4611.0 - Environment Expenditure, Local Government, Australia, 2000-01  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 17/10/2002   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All
  • Main Features
  • About this Release
  • Local government spends $2.5 billion on environment protection and $1.8 billion on natural resource management (Media Release)

MEDIA RELEASE

October 17, 2002
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
131/2002
Local government spends $2.5 billion on environment protection and $1.8 billion on natural resource management

Australian local government spent a total of $2.5 billion on measures to protect the environment and $1.8 billion on natural resource management in 2000-01, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.

This was an average of $130 per person on environment protection and $92 per person on natural resource management activities.

Highlights of the publication Environment Expenditure, Local Government, Australia 2000-01 include:

Traditional council activities such as solid waste management ($1.1 billion) and waste water treatment ($1.2 billion) were the major expenses for environment protection, while water supply ($770 million) and land management activities ($933 million) were the main expenses for natural resource management.

Expenditure on environment protection was $164 million (7%) more than local government received in revenue. Expenditure on natural resource management was $433 million (32%) more than revenue received. This meant that some councils had to fund these measures from other council revenue.

Revenue for environment protection was $2.3 billion and came largely from waste water and solid waste activities ($1.1 billion each). Revenue for natural resource management was $1.3 billion with water supply revenue amounting to $1.1 billion and land management revenue $200 million.

Ratepayers (both households and businesses) funded 85% or $2 billion of the total revenue for environment protection, the Commonwealth and state governments contributed 7% ($169 million). Ratepayers funded $1.1 billion or 81% of total revenue from natural resource management. Commonwealth and state governments provided 5% ($62 million).

Queensland councils collected the most revenue for environment protection and natural resource management activities ($944 and $758 million respectively). New South Wales councils spent the most ($997 million) on environment protection and Queensland spent the most on natural resource management ($628 million). Queensland and Tasmania were the only states or territories to have greater revenue than expenditure for environment protection and natural resource management activities.

On a per capita basis, Queensland and Tasmania spent the most on environment protection and natural resource management activities. Queensland spent $214 per capita on environment protection and Tasmania $173. Tasmania spent $223 per capita on natural resource management and Queensland spent $173.

Further information is in Environment Expenditure, Local Government, Australia 2000-01 (cat. no. 4611.0).