The land we live on

About half of Australia is still almost as natural as it was 200 years ago. But these are the remote and wilderness areas, and pressures on the settled areas are increasing. Over 80% of us live very close to the southern and eastern coasts in the big cities, and once-rural areas are along the coast have rapidly growing populations. Demands for water and power and transport and building land and waste disposal are putting pressure on resources, with native habitats becoming fragmented and environmental quality of land, streams, ocean and air being jeopardised. In agricultural areas, salinity and waterlogging and erosion are increasing problems.

But there are signs of hope.

Australia's State of the Environment report in 2001 noted:

• 63% of coastal areas in Victoria, 33% in NSW and 25% in Queensland are now protected in reserves.
• wet years in 1999-2000 and the spread of calicivirus to control rabbits meant the continent was greener in 2001 than in 1996. When and if the present drought breaks, this could be the case again
• over 2/3 of grain farmers now use conservation farming techniques to protect their land's soils
• more old-growth forests are now protected from logging

The report concludes:
'the pressures on Australia's landscapes have intensified and the condition of the lands continues to deteriorate. The response however is gaining momentum.'

For more information about the State of the Environment in Australia you can access the Australian Governments State of the Environment Report (http://www.deh.gov.au/soe/2001/index.html).