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Competing land uses in the rural landscape. How do we achieve true progress?

Competing land uses in the rural landscape. How do we achieve true progress?. GDP/”wealth” not = Quality of life. GDP ignores costs of environmental damage & resource depletion ‘defensive expenditures’ such as pollution clean-up costs increase value of GDP

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Competing land uses in the rural landscape. How do we achieve true progress?

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  1. Competing land uses in the rural landscape.How do we achieve trueprogress?

  2. GDP/”wealth” not = Quality of life • GDP ignores costs of environmental damage & resource depletion • ‘defensive expenditures’ such as pollution clean-up costs increase value of GDP • Build social wellbeing & ecological health measures into ‘progress’ mix

  3. Measures to assess progress • GDP wrong metric, focus on wrong things • Measure for both today and future • Need metrics for social wellbeing + healthy ecosystems + long term economics, eg: • UN Human Development Index • Happy Planet Index (New Economics Foundation) • Genuine Progress Indicator (US think tank)

  4. Private incentives cf public goals • Business focused on short term profits • Share market demands it • Short termism creates volatility & possibly dodgy investment strategies • Short termism discourages investment in technologies/practices with long term enviro benefits.

  5. Or Legislate for Nature (eg Bolivia) • Proposed law granting Nature equal rights to humans • Proposal influenced by indigenous Andean spiritual view which places the environment at centreof all life. Humans considered equal to other entities. • The law includes: •the right to continue vital cycles & processes free from human alteration; •the right to pure water & clean air; •the right not to be polluted; •the right to not be affected by mega-infrastructure & development projects. • Little opposition is expected to passing the law.

  6. Rural Landscape Food & Fibre • Export 60% of total agric production • 40% of the value of Austagric production occurs within MDB • global food demand increase 2.5 x by 2050 • World pop of 9 bil by 2050 (now 6.5 bil) • 90% of prodn growth from increasing yields & cropping intensity • 50% of our food & fibre exports are to Asia (3.8 bil)

  7. Rural Landscape Minerals & Energy • 70% of NSW is under mineral & petroleum title & application • Mining in NSW to grow by 67% over the next decade • Global 2050: 2xenergy demand; no GHG • 75% of electricity is generated using coal & gas sources

  8. CSG • Emits ~ 40% less GHG than coal when used for power generation • Saline production water • Risk of aquifer impacts • Chemicals in frackingprocess • Surface infrastructure spread

  9. CSG • Qld: 3,000 wells + 4,000km pipeline; 30,000 more planned • Narrabri: 550 wells planned • Camden: 78 wells operating + expansion • Gloucester: 110 wells approved -330 wells • Hunter Valley: exploration phase (Broke + UH • Casino: 60 exploration wells • Wollongong: 15 wells • St Peters

  10. Planning Process - TBL • Independent studies: stakeholders involved • Cumulative impact assessment • Embrace precautionary principle • Replace EPA Act: need TBL approach & legislated rights of landholders/farmers • Economic sustainability – price enviro costs & benefits

  11. Natural Resources Assessment • Determine capacity of the natural systems • Maintain long term sustainable resources: • Water resources/aquatic ecosystems • Agric land (food & fibre) • Biodiversity – veg management • THEN - regional land use planning + ESD principles • Identify industrial “go/no go” areas based on resource value & risk

  12. Social aspects • Proponent has economic, technical & political clout • Rural/regional communities disadvantaged on these counts • Hence Govt must intervene to help balance the ledger • Community engagement before devel concept locked in • Enviro/social consequences too risky to rely on proponent being a good corporate citizen

  13. Social Licence to Operate • A measure of socio-political sentiment towards a project, company or industry • Co-ownership: high trust & active support • Approval: support • Acceptance: listen & consider; wait & see • Withheld/withdrawn: opposition

  14. NSW Govt Initiatives • Effective 21 May • 60 day freeze on issuing new exploration licences for coal & CSG • New exploration licenceapplic: public comment first • New Extraction DAs: require agricultural impact assessment. (until Strategic Regional Land Use Plans prepared & prime ag land protected) • Aquifer Interference Regs: public comment

  15. NSW Govt Initiatives • Post 21 July • Strategic Regional Land Use Plans: identify “best places” for various uses • Start by May 2012 on 4 regions • Coal & Gas Policy to replace Coal & Gas Strategy; to interact with the regional plans

  16. Govt. Departmental leadership • Need enviroDepts to strongly pursue their legislative responsibilities • Make a stand where environ risks unacceptable • General public is relying on them to be the guardians & not be compromised

  17. As an environmental professional.. • Have a vision for our place as a species on the planet • Have courage & determination to swim against the tide • Challenge the status quo • Facilitate change; strive to bring others with you

  18. Warwick Giblin OzEnvironmental Pty Limited ‘Delivering true progress’ wgiblin@bigpond.net.au Ph 0419 271 819

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