Efficient use of natural resources
Victoria today
Victorians have shown that they can and will change their behaviour to protect the environment for example successfully reducing urban water use and using fewer plastic bags. All new Victorian homes have five-star energy ratings and good progress is being made on increasing the supply of renewable energy. We have put our forest industries onto a sustainable footing and the Government has led Australia in water resource management.
Challenges ahead
While there has been significant progress, challenges remain. Victorian households and businesses continue to overuse energy, water and materials. This is depleting the natural resource base, on which we depend. It also results in higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions, and waste that cannot be recycled. We need to think differently about how we design our goods and services and go about our daily lives, to use less energy, water and materials.
Measuring progress
Our most critical natural resource issues are greenhouse gas emissions, water and waste. To allow our population to grow whilst avoiding placing serious stresses on the environment, each of us needs to use less water and cut down on creating non-recyclable waste. Our approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions will focus on the need to move to a less greenhouse-gas-intensive economy over time, including changes to the amount and types of energy we use. This is critical if Victoria is to play its part in national and global efforts to address the threat of climate change over the coming century.
- Greenhouse gas emissions from the production and use of energy will be reduced
- More efficient use of water in agriculture
- Melbourne’s water usage will be reduced by 15 per cent on a per capita basis from the 1990s average by 2010
- The quantity of solid waste generated will be reduced and the amount recovered for reuse, recycling and energy generation will increase
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