1997 ACT Region State of the Environment Report - Executive Summary

Overall Message

This is the first Regional State of the Environment Report that crosses State/Territory borders. It therefore links political processes, as well as linking the major themes which comprise the environment – atmosphere, water, land, biodiversity and human settlement. In this first Report, the human settlement component has not been addressed, at the Regional level, to the same extent as it has been for the ACT, because the NSW legislation did not give this aspect the same emphasis as does the ACT legislation.

The Report has been prepared through the Office of the Commissioner for the Environment, ACT, Canberra, for the Australian Capital Region Leaders Forum and has depended on the expertise of the expert members of five Reference Groups, to cover each of the major themes, interaction with officers of each Local Government Authority and of the ACT Government, and with a special consultative group established by the Regional Leaders Forum.

The Report illustrates that the Australian Capital Region is an area of significant ecological diversity, extending from the South-East Coast of New South Wales, across the Great Dividing Range, to the highest mountains of Australia, and to portions of the Murray-Darling Basin. The Region has relatively low population density and does not have high concentration of industries which are heavy users of energy, or which generate damaging gaseous emissions.

This Report is a starting point. It is certainly not an end-product, and we are hopeful that different sectors of the community will be able to provide information which may be useful for , and used in, future State of the Environment Reports.

The Report makes it clear that there are potential economies and efficiencies to be achieved by planning and operating on a regional scale - for both local and regional benefit, not only in enhancing the environment, but also in identifying opportunities for new types of sustainable development in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors.

Atmosphere

In general terms, the atmospheric conditions and air quality are of high standard, and encourage outdoor activities in all seasons.

Inventories of Greenhouse gas emissions are not available for the Region. The ACT has recently updated its inventory to show some increase in total Greenhouse gas emissions.

At this stage, it is not recommended that additional monitoring for Greenhouse gas emissions be introduced in the Region. However if specific industries commence in a Regional centre, it is recommended that the Environmental Impact Assessment include consideration of Greenhouse gas emission levels.

At a later stage, this Report recommends expanded commitment to revegetation, and adoption of that recommendation would result in a lowering of CO2 levels.

It is possible that the Region will be influenced by any changes of a global nature, in climate change and in UV irradiation characteristics which result from our enhanced Greenhouse effect.

All contributing Governments are aware that motor transport is a major source of air pollution and could impact on air quality close to major highways.

Motor vehicles are also believed to be the major source of airborne lead substances, and the "lead-free" fuels are almost certainly resulting in reduced levels of these pollutants.

All airborne lead measurements in the ACT are well below the current NHMRC guideline.

There is no monitoring in the LGAs of the Region for lead, for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, for suspended particles, or for haze, but the chemicals identified are unlikely to approach minimum levels established as guidelines in these areas. Suspended particles may be obvious at times of bushfires, and haze occurs periodically.

In the ACT, carbon monoxide levels have been recorded above the level of the 8-hour NHMRC guidelines at the Civic monitoring site in winter.

The Report analyses rainfall and its variability and also temperature and its variability. Because these factors are so important to rural operators, and because the existing monitoring sites suggest significant fluctuations in both area and season, it is noted that assessment of climatic variability, and monitoring for evidence of possible climatic change, require at least monthly records from a network of stations representative of all the climatic zones in the region. In addition, these records need to span long periods of time to provide useful climatological information about the present and past states of the climate – the necessary benchmark against which to assess the climate of the years ahead. It is important that long-term monitoring stations, particularly of rainfall and temperature, be maintained, covering at least 100 years.

This need should be considered by the Regional Leaders.

Water

On the basis of available information it appears that the water quality throughout the Region meets NHMRC guidelines, but the monitoring protocols need to be reassessed to ensure that comparisons can be made across the Region.

Much of the population of the Australian Capital Region is connected to reticulated water sourced from groundwater, stored water (in dams) or from rivers. Not one Local Government needed to impose water restrictions during the 1996/97 reporting period, despite lower than average rainfall over the same period in some of the southern inland Government Areas.

