What is SoE reporting?
A State of Environment (SoE) report is a management tool that is key document for governments and those interested in the environment that analyses the latest information to assess environmental trends. The information will be used to inform policies and strategies for improving the state of the environment. Victoria’s first comprehensive SoE Report will cover a wide range of subjects such as climate change, land management, native flora and fauna, water, and air quality along with a number of important issues specific to Victoria's environment.
Victoria’s First Comprehensive State of Environment Report
Although several single subject reports have previously been published, the 2008 report currently being developed by the Commissioner is Victoria’s first report on the state of the environment which addresses the full breadth of environmental issues. Most other Australian states have prepared full SoE reports since the early 1990s, so Victoria has both the opportunity to learn from their experiences, and also the challenge of creating a product that is innovative and truly useful to both decision makers and the community.
Having assessed community opinion through public consultation, the Commissioner developed an innovative framework to guide preparation of reports on the state of the environment into the future. Rather than simply reporting on the state of the natural environment in isolation, the Commissioner has recognised the importance of considering the environment more holistically. This progressive approach evaluates the state of the environment in the context of the Victorian community and economy. Therefore the report will not simply be a collation of information published elsewhere through various “state of” reports. Rather, it will be a thorough analysis of Victoria’s natural environment, its current condition, environmental trends and the relationships between factors. Most importantly however, it will include a thorough analysis of our own interactions with the environment.
As with any new report of such a scale, it is important to ensure that the indicators chosen are representative of the issues, and are relevant now and remain so into the future. This first reporting period has involved a significant investment of time in setting up systems and determining the scope of the report to ensure a sound basis for future reports. This will facilitate efficient, timely and effective preparation of future reports.
