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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.

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Land

Written by Dr Kristen Williams, Barry Hunter, Dr Becky Schmidt, Dr Emma Woodward and Dr Ian Cresswell.

Ngawu ngirrma Bulmba. Ngawu Bulmba-barra, Ngawu Djabugay  

I call out to Country, I belong to country! I’m Djabugay.

Djabugay Nation
Land sustains plants and animals, purifies our water, and buffers the extremes of weather and climate. People manage land to produce food, fibre, minerals, energy and places to live. Some places are set aside for spiritual and cultural purposes or for recreation. Our stewardship of the land ensures that it can continue to sustain us and the broader environment.  
Kuru Ala by Maringka Baker
Key Findings
Find out the main messages of the report. Each chapter has 10 key points that summarise the findings of the chapter.
Start with Key findings
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Outlook and impacts
Where are we headed? Understand the outlook of our land, based on how it is tracking now and how we are managing it. Also find out how recent changes will affect our health and our wellbeing.
Start with Outlook and impacts
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Environment
How are the different aspects of our land tracking? Explore the condition of Australian land cover, vegetation, soil and carbon.
Start with Environment
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Pressures
What are the pressures on our land? Identify the main climate, human and industry pressures on our vegetation and soils and find out how they are affecting environmental health and our own wellbeing.
Start with Pressures
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Management
How effective is our management of land? Discover the main environmental management interventions and actions, and how well they protect our land and minimise the impact of pressures.
Start with Management
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Chapter resources
Find out about the chapter authors and their analysis approach, the artwork appearing in the chapter, and the available supplementary material.
Explore Authors and acknowledgments
Explore Assessments
Explore Graphs, maps and tables
Explore Case studies
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Explore findings from Land
Competition for land and its resources is growing
Native vegetation is still being cleared and invasive species are increasing, and climate change is compounding the effects of these pressures
We are increasing the amount of private and Indigenous protected land in Australia
Soil management and data are vital to ensure land use is sustainable
Infographic showing that our land is our most important resource. We must strike a balance between using the land – for food production, living space and so on – and protecting and restoring it. Doing so requires all parts of society – government and industry, farmers and consumers, Indigenous and non-Indigenous – to work together to achieve the environmental, economic, social and cultural benefits that are possible.