A groundwater survey conducted by the Department of Land and Water Conservation in 1994 indicated that some townships were reaching their population limit with respect to water supply. However, this was not apparent from the 1996/97 results. Furthermore, for those areas relying on dams for water supply, most water supply storages were at more than 85% of full capacity.

Where data are available, it is apparent that water use overall has generally not increased during the 1996/97 reporting period. This is partly a result of stable or, in some places, declining populations. As a broad generalisation, areas in higher rainfall zones, such as Tumut, used less water per capita than Shires located in drier areas, such as the ACT and Queanbeyan.

Due to the cost of augmenting current water supplies, many Local Governments (and the ACT) have introduced a range of measures such as user-pays schemes to encourage consumers to use less water. The impact of this is seen in a reduction in per capita use.

Drinking water in the Australian Capital Region is generally of a high standard, with most Local Governments achieving a success rate in excess of 90% in terms of delivering water within the NHMRC guidelines.

Most water supply authorities in the Australian Capital Region have found it necessary to at least disinfect raw water by chlorination prior to reticulation. In the few places where this has not happened, a relatively high number of failures due to high bacteria levels in drinking water has caused Councils to commence chlorination of supply.

Waters sourced from relatively undisturbed catchments, such as the Cotter system in the ACT and the Eurobodalla Shire, have needed little further treatment. Waters from catchments with higher levels of modification, such as clearing for agriculture, have required further treatment such as filtration and sometimes even flocculation. Examples include water from the Googong Dam used for supply to the ACT and Queanbeyan only when necessary to augment the higher quality water from the Cotter system, and waters used for supply to townships in the Shires of Yass and Tumut.

There is a general concern for increasing salt levels in streams and rivers.

The highest stream salinity values have been recorded in catchments experiencing extensive land degradation problems such as high groundwater levels and dryland salinity. In general these catchments were amongst the earliest in the region which were developed for agriculture. The Yass River and parts of the Molonglo Rivers, in particular, have experienced high salinity levels for large parts of the reporting period, with values of more than 1000uS/m recorded during summer. Some of this may, however, be attributable to the local geology in places.

Streams in Shires with a lesser degree of clearing, such as the coastal Shires, tend to have waters of relatively low salinity.

Most rivers in the Australian Capital Region have been substantially modified. The Upper Murrumbidgee River has many water supply dams constructed, and additional flow has been diverted into the Murrumbidgee River system for the Snowy River as part of the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectricity Scheme. Most smaller streams, such as the Yass River, have small weirs and other structures which, although their impact is less than large water supply storages, nevertheless have had an impact on streamflow and stream morphology.

The levels of ‘Nitrogen’ and ‘Phosphorus’ in stream and river waters of the Australian Capital Region are generally low and are most often enriched near sewage effluent points.

These results suggest that the main sources of phosphorus to catchments in the Australian Capital Region are in runoff from urban and rural lands, and that point sources of phosphorus such as that found in effluent discharge, although of local importance, are not the dominant contributors of phosphorus.

Nitrate pollution of groundwaters has been identified by the Department of Land and Water Conservation as being of serious concern, and studies conducted at villages such as Murrumbateman have identified levels of nitrates above background concentrations. Other areas, such as Bungendore, have identified bacterial contamination of the groundwaters used for the town water supply.

In addition, there are, in most jurisdictions, identified pollution plumes, or potential sources of pollution due to landfill and hydrocarbon storage. Continued monitoring is required to verify that groundwaters below these sites are not becoming contaminated.

The question of rising water tables and the increasing incidence of salinisation of productive land should be noted by the Australian Capital Region Leaders.

In areas of the Australian Capital Region for which data were available, there have been historical increases in groundwater levels by as much as 10 metres or more. This was generally related to the extent and severity of dryland salinity in those landscapes, and to the extent of clearing of the original native vegetation. However, in most cases, the current rate of change of groundwater levels is unknown. Most comprehensive work has been undertaken as part of localised studies by Government agencies.

