We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the sovereign Traditional Owners of Australia and thank them for their stewardship of this Country, its lands, waters and skies. We respectfully acknowledge their culture and customary practices, and pay respect to their Ancestors, Elders and future leaders.

For the first time, the State of the Environment report includes a strong Indigenous narrative across all 12 thematic chapters, a narrative crafted through recognising the leadership, collaboration and authorship of Indigenous Australians who continue their connection as Traditional Owners to their lands, waters and skies.

Click to view the State of the Environment report

On 28 March 2025 the government assumed a Caretaker role. Information on websites maintained by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water will be published in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions until after the conclusion of the caretaker period.

Due to technical issues, graphs, maps and tables are currently not displaying within the main content, however, are available via the chapter resources navigation bar. We are working on a solution to resolve the issue.

References

B

Bannister T, Ebert EE, Williams T, Douglas P, Wain A, Carroll M et al. (2021). A pilot forecasting system for epidemic thunderstorm asthma in southeastern Australia. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 102(2):E399–E420.

Barnett AG, Williams GM, Schwartz J, Best TL, Neller AH, Petroeschevsky AL & Simpson RW (2006). The effects of air pollution on hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease in elderly people in Australian and New Zealand cities. Environmental Health Perspectives 114(7):1018–1023.

BBC News (British Broadcasting Corporation News) (2020a). Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah: air pollution a factor in girl’s death, inquest finds, BBC, London, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-55330945.

BBC News (British Broadcasting Corporation News) (2020b). Australia fires: smoke turns New Zealand skies ‘eerie’ yellow, BBC, London, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-50969488.

Benjamin MT, Sudol M, Bloch L & Winer AM (1996). Low-emitting urban forests: a taxonomic methodology for assigning isoprene and monoterpene emission rates. Atmospheric Environment 30(9):1437–1452.

Berger E, Carroll M, Maybery D & Harrison D (2018). Disaster impacts on students and staff from a specialist, trauma-informed Australian school. Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma 11(4):521–530.

Binskin M, Bennett A & Macintosh A (2020). Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements – report, Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, Canberra.

BOM & CSIRO (Bureau of Meteorology & Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) (2020). State of the climate, CSIRO, Canberra.

Borchers Arriagada N, Palmer AJ, Bowman DMJS, Morgan GG, Jalaludin BB & Johnston FH (2020). Unprecedented smoke‐related health burden associated with the 2019–20 bushfires in eastern Australia. Medical Journal of Australia 213(6):282–283.

Bowatte G, Erbas B, Lodge CJ, Knibbs LD, Gurrin LC, Marks GB et al. (2017). Traffic-related air pollution exposure over a 5-year period is associated with increased risk of asthma and poor lung function in middle age. European Respiratory Journal 50(4):1602357.

Brimbank City Council (2016). Brooklyn Industrial Precinct Strategy: the Brooklyn evolution, report prepared by Meinhardt Infrastructure and Environment & McGauran Giannini Soon, Melbourne.

Broder JC, Gao CX, Campbell TCH, Berger E, Maybery D, McFarlane A, Tsoutsoulis J, Ikin J, Abramson MJ, Sim MR, Walker J, Luhar A & Carroll M (2020). The factors associated with distress following exposure to smoke from an extended coal mine fire. Environmental Pollution 266:115131.

Broome RA, Fann N, Cristina TJN, Fulcher C, Duc H & Morgan GG (2015). The health benefits of reducing air pollution in Sydney, Australia. Environmental Research 143(part A):19–25.

Broome RA, Johnston FH, Horsley J & Morgan GG (2016). A rapid assessment of the impact of hazard reduction burning around Sydney, May 2016. Medical Journal of Australia 205(9):407–408.

Buchholz RR, Worden HM, Park M, Francis G, Deeter MN, Edwards DP et al. (2021). Air pollution trends measured from Terra: CO and AOD over industrial, fire-prone, and background regions. Remote Sensing of Environment 256:112275.

Bursill L, Jacobs M & Kurranulla Aboriginal Corporation (2007). Dharawal: the story of the Dharawal speaking people of southern Sydney: a collaborative work, Kurranulla Aboriginal Corporation, Sydney.