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1 Approach

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1.1 Purpose

The purpose of this report is to capture and present key information on the state of the Australian environment. This is a comprehensive review of the state and trends of the environment, the pressures on it and the drivers of those pressures, management initiatives in place to address environmental concerns and the impacts of those initiatives, its resilience and the unmitigated risks that threaten it. These analyses are brought together into an overall assessment of the outlook for our environment.

• In addition to meeting the requirements of the EPBC Act, this report aims to:
• provide relevant, credible and useful information on environmental issues to decision-makers and the public
• increase awareness of environmental issues among decision-makers and the public
• support evidence-based environmental management decisions that lead to more sustainable use and effective conservation of our environmental resources
• identify ways in which the environmental evidence base could be strengthened.

Overall, the SoE 2011 Committee hopes that the report will help ministers, relevant government departments and other decision-makers to determine priorities, and make national regional policy and management decisions that improve Australian environmental outcomes.

The committee also understands the importance of the community’s role in supporting and driving environmental change. The report therefore also provides clear and accessible information for the public—including business leaders, employees, students and householders—about the state of our environment. ‘At a glance’ sections and assessment summaries condense the wealth of material within the report to support understanding and use of the information.

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