It is recommended that the members of the Australian Capital Region Leaders Forum act together to develop agreed monitoring programs to understand the condition of waters of the Australian Capital Region, with respect to both quantity and quality of both ground and surface waters. This activity should include the monitoring of ground water resources

It is also recommended that the Australian Capital Region Leaders Forum ensure close cooperation with River Catchment Management Committees and Landcare groups to allow compatibility and comparison of movements made in systematic monitoring programs, with respect to water quality and quantity.

The Central Plains of Eurobodalla and Bega Valley are managed to be proactive with respect to the NSW Coastal Policy 1997. The vision and the goals of that Policy are easily adapted to make them equally applicable to the land-water interface for both water systems, as they are for marine systems.

Land

In the surveys leading to the development for the Regional State of the Environment Report, Councils identified soil erosion as the single most important issue.

The NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation conducted an extensive mapping program of areas in the Australian Capital Region during the mid 1980’s.

In this they reported all different types of erosion, dryland salinity, and land capability.

Much of the erosion in the Australian Capital Region was initiated when the original, deep-rooted native perennial vegetation was cleared for European settlement.

The most extensive gully erosion occurs in areas in which the soils are particularly fragile. The Cooma-Monara Shire has experienced the highest level of erosion as a result of both clearing patterns and soil types. Some of this gullying is still active, as are some of the larger gully system in parts of the Yarrowlumla Shire.

Approximately 43% of the region, or 2.4 millian ha, is affected by some form of erosion other than gullying - mostly sheet erosion. The worst affected Local Government Areas were those on the Southern Tablelands. More than 70% of the land in Boorowa, Gunning, Yarrowlumla and Yass Shires were mapped as eroded. These shire have also been extensively cleared.

Shires with the least amount of clearing, ie Eurobodalla, Bega Valley and Tumut Shires, have experienced less erosion.

The main causes of streambank erosion in the Australian Capital Region are changes to streamflow and destabilisation of the streambanks by some recreational uses, removal of riparian vegetation and livestock trampling of the banks.

Although the relative results from one LGA to the next are easily explained in terms of past and present landuse practices, it is not clear to what extent the surveyed streambank erosion was naturally occurring or accelerated by human activity. A further difficulty is that it is uncertain whether the mapped erosion was historical or active.

The shire worst affected by dryland salinity is the Shire of Gunning, with 2.5%, or 5616 ha affected in the mid-1980’s. It is likely that this has increased since then because the area affected by salinity is known to be increasing rapidly in some part of the Region. Further, much of this is concentrated into specific areas, so that the actual proportion of land affected can be much higher in individual catchments and on individual farms.

The impact of these salinity levels, in both the Gunning and Yass Shires can be seen in stream salinity levels in the Yass River. This River has one of the highest levels of stream salinity in the Australian Capital Region.

Both of these Shires have experienced extensive clearing for agriculture.

Land capability was mapped by the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation in the early 1980’s for areas under private ownership or management in agricultural areas. Lands managed by the NSW Government, such as National Parks, and urban areas were not mapped for capability. Although these data are limited in that climatic constraints were not considered, they can be used as a guide against which to indicate the sustainability of landuse.

More than 50% (2,971,227 ha) of the Australian Capital Region is best suited to grazing and occasional cultivation in limited areas. In almost 10% of the Region (497343 ha), retention of timber was identified as the most appropriate activity. There is very little "prime agricultural land" in the region.

A comparison of the mapped landuse (from mapping conducted in the late 1980’s) to land capability indicates that, in general, land within the region used for grazing are being used within their capability, assuming that stocking rates are appropriate to each landscape. In lands used for cropping, however, the interpretation is more cautionary.

The question of ecologically sustainable use of the lands of the Australian Capital Region is foremost in the minds of the Regional Leaders. Accurate knowledge of erosion, dryland salinity and land capability previously surveyed by the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation are essential to understand the national resources on which ecologically sustainable development depend.

It is noted that Federal initiatives have been announced to conduct a Land and Water audit and that the Natural Heritage Trust has components which could well support a regional initiative to re-survey the Region to determine the current extent of erosion and dryland salinity.

It is therefore recommended that the Regional Leaders work together in cooperation with the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation to develop a single application to the Federal Government, to allow a re-survey of the different types of erosion, and of dryland salinity within the Australian Capital Region, as a matter of priority.

