Speakers:

Dr Scott Rawlings, Head of Science and Research, Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, Victoria
Mr Andrew Marshall, Science Writer, Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, Victoria

The Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability has released the Victorian State of the Environment 2018 Report. The report tells Victorians about the current health of our environment – our land, our water, our air, and our ecosystems. Using 170 different scientific indicators, the report shows us where we’re doing well – and where we need to improve.

There is a strong focus on the future and articulating how Victorians – politicians, policy makers, scientists and citizens – can make our environment healthier as we head towards the year 2030. The Commissioner’s recommendations include specific actions, policy changes, and new indicators to monitor so we can fill gaps in our knowledge and improve decision making.

This presentation from the Commissioner’s science team will provide a guided tour of the health of Victoria’s environment, with an overview of the indicator assessments for each of the 13 thematic chapters (e.g. Climate Change Impacts, Biodiversity, Marine and Coastal Environments, Waste and Resource Recovery), the evidence base and rationale for the recommendations, and the increasing alignment of Victorian ‘State of Environment’ reporting with international frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and System of Environmental-Economic Accounting.

In addition to the State of the Environment Report, the Commissioner has published two other reports that will be covered by the presentation:

• The State of the Yarra and its Parklands 2018 Report provides a baseline on the environmental condition of the Yarra River corridor, assessing the current health of the environment to enable future comparisons.
• The State of the Forests 2018 Report evaluates and reports on the condition of Victoria’s forests.

About the speakers:

Dr Scott Rawlings is the Head of Science and Research for the Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, Victoria. He has worked for the Office since 2010.

Previously, Scott had worked in numerous roles across the environment portfolio including greenhouse policy, indigenous policy, and natural resource management. Scott managed the Land & Biodiversity White Paper implementation and research and development for the former Department of Sustainability and Environment – focussing on procurement, partnerships, knowledge exchange and the research-policy interface. Scott has a PhD in environmental studies.

Andrew Marshall joined the Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability as a Science Writer in May 2018. Andrew has completed degrees in Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences and Statistics at the University of Melbourne. His expertise is well-placed to write on Victoria’s air and climate for the upcoming State of the Environment report.

Andrew has a wealth of experience in both state policy and science, having spent nine years at the Environment Protection Authority, Victoria. He worked in the Air Quality team before moving into a new challenge as an Intelligence Analyst investigating environmental data sets to identify threats and opportunities relating to environmental quality