The environment sustains all life now and into the future
Canberra’s natural environment sustains all life, is accessible, climate resilient, and clean.
Wellbeing Indicators
Canberra is a city built on Ngunnawal Country within the natural setting of the Brindabellas. Our parks, reserves, lakes and hills are part of our tree-lined city, and we value our access to nature through and around the city. People in Canberra value our strong connection to nature and we have heard many times from the community that our health and wellbeing are enhanced by our access to the natural environment.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples the relationship to the environment is more profound. “Country” encompasses an interdependent relationship between an individual and their connection to the lands and seas they live on. This reciprocal relationship between the land and people is sustained by the environment and cultural knowledge. Land is a link between all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ existence – spirituality, culture, language, family, law and identity.
Maintaining a healthy environment is central to increasing quality of life and years of healthy life. Environmental factors are diverse and far reaching. They include:
- exposure to hazardous substances in the air, water, soil, and food
- natural and technological disasters
- climate change
- occupational hazards
- the built environment.
The indicators in this domain cover access to green spaces including parks, tracks and trails; tree canopy cover; and the quality of our air, water, and biodiversity. Our indicators also focus on ecosystem condition, catchment health, status of threatened species and communities, and level of threat reduction to the natural environment.
As we continue to adapt to a changing climate and hotter temperatures; more extreme weather events; increased bushfire risks with more intense fires; and longer, harsher seasons at all extremes, our wellbeing and resilience will continue to be challenged. The dashboard will help to show how our people and our environment are doing over time, for example through community preparedness for climate change and our greenhouse gas emissions.
