Australian Natural Resources Information 2002
National Land and Water Resources Audit, 2002
ISBN: 0 642 37131 8
Preface
The Hon. Warren Truss MP
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
The Hon. Dr David Kemp MP
Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Ministers
I have pleasure in presenting to you Australian Natural Resources Information 2002—a report of the National Land and Water Resources Audit (Audit).
For over one hundred years, politicians, industry and the community have sought better access to integrated and consistent information to support natural resource decision making, to set priorities and invest wisely in natural resource works and activities. Through Audit projects and a successful partnership between State, Territory and Commonwealth agencies, we now have an Australia-wide system of natural resource, agricultural, environmental and social information continuously available to the community.
The Natural Heritage Trust, through the Audit, has delivered significant improvements in the quality, consistency and availability of Australia-wide natural resources information to the community. These include:
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improved community access to data and information about natural resources;
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new natural resources data about land use, soils, salinity, estuaries, river condition, water and native vegetation resources; and
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a landmark agreement 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.
Improved community access to data and information about natural resources has come about by the establishment of one of the most comprehensive natural resource information systems in the world. This information is available through the Australian Natural Resources Atlas and Data Library where data and information that were previously dispersed and incompatible are now linked and integrated.
This information base must be built upon if the benefits—such as more informed, efficient and cost-effective natural-resource decision making—are to be fully realised.
The Audit provides a model for better doing government business. An Australia-wide partnership to provide natural resources information, assessment and reporting is advocated. This partnership would be coordinated by the Commonwealth working with the States, Territories and industry. Strategic and consistent collection and management of data will deliver efficiencies in data collection at the local scale. Collation and integration of well-managed local data into information products will then deliver efficiencies for natural resource management investments. The benefits of this more coordinated approach are across all sectors—community, industry, local, State and Commonwealth government.
The Audit Advisory Council commends this report to you, together with the supporting information in the Australian Natural Resources Atlas and Data Library. In total, they provide a significant information base for improved natural resource management within Australia.
I am pleased to present this report to the Natural Heritage Ministerial Board.
Yours sincerely
Roy Green
Chair
National Land and Water Resources Audit Advisory Council
January 2002