Environmental management

• In 2021 mangroves and saltmarsh combined provided coastal protection services for 280 thousand people occupying 150 thousand dwellings.
• In 2021 there were 1.1 million ha of saltmarsh.
• In 2020 there were 389 thousand ha of intertidal seagrass meadows.

In 2020-21, a year of higher rainfall across Australia led to an increase in irrigation by the agricultural industry, driving an increase in overall water consumption.

• Total water consumption by industries and households rose by 25% to 13,874 GL (from 11,120 GL in 2019-20).
• Agricultural water use increased by 37% to 9,978 GL.
• Household water use decreased by less than half a per cent to 1,808 GL.
• Sea water used for desalination fell by 18%, following a 23% increase in major dam storages.

• Between 2011-16 land managed for resource protection (eg. reserves) increased by 12.3 million hectares.
• Between 2010-15, 63.8 million hectares of natural terrestrial vegetated: herbaceous land (eg. grassland) became natural surfaces (eg. bare earth).
• Land value increased 32.6% to $5,124 billion between 2011-16.

• Perennial water at lowest level in 2019 (0.2% of total land). 
• Natural surfaces at highest level in 2019 (43.7% of total land) followed by natural terrestrial herbaceous vegetation (40.4% of total land).
• Cultivated herbaceous vegetation peaked in 1992 (106.9 million ha) and was lowest in 2008 (33.7 million ha).

• Australia generated 76 million tonnes of waste, 10% increase since 2016-17
• $17 billion spent on waste services, 18% increase since 2016-17
• Construction industry spent the most on waste services ($2 billion), 35% increase since 2016-17
• Exports remain steady since 2016-17 at 6% of total waste

Canberra region water accounting 2013-14 to 2016-17. Includes water assets, physical supply and use, monetary supply and condition/quality of water

The Environment and Agriculture Branch produced a set of Experimental Environmental-Economic and Ecosystem accounts for the Great Barrier Reef Region