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.

Reference

Butler JR, Tawake A, Skewes T, Tawake L & McGrath V (2012). Integrating traditional ecological knowledge and fisheries management in the Torres Strait, Australia: the catalytic role of turtles and dugong as cultural keystone species. Ecology and Society 17(4).

Johnson JE, Welch DJ, Marshall PA, Day J, Marshall N, Steinberg CR, Benthuysen JA, Sun C, Brodie J, Marsh H, Hamann M & Simpfendorfer C (2018). Characterising the values and connectivity of the northeast Australia seascape: Great Barrier Reef, Torres Strait, Coral Sea and Great Sandy Strait, report to the National Environmental Science Program, Reef and Rainforest Research Centre, Cairns.

Smyth L, Egan H & Kennett R (2018). Livelihood values of Indigenous customary fishing, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Canberra.