Queensland’s third State of the Environment report has
found that the state’s growing population is placing pressure
on the environment through increased land use, consumption of
energy and water and waste generation.
The report finds the average Queenslander’s ecological
footprint, which measures sustainable consumption, while nearly
three and a half times higher than the world average, is lower than
the Australian average.
According to the report, Queensland’s current rate of
resource consumption is not sustainable in the long term.
Other key findings outlined in the report include:
- The major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in
Queensland are, in decreasing order of significance, electricity,
agriculture, land clearing and transport;
- In the five years to March 2007, nearly all of Queensland
received below average or well below average rainfall;
- Queensland’s air has become cleaner as measured by the
Air National Environmental Protection measure;
- The state’s average temperature increased by one degree
Celsius between 1910 and 2006;
- Fresh water habitats are under increasing pressure from
drought, floods, climate change and Queensland’s burgeoning
population;
- Agriculture is the major user of surface water in Queensland,
consuming 67% of the total water used in the state
The 2007 report’s key findings, the Queensland
Government’s response to the report, and the full report are
available:
www.epa.qld.gov.au/environmental_management/state_of_the_environment
