Australia : OECD environmental performance reviews.

308 Pages·2007·5.977 MB·English

by  ;

OECD Environmental Performance Reviews
AUSTRALIA
OECD Environmental
Topics covered: Latest reviews available Performance Reviews
• OECD countries 2001
Water Management • Germany 2001
Nature and Biodiversity Management • Iceland 2001 AUSTRALIA
Air Quality Management • Norway 2001
• Portugal 2001
Environment-Economy Interface
• Slovak Republic 2002
Agriculture and Environment
• Japan 2002
Environmental-Social Interface • United Kingdom 2002
International Commitments and Co-operation • Italy 2002
• Netherlands 2003
This book is part of the OECD Environmental •• PMoelxaincdo 22000033 O
E
Performance Reviews Programme which conducts peer • Austria 2003 C
• Canada 2004 D
reviews of environmental conditions and progress in • Sweden 2004 E
each member country. It scrutinises efforts to meet both • Spain 2004 nv
domestic objectives and international commitments. • France 2005 ir
o
The analyses presented are supported by a broad • Chile* 2005 n
m
• Czech Republic 2005
range of economic and environmental data and lead e
• United States 2006 n
to recommendations for further environmental and t
• Korea 2006 a
sustainable development progress. • New Zealand 2007 l P
e
A first cycle of Environmental Performance Reviews, • China* 2007 r
f
• Belgium 2007 o
covering all member countries was completed in r
• Switzerland 2007 m
2000. The second cycle focuses on environmental • Denmark 2008 a
n
management, sustainable development and • Australia 2008 c
e
international commitments. * Non-OECD member country. R
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OECD Environmental
Performance
Reviews
AUSTRALIA
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION
AND DEVELOPMENT
The OECD is a unique forum where the governments of 30 democracies work
together to address the economic, social and environmental challenges of globalisation.
The OECD is also at the forefront of efforts to understand and to help governments
respond to new developments and concerns, such as corporate governance, the
information economy and the challenges of an ageing population. The Organisation
provides a setting where governments can compare policy experiences, seek answers to
common problems, identify good practice and work to co-ordinate domestic and
international policies.
The OECD member countries are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the
Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey,
the United Kingdom and the United States. The Commission of the European
Communities takes part in the work of the OECD.
OECD Publishing disseminates widely the results of the Organisation’s statistics
gathering and research on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as the
conventions, guidelines and standards agreed by its members.
This work is published on the responsibility of the Secretary-General of
the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not
necessarily reflect the official views of the Organisation or of the governments
of its member countries.
Also available in French under the title:
Examens environnementaux de l’OCDE
AUSTRALIE
© OECD 2007
No reproduction, copy, transmission or translation of this publication may be made without written permission.
Applications should be sent to OECD Publishing: [email protected] or by fax [phone]. Permission to photocopy a
portion of this work should be addressed to the Centre français d'exploitation du droit de copie, 20, rue des
Grands-Augustins, 75006 Paris, France ([email protected]).
OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Australia 3
FOREWORD
The principal aim of the OECD’s Environmental Performance Reviews
programme is to help member countries improve their individual and collective
performances in environmental management with the following primary goals:
– to help individual governments assess progress;
– to promote a continuous policy dialogue among member countries, through a
peer review process; and
– to stimulate greater accountability from member countries’ governments
towards their public opinion, within developed countries and beyond.
Environmental performance is assessed with regard to the degree of achievement
of domestic objectives and international commitments. Such objectives and
commitments may be broad aims, specific qualitative goals, precise quantitative
targets or a commitment to a set of measures to be taken. Assessment of
environmental performance is also placed within the context of historical
environmental records, the present state of the environment, the physical endowment
of the country in natural resources, its economic conditions and demographic trends.
These systematic and independent reviews have been conducted for all member
countries as part of the first cycle of reviews. The OECD is now engaged in the
second cycle of reviews directed at promoting sustainable development, with
emphasis on implementation of domestic and international environmental policy, as
well as on the integration of economic, social and environmental decision-making.
The present report reviews environmental performance of Australia. The OECD
extends its most sincere thanks to all those who helped in the course of this review, to
the representatives of member countries to the Working Party on Environmental
Performance, and especially to the examining countries (Austria, New Zealand,
United Kingdom and United States) and their experts. The OECD is particularly
indebted to the Government of Australia for its co-operation in expediting the
provision of information and the organisation of the experts’ mission to Australia, and
in facilitating contacts with many individuals both inside and outside administrative
and governmental structures. The present review benefited from grant support from
Japan and Switzerland.
© OECD 2007
4 OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Australia
The OECD Working Party on Environmental Performance conducted the review
of Australia at its meeting on 27June 2007 and approved its conclusions and
recommendations.
Lorents G.Lorentsen
Director, Environment Directorate
© OECD 2007
OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Australia 5
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS........................................ 15
1. Environmental Management........................................................................ 16
Strengthening the implementation of environmental policies...................... 16
Water resources management....................................................................... 17
Air quality management............................................................................... 19
Nature and biodiversity management........................................................... 21
2. Towards Sustainable Development.............................................................. 22
Integration of environmental concerns into economic decisions................. 22
Agriculture and environment....................................................................... 24
Integration of environmental and social decisions....................................... 26
3. International Commitments and Co-operation............................................. 27
Part I
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
2. WATER MANAGEMENT............................................................................. 29
Recommendations.............................................................................................. 30
Conclusions....................................................................................................... 30
1. Reforming the Water Management Framework........................................... 31
1.1 Institutions and legislation.................................................................. 32
1.2 National and Australian Government objectives................................ 34
1.3 Implementing the Water Management Reform.................................. 34
2. Restoring the Murray-Darling Basin System............................................... 42
2.1 Murray-Darling Basin Cap................................................................. 44
2.2 Salinity management.......................................................................... 44
2.3 Living Murray Initiative..................................................................... 46
3. Making Better Use of Water Resources....................................................... 47
3.1 Water use in agriculture...................................................................... 47
3.2 Urban water use.................................................................................. 52
3.3 Water re-use........................................................................................ 53
3.4 Droughts, floods and coastal storms................................................... 53
© OECD 2007
6 OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Australia
4. Water Quality............................................................................................... 54
4.1 Freshwaters......................................................................................... 54
4.2 Estuaries and coastal waters............................................................... 58
5. Economic and Financing.............................................................................. 58
5.1 Water prices........................................................................................ 58
5.2 Pollution charges................................................................................ 60
5.3 Government funding programmes...................................................... 61
Selected Sources................................................................................................ 66
