Competing land uses in the rural landscape.

How do we achieve true progress?

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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

GDP/”wealth” not = Quality of life

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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)

Measures to assess progress

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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.

Private incentives cf public goals

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Proposed law granting Nature equal rights to humans

Proposal influenced by indigenous Andean spiritual view which places the environment at centre of 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.

Or Legislate for Nature (eg Bolivia)

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Food & Fibre Export 60% of total agric production 40% of the value of Aust agric 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)

Rural Landscape

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Minerals & Energy 70% of NSW is under mineral & petroleum title

& application

Mining in NSW to grow by 67% over the next decade

Global 2050: 2x energy demand; no GHG

75% of electricity is generated using coal & gas sources

Rural Landscape

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Emits ~ 40% less GHG than coal when used for power generation

Saline production water

Risk of aquifer impacts

Chemicals in fracking process

Surface infrastructure spread

CSG

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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

CSG

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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

Planning Process - TBL

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Determine capacity of the natural systems

Maintain long term sustainable resources:a) Water resources/aquatic ecosystemsb) Agric land (food & fibre)c) Biodiversity – veg management

THEN - regional land use planning + ESD principles

Identify industrial “go/no go” areas based on resource value & risk

Natural Resources Assessment

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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

Social aspects

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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

Social Licence to Operate

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Effective 21 May 60 day freeze on issuing new exploration

licences for coal & CSG New exploration licence applic: 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

NSW Govt Initiatives

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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

NSW Govt Initiatives

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Need enviro Depts 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

Govt. Departmental leadership

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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

As an environmental professional..

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Warwick Giblin

OzEnvironmental Pty Limited‘Delivering true progress’

wgiblin@bigpond.net.au

Ph 0419 271 819