It is also recommended that the individual Governments and the Regional Leaders Forum increase the level of interaction with Landcare, River Catchment Management, and other community groups to (a) increase the amount of revegetation, using native grasses, shrubs and trees and (b) increase the effort in improving the health of aquatic systems – streams, rivers and wetlands.

Biodiversity

In general, and outside those areas under NSW State Forests management, native flora and fauna species in the higher elevation/higher rainfall/non-agricultural areas of the Region are reasonably well-protected because, typically, that is where the National Parks are more likely to have been declared. (17.5% of the Australian Capital Region is protected under conservation.)

Of major conservation concern in the Region are the woodland and grassland communities that have typically been cleared or disturbed for agriculture, grazing, or urban development. In the ACT and in some areas under NSW NPWS management, grassland and woodland habitat of high conservation value have been conserved, but the grassy ecosystems form a significant proportion of the Region, and concern for their condition is well-documented.

The National State of the Environment Report identified native vegetation clearing as the most threatening process for biodiversity in Australia. Up to 50% of native vegetation (ranging from 9% to 90%) of this Region has been removed or disturbed, much of the clearing having occurred in the past. We were not able to obtain a sense of the current rate of clearing for this report, and this should be followed up in any future Regional report.

The other issue of major concern is the weed infestation in the Region - mostly perceived as a problem for agriculture but also a problem for biodiversity. Any future reporting, would benefit from more quantitative information about distribution, particularly in conservation areas.

Other factors such as pest animals, pesticide pollution, recreational activities, urban and other development and noise will impact on the natural biodiversity, both directly or indirectly. However, we have not, at this stage, been able to accurately quantify some of these factors.

Parts of the Region have been intensively studied - either for scientific purposes, or for forest assessment, but species and vegetation communities lists lack consistency and in some cases lack reliability. Also species lists mostly do not include an indication of abundance or distribution and therefore provide little insight into the diversity of the species. Detailed ongoing sampling at specific reference sites is essential to establish and monitor species diversity: specific projects that are developing such reference sites within the Region will provide much data in the future.

Wetlands are reasonably well documented but not all wetlands and their communities are protected.

Some wildlife and habitat corridors have been identified and protected, but in almost every situation there is a need for further investigation of the habitat and wildlife that use it.

Recommendation

In 1996 the Australian Government published a report designating an Interim Bioregionalisation of Australia (IBRA). Four major bioregions occur within the boundaries of the Australian Capital Region. Additionally, Integrated River Catchment Management Committees have been established with Federal funding.

With respect to biodiversity, it is obvious that habitats and species distribution have no regard for political boundaries. In order to better understand and manage the aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity of the Region, it is recommended that Regional Leaders consider the development of regional vegetation management plans, based on the IBRA bioregions, and having specific reference to wildlife corridors and their species. By relating the work to be undertaken with the IBRA bioregions and with Integrated River Catchment Planning Committees, access to Commonwealth funds to support the studies should be facilitated.

Such a study would serve a number of purposes, including providing information at the local and regional level, relevant to data gaps experienced by most LGAs and the ACT.

Human Settlement

In seeking detailed information on socio-economic structures; physical infrastructures, facilities and services; and quality of life for all Local Government Areas, it became obvious that the required information was not uniformly available, or accessible.

Between the time of this report and the next Regional State of the Environment Report, these issues will be discussed with the Regional leaders to determine the appropriate level of reporting, and with the Australian Capital Region Development Council to ensure no unnecessary overlap of effort or function.

The types of issues identified by the Reference Group are included in the discussion under Human Settlement.

Other Factors

There are several national agreements which impact on the preparation of State of the Environment Reports.

The Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment, the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development, and the Convention on Biodiversity are three such agreements or arrangements.

More recently the Governments of Australia have established the National Environment Protection Council (NEPC) which will consider national Environment Protection Measures (NEPMs).

It is recommended that National Environment Protection Measures as released by the National Environment Protection Council be debated at meetings of Regional Leaders, or their representatives, to analyse the potential for regional adoption of such measures.