This report summarises 25 years of change in Australia’s environment based on national indicators. It shows persistent environmental pressures, limited national-scale improvement, and substantial regional variation.
History of Australia’s Environment Report
Over its ten-year life, the Australia’s Environment report has evolved into a comprehensive annual assessment of the nation’s environmental condition, synthesising large volumes of environmental data into accessible insights. Initiated by Albert van Dijk and the team at the ANU Centre for Water and Landscape Dynamics, the first report for 2015 focused mainly on remotely sensed and model- estimated data, particularly relating to water availability and vegetation condition. In subsequent years, new sections were introduced to broaden the report’s scope, covering topics such as global change, human pressures, and the marine environment.
Ecologist Shoshana Rapley joined the team in 2019, bringing expertise on biodiversity, including threatened and invasive species. Production would not be possible without the contributions and publicly available data provided by several national and international government agencies and research organisations. Design and delivery have also advanced. Report production and the interactive data explorer were made possible by the NCRIS- enabled National Computational Infrastructure and developed by Joel Rahman of Flowmatters, joined more recently by Pablo Larraondo Rozas and his team at Haizea Analytics. Partnering with NCRIS-enabled TERN in 2020 made it possible to expand the report’s reach, including further refinement and improved design of the report, website, and data infrastructure. In 2022, biodiversity reporting received a boost from the involvement of Tayla Lawrie of the TERN Threatened Species Index team.
Regional environmental scorecards were also introduced along the way to provide more detailed local assessments, increasing the report’s relevance to local stakeholders. The team has grown steadily over time and continues to explore ways to broaden and deepen the report’s scope through new data sources and collaborations.
Between 2000 and 2004
Environmental condition
The Environmental Condition Score—a combined measure of water, vegetation, and landscape condition—showed no national trend, but improved in Victoria, Tasmania, and the ACT.
Global change
Carbon dioxide levels rose 15%, contributing to a global temperature increase of about 0.64 °C. Sea ice shrank at both poles, while the Antarctic ozone hole decreased by around 15%.
Oceans
Global sea level rose by 88 mm. Sea surface temperatures around Australia rose by 0.43 °C, contributing to more marine heatwaves. The Great Barrier Reef experienced repeated bleaching and cyclone damage.
People
Australia’s population grew by 44%, reaching 27.5 million and increasing pressure on land, water, and ecosystems. Per-person emissions fell, but total emissions remained high.
Weather and climate
Rainfall showed no clear national trend, though some eastern regions became wetter. Average temperature over land rose by 0.81 °C. The number of hot days increased by 16 days or 22%, while frost and snow cover declined.
Water
Nationally, river inflows and flood extent did not show clear trends. Some eastern catchments saw increases. Water security improved since the Millennium drought but some systems remain vulnerable.
Soils
There was no clear national trend in soil moisture or bare ground. Southeast regions became wetter whereas bare soil increased near the major cities due to development.
Vegetation
National vegetation indicators appear stable. Growth and woody vegetation cover increased in the north and east but declined in parts of Western Australia.
Fire
National burned area and fire emissions do not show trends but vary between years. While coastal regions in the east trended towards higher fuel moisture conditions, year-to-year there is increasing variation in this measure. The 2019/2020 Black Summer fires are evidence of such variation.
Biodiversity
741 species were added to the list of threatened species, a 53% increase. The main threats include habitat loss, invasive species and changes in climate and weather extremes. Some species benefited from targeted conservation.
