Delivering sustainability in response to State of the Environment Reports

In 2019, 3 significant reports on the health of our environment, prepared by the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, were publicly released the State of the Environment 2018 report; the State of the Yarra and its Parklands 2018 report; and the State of the Forests 2018 report.

On 10 December 2020, the government publicly released the Victorian Government response to the reports.

The government has supported – in full, part or principle – 30 of the 31 recommendations in the reports.

These relate to:

  • Biodiversity
  • Climate change
  • Waste and recycling
  • International frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The government is already acting on many of the recommendations, including:

  • Protecting 90,000 hectares of old-growth forests and phasing out all logging in native forests by 2030, safeguarding 35 threatened species
  • Strengthening the Environment Protection Authority with $190 million
  • Transforming our waste and recycling system through Recycling Victoria with more than $300 million
  • Supporting Victorian communities and biodiversity to recover from the 2019-20 bushfires
  • Developing the Yarra Strategic Plan for land along the river.

In addition, the 2020-21 State Budget provides:

  • $655 million to protect and restore the environment so more people can get out and enjoy our natural wonders
  • $1.6 billion to speed up Victoria’s transition to clean energy and reduce emissions.

Page last updated: 10/12/20