and groundwater use, availability and allocation: five-yearly updates coordinated by Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia
Surface water management areas: five-yearly updates coordinated by Geoscience Australia
Land use and land management: 2003 update undertaken by Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia
Native vegetation: five-yearly updates coordinated by Environment Australia in partnership with Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia
Salinity extent and groundwater flow systems: maintenance and update coordinated by Agriculture Fisheries Forestry Australia in partnership with the National Dryland Salinity Program
Soil properties: maintenance and update coordinated by CSIRO Division of Land and Water as part of the Australian Collaborative Land Evaluation Program
River health: five-yearly updates coordinated by Environment Australia
Estuaries: five-yearly updates coordinated by Geoscience Australia

Australia-wide, multi-scaled databases should be based on the best available local, regional and national data.

Providing community access to information

Increasing availability and use of natural resource information maximises investment in data and is an essential part of gaining widespread understanding of the extent and significance of natural resource issues. From this understanding, governments, industry and the community can determine priorities for managing natural resources.

To further develop a network of community information services that can support natural resource management and reporting applications, it is recommended that the Australian Natural Resources Atlas and Data Library be maintained as part of the Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure.

Maximising value for money

To assist developing consistent, quality data, it is recommended that all agencies use standard conditions in contracts and agreements when funding collection of natural resource data. Conditions should seek to improve the availability of consistent natural resource data to government, industry and the community.

Reporting progress

It is recommended that progress implementing the natural resource spatial data infrastructure be reviewed annually by ANZLIC - the Spatial Information Council and reported to the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council.

Australian Natural Resources Atlas