Assessments

What are assessments?

Authors of the report assess various aspects of the environment and rate their status, the impact of pressures, the effectiveness of management, and the impact on our wellbeing. Assessments are based on the current science and literature and expert opinion, and authors also rate their confidence in the strength of the evidence that supports the assessment. 

Showing results 11 - 11 of 11
Assessment Heritage resourcing
2021
2021 Assessment graphic showing that management is partially effective, meaning that management measures have limited impact on maintaining or improving the state of the environment. The situation is stable.
Somewhat adequate confidence

Resourcing (funding and the skills base) has been identified as inadequate in all state of the environment report chapters on heritage since 1996. Agencies with heritage management responsibilities are understaffed and lack adequate resources to meet these responsibilities adequately. Resourcing constraints prevent Australian protected area agencies from addressing major conservation priorities. Funding programs for public and private conservation are inadequate and too narrowly focused in heritage conservation scope, and incentives and conservation assistance for private heritage owners are inadequate. There are inadequate heritage expert staff employed in all heritage areas. Relevant skills are underappreciated in some areas, and in other areas increased training is required.
Related to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals target 11.4

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How was this assessment made
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Assessment Heritage resourcing for Indigenous heritage
2021
2021 Assessment graphic showing that management is ineffective, meaning that management measures are failing to stop substantial declines in the state of the environment. The situation is stable.
Somewhat adequate confidence
2016
Assessment graphic from 2011 or 2016 showing that management was partially effective, meaning that management measures had limited impact on maintaining or improving the state of the environment. The situation was stable.
2011
Assessment graphic from 2011 or 2016 showing that management was partially effective, meaning that management measures had limited impact on maintaining or improving the state of the environment. The situation was stable.

Indigenous heritage programs and arts funding support community-level programs. However, the level of funding is often considered insufficient to cover the diversity of Indigenous communities. In 2021, the Australian Government announced that $102 million will be available annually through to 2028 for Indigenous ranger activities, specifically to develop longer-term programs that create innovative ways to protect environmental and cultural heritage assets.

Assessment Heritage resourcing for natural heritage
2021
2021 Assessment graphic showing that management is partially effective, meaning that management measures have limited impact on maintaining or improving the state of the environment. The situation is stable.
Limited confidence
2016
Assessment graphic from 2011 or 2016 showing that management was partially effective, meaning that management measures had limited impact on maintaining or improving the state of the environment. The situation was deteriorating.
2011
Assessment graphic from 2011 or 2016 showing that management was partially effective, meaning that management measures had limited impact on maintaining or improving the state of the environment. The situation was deteriorating.

The level of resourcing for protected areas is being maintained, but is inadequate to meet the ongoing and increasing challenges of managing these areas. Funding for labour-intensive conservation has been insufficient for some time, resulting in a heavy dependence on volunteers to undertake such work. Natural values expert staffing is generally inadequate at all levels of government.

Assessment Heritage resourcing for geoheritage
2021
2021 Assessment graphic showing that management is ineffective, meaning that management measures are failing to stop substantial declines in the state of the environment. The situation is stable.
Limited confidence

Similar to natural heritage, but with funding and expert staffing less adequate. There is inadequate geoheritage expertise to service expert staffing needs. Additional resources are needed to establish a protective framework for geoheritage and to ensure that geoheritage lists are efficiently populated.

Assessment Heritage resourcing for historic heritage
2021
2021 Assessment graphic showing that management is partially effective, meaning that management measures have limited impact on maintaining or improving the state of the environment. The situation is stable.
Somewhat adequate confidence
2016
Assessment graphic from 2011 or 2016 showing that management was partially effective, meaning that management measures had limited impact on maintaining or improving the state of the environment. The situation was stable.
2011
Assessment graphic from 2011 or 2016 showing that management was partially effective, meaning that management measures had limited impact on maintaining or improving the state of the environment. The situation was deteriorating.

Although the level of resourcing of agencies managing historic heritage has generally been maintained over the past 5 years, it remains inadequate for the routine work required, to improve identification of the historic heritage, to assess it, and to address changing circumstances and new issues. Heritage expert staffing levels are also inadequate, especially for underwater cultural heritage. Limited availability of traditionally trained craftspeople is continuing to hamper heritage conservation.

Assessment Heritage resourcing for World Heritage
2021
2021 Assessment graphic showing that management is ineffective, meaning that management measures are failing to stop substantial declines in the state of the environment. The situation is deteriorating.
Somewhat adequate confidence

Resourcing remains inadequate for improving the identification of World Heritage and the detailed assessment and nomination process, and is not keeping up with increasing needs. Heritage expert staffing levels are also inadequate to support World Heritage work, including more collaborative management with state and territory managers.

Assessment Heritage resourcing for National Heritage
2021
2021 Assessment graphic showing that management is partially effective, meaning that management measures have limited impact on maintaining or improving the state of the environment. The situation is stable.
Somewhat adequate confidence

Resourcing remains inadequate for improving the identification of National Heritage and the detailed assessment and nomination process, and is not keeping up with increasing needs. Heritage expert staffing levels are also inadequate to support National Heritage work, including more collaborative management with state and territory managers.