During the last decade SoE reporting has been progressively introduced in Australia by national, state and local tiers of government. SoE reporting has been adopted here and by overseas nations as a way of assessing what we know about the environment, the pressures affecting it and the responses to address these impacts. SoE reports are particularly useful to prioritise on the ground environmental programs and to measure the success of such programs. SoE is a powerful tool for decision makers to use in the pursuit of ecologically sustainable development. SoE reporting has been in a state of flux as those involved in their preparation have striven to refine the process to make it more usable and more relevant.
SoE continues to evolve.
In recent years there has been considerable research, discussion and debate into issues such as format of SoE reports, environmental indicators, core indicators, data standards, GIS data sharing, linking national, state and local SoE reports, and community participation. This Conference will be the first major national event to bring together the people who prepare or contribute to SoE reports, community groups, decision makers, educators, politicians and those involved in environmental management programs. This will be a unique forum to examine latest developments in SoE, showcase the successes and the failures, and to take stock and forge future directions. Participants will be charged with the knowledge, responsibility and the motivation to advance SoE reporting in Australia, and implement sustainable programs. The Novotel Opal Cove Resort offers premier conference facilities which cater for over 300 delegates and which rank among the best in the country.