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State of the Environment Report 2023

Consultation has concluded. Thanks for your contributions.

Have your say in informing our State of the Environment Report for 2023 (SOER 2023)

What is being decided?

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA), as South Australia's independent environmental regulator, will be developing the SOER 2023 and we are seeking your input to help shape its content.

This report collates information from multiple sources to assess and report on the condition of our environment in South Australia. We need to understand the pressures that are placed on our environment, what impacts these may be having on our land, sea, air and inland waters, and what is being done to help protect, restore and enhance our environment for current and future generations.

Protecting the environment is a shared responsibility and we recognise that South Australians take pride in their environment and are actively involved in its protection and enhancement. We encourage you to become involved in the development of this important report.

The SOER is produced every five years under the Environment Protection Act 1993.

Background

The SOER provides important information on the health of our environment in South Australia. It does this by:

Providing information on the current state of the South Australian environment;
Incorporating Aboriginal perspectives on caring for Country and Sea Country;
Identifying significant trends and condition of environmental assets;
Describing the key pressures that may cause environmental change;
Including perspectives on the most important environmental risks facing South Australia;
Summarising policies and programs to protect and improve the environment;
Presenting opportunities to facilitate environmental improvement.

The EPA undertook an independent review of the SOER after its completion in 2018. This review recommended that we enhance stakeholder engagement and improve its capacity to inform stakeholders on the state of the environment to drive change.

The EPA website provides information on our past State of Environment reports.

Get involved

We will be requesting input at various stages throughout the project to inform the SOER for South Australia. During our first stage, you can get involved in the following ways:

Providing photos and sharing stories that can be used in the SOER website and report;
Telling us what about the environment is important to you - what do you value most and what needs protecting;
Informing us of any projects/programs that are being undertaken that contribute to improving the health of the environment;
Telling us what you think the SOER should deliver.

What are the next steps?

The SOER will be published in December 2023. Until then, we will be engaging with our stakeholders, collating information and writing the report.

Updates on the report’s progress will be provided on this site and via our Twitter and LinkedIn page.

Have your say in informing our State of the Environment Report for 2023 (SOER 2023)

What is being decided?

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA), as South Australia's independent environmental regulator, will be developing the SOER 2023 and we are seeking your input to help shape its content.

This report collates information from multiple sources to assess and report on the condition of our environment in South Australia. We need to understand the pressures that are placed on our environment, what impacts these may be having on our land, sea, air and inland waters, and what is being done to help protect, restore and enhance our environment for current and future generations.

Protecting the environment is a shared responsibility and we recognise that South Australians take pride in their environment and are actively involved in its protection and enhancement. We encourage you to become involved in the development of this important report.

The SOER is produced every five years under the Environment Protection Act 1993.

Background

The SOER provides important information on the health of our environment in South Australia. It does this by:

Providing information on the current state of the South Australian environment;
Incorporating Aboriginal perspectives on caring for Country and Sea Country;
Identifying significant trends and condition of environmental assets;
Describing the key pressures that may cause environmental change;
Including perspectives on the most important environmental risks facing South Australia;
Summarising policies and programs to protect and improve the environment;
Presenting opportunities to facilitate environmental improvement.

The EPA undertook an independent review of the SOER after its completion in 2018. This review recommended that we enhance stakeholder engagement and improve its capacity to inform stakeholders on the state of the environment to drive change.

The EPA website provides information on our past State of Environment reports.

Get involved

We will be requesting input at various stages throughout the project to inform the SOER for South Australia. During our first stage, you can get involved in the following ways:

Providing photos and sharing stories that can be used in the SOER website and report;
Telling us what about the environment is important to you - what do you value most and what needs protecting;
Informing us of any projects/programs that are being undertaken that contribute to improving the health of the environment;
Telling us what you think the SOER should deliver.

What are the next steps?

The SOER will be published in December 2023. Until then, we will be engaging with our stakeholders, collating information and writing the report.

Updates on the report’s progress will be provided on this site and via our Twitter and LinkedIn page.

Consultation has concluded. Thanks for your contributions.

The 2023 State of the Environment Report Published

We are pleased to announce that the 2023 State of the Environment Report has been published. The report consists of a Summary Report and a supporting website. It also includes three expert papers on Biodiversity, Management of Plastics and Involving Aboriginal people in monitoring, reporting and caring for Country. We encourage you to browse through the 2023 SOER website.
We sincerely thank you for the input that was provided through the YourSAy platform. Your input helped informed the content that was presented in the report. We have incorporated the feedback from the survey into the report and provided a summary of the key issues important to people who responded. We also used many of the photos (acknowledged) in both the Summary Report and website.
How healthy is Country?

For the first time, the State of the Environment Report will be including Aboriginal peoples' perspectives on how healthy is Country.
The artwork of the EPA's Reconciliation Action Plan depicts Land, Air and Water, with the centre piece a representation of the coming together of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in a way that allows sharing of knowledge about country which contributes to the building of new relationships and strengthening old ones. The senior Elders are sitting on the outside watching over this relationship between the EPA and the Aboriginal communities. The water flows through the artwork from one side to the other to signify the journey of Reconciliation with the water also represented in the centre to demonstrate that the journey has started and is not over. The image under the meeting place is symbolic of a shield to signify the protection of country but also represents the protection of the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples through times of sharing knowledge and that through difficult times we can continue on the journey if we sit, listen and learn.
Artist: Scott Rathman
Scott is an Arrernte descendant who has lived the majority of his life in Adelaide. The rich design in his work is a tribute to his Grandmother who was a member of the Stolen Generation and overcame so much in her life to be an amazing role model. His curiosity to explore and understand his cultural background is the passion that that drives him to continue to look for new ways to combine the traditions of his heritage with designs of the present day.
SOER 2023 Project Board

The Project Board will oversee the delivery of the Report and provide strategic direction that will inform the Report’s content. This includes the framework and the content for the summary report and key recommendations that will be presented to the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water in December 2023.
Around the table left: Sandy Carruthers (DEW Executive Director, Strategy, Science and Corporate Services), Dr Stephen Christley (EPA Board member), Keith Baldry (A/Chief Executive EPA), Rob Kerin (Chair Regional Development South Australia), Tara Ingerson (Project Manager SOER 2023, EPA), Andrew Solomon (Aboriginal Engagement and Science Officer, EPA), Tobias Hills (A/Project Executive EPA), Craig Wilkins (Chief Executive, Conservation Council SA), Professor Chris Daniels (Chair, Green Adelaide), and Ian Liddy (Project Officer, Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation).
Regional Visits

During August and September, Andrew Solomon, Tara Ingerson and Shiloh Gerrity met with stakeholders in regional areas to provide an overview of the State of the Environment Report 2023 (SOER 2023) and discuss how communities can become involved.
We delivered 12 presentations at various locations including Kangaroo Island (Kingscote), Arid Lands (Port Augusta), Hills and Fleurieu (Strathalbyn), Eyre Peninsula (Streaky Bay, Cleve, Port Lincoln), Yorke and Mid North (Clare), Green Adelaide (Adelaide), Alinytjara Wilurara (Adelaide with Landscape staff), Limestone Coast (Naracoorte), Murraylands and Riverland (Murray Bridge, Berri). Around 80 participants attended from organisations such as Landscape SA, DEW, PIRSA, councils, various industries and non-government organisations.