3. NATURE AND BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT................................... 69
Recommendations.............................................................................................. 70
Conclusions....................................................................................................... 70
1. Nature Management Framework.................................................................. 71
1.1 Legislation and objectives.................................................................. 71
1.2 Institutional arrangements for nature management............................ 72
2. Current Status and Threats........................................................................... 76
3. Progress in Protecting Areas........................................................................ 78
3.1 Terrestrial protected areas................................................................... 80
3.2 Forests................................................................................................. 82
3.3 Wetlands............................................................................................. 84
3.4 Marine protected areas........................................................................ 86
4. Progress in Protecting Species..................................................................... 87
5. Encouraging Biodiversity on Private Land.................................................. 91
5.1 Ecosystem loss due to land clearance................................................. 91
5.2 Dryland salinity.................................................................................. 92
5.3 Weeds and invasive species................................................................ 93
6. Economic Aspects of Biodiversity Conservation......................................... 93
6.1 Economic value of biodiversity.......................................................... 93
6.2 Conservation incentives...................................................................... 95
7. International Commitments.......................................................................... 99
Selected Sources................................................................................................ 103
4. AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT................................................................. 107
Recommendations.............................................................................................. 108
Conclusions....................................................................................................... 108
1. Objectives and Institutional Framework...................................................... 109
2. Performance................................................................................................. 112
2.1 Ambient air quality in urban areas..................................................... 115
2.2 Regional ambient air quality.............................................................. 118
© OECD 2007
OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Australia 7
2.3 Health effects of air pollution............................................................. 120
2.4 Energy related greenhouse gas emissions.......................................... 121
3. Air Management........................................................................................... 122
3.1 Enforcement and use of economic instruments.................................. 122
3.2 Air monitoring and reporting.............................................................. 126
4. Integration of Air Management into Transport Policies.............................. 127
4.1 Fuels................................................................................................... 129
4.2 Vehicles............................................................................................... 131
4.3 Traffic management............................................................................ 132
4.4 Perspectives........................................................................................ 133
5. Integration of Air Management in Energy Policies...................................... 134
5.1 Sectoral trends.................................................................................... 134
5.2 Energy policies and the environment................................................. 136
Selected Sources................................................................................................ 140
Part II
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
5. ENVIRONMENT-ECONOMY INTERFACE............................................. 143
Recommendations.............................................................................................. 144
Conclusions....................................................................................................... 144
Integration of environmental concerns into economic decisions................. 144
Strengthening the implementation of environmental policies...................... 145
1. Progress towards Sustainable Development................................................ 146
1.1 Sustainable development: decoupling results..................................... 146
1.2 Sustainable development: objectives, institutions.............................. 151
1.3 Sustainable development in practice.................................................. 155
1.4 Environmental expenditure................................................................ 164
2. Implementing Environmental Policies......................................................... 164
2.1 Australian environmental federation.................................................. 164
2.2 Legislation, agreements and frameworks........................................... 169
2.3 Regulatory instruments....................................................................... 177
2.4 Economic instruments........................................................................ 183
2.5 Voluntary and partnership approaches................................................ 187
2.6 Other instruments............................................................................... 188
Selected Sources................................................................................................ 195
© OECD 2007
8 OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Australia
6. AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT.................................................... 201
Recommendations.............................................................................................. 202
Conclusions....................................................................................................... 202
1. Agricultural Policy Objectives Related to the Environment........................ 204
2. Management of Impacts on Land and Soil Quality...................................... 209
2.1 Erosion................................................................................................ 209
2.2 Salinity................................................................................................ 210
2.3 Acidity................................................................................................ 212
2.4 Agrochemicals.................................................................................... 212
3. Management of Impacts on Water................................................................ 215
4. Management of Impacts on Biodiversity..................................................... 218
5. Agriculture and Climate Change.................................................................. 220
Selected Sources................................................................................................ 224
7. ENVIRONMENTAL-SOCIAL INTERFACE.............................................. 227
Recommendations.............................................................................................. 228
Conclusions....................................................................................................... 228
1. Management Framework and Policy Objectives......................................... 229
1.1 Sustainable development framework.................................................. 229
1.2 Recommendations of the 1998OECD Review.................................. 230
2. Environmental Democracy........................................................................... 230
2.1 Access to official information............................................................ 230
2.2 Corporate information........................................................................ 232
2.3 Access to justice................................................................................. 233
2.4 Public participation............................................................................. 233
2.5 Engagement of Indigenous peoples in environmental management.. 238
3. Environmental Awareness and Education.................................................... 239
3.1 Environmental awareness................................................................... 239
3.2 Environmental education.................................................................... 239
4. Environment and Health............................................................................... 241
4.1 Estimated environmental health costs................................................ 242
4.2 Sustainable environmental health....................................................... 244
5. Environment and Employment..................................................................... 244
Selected Sources................................................................................................ 245
© OECD 2007