Australian Regional Environmental Accounts Trial: Report to NRM Regions Australia
This report to NRM Regions Australia describes the application of an environmental asset condition accounting method, called Accounting for Nature, at a regional (sub-national) scale, based on the findings of a three year trial. The purpose of environmental accounting is to compile environmental information for improving decision making relating to policy development, investment, monitoring, review of outcomes and reporting on progress. The purpose of the trial was to evaluate whether the Accounting for Nature model was a practical, feasible, statistically and scientifically robust method to establish regional scale national environmental accounts that measure and track changes in the condition of Australia’s major environmental assets.
Authors
Sbrocchi, CD (Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, Sydney)
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank many people for their invaluable contributions, expert advice and assistance in preparing the Proof of Concept Accounts methods and approaches. In particular I would like to thank members and secretariat of the Wentworth Group for their direction and support throughout the trial; Carley Bartlett, Ian Ball, Celine Steinfeld, Diana Margaretha, Miriam Alexander, and George Argyrous for their assistance with manuscript preparation; and Peter Cosier, Bruce Thom, Max Kitchell and Neil Byron for reviewing the report. I also gratefully acknowledge the funding support from the Purves Environmental Fund and the Ian Potter Foundation.
This report has used material prepared for the Proof of Concept, Australian regional environmental accounts trial and I acknowledge the following regional NRM bodies who contributed to the trial: Central West Catchment Management Authority, Corangamite Catchment Management Authority, Namoi Catchment Management Authority, Natural Resources Eyre Peninsula, North Central Catchment Management Authority, Northern Agricultural Catchments Council, Northern Gulf Resource Management Group, NRM North, Queensland Murray-Darling Committee, SEQ Catchments. I trust the views of all contributors are adequately represented in this report.
