QUALITY DECLARATION - SUMMARY

INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT

The statistics presented in this release were prepared using data collected directly by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) under the Authority of the Census and Statistics Act 1905 and non-ABS data from sources including the Australian Government, State and Territory Governments, Local Governments and Australian Industry bodies.

For information on the institutional environment of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), including the legislative obligations of the ABS, financing and governance arrangements, and mechanisms for scrutiny of ABS operations, please see ABS Institutional Environment.


RELEVANCE

This paper aims to seek feedback from internal and external stakeholders for the proposed Discussion paper: Toward an Environmental expenditure account, Australia (cat no. 4603.0.55.001) which is to be released as part of a set of environmental accounts produced by the ABS.

The proposed Discussion paper: Toward an Environmental expenditure account, Australia (cat no. 4603.0.55.001) consists of tables and graphs showing:

• supply and use (collectively referred to as flow tables) for selected environmental protection and natural resource management services
• production of environmental protection and natural resource management services
• national expenditure on environmental protection and natural resource management and
• financing of national expenditure on environmental protection and natural resource management.

The advantage in establishing accounts for environmental expenditure is to identify and measure society’s response to environmental concerns through the supply and demand for environmental protection goods and services and through the adoption of production and consumption behaviour aimed at preventing environmental degradation. Directly, the EEA provides information on the value of environmental protection specific services produced across the economy and on the expenditure of resident units on all goods and services for environmental protection and natural resource management purposes.

The Discussion paper: Toward an Environmental expenditure account, Australia (cat no. 4603.0.55.001) was based on the United Nations System of Environmental and Economic Accounting (SEEA). The SEEA was adopted as an international statistical standard in 2012. Environmental accounts extend the boundaries of the System of National Accounts (SNA) framework to include environmental resources, which occur outside the economic production and asset boundaries measured by the SNA.


TIMELINESS

The Discussion paper: Toward an Environmental expenditure account, Australia (cat no. 4603.0.55.001) was compiled using ABS and non-ABS data sources (see explanatory notes) from varying reference periods based on availability and quality. The reference period for the tables is 2009-10 and 2010-11 (financial year).


ACCURACY

Data for the Discussion paper: Toward an Environmental expenditure account, Australia (cat no. 4603.0.55.001) were obtained from a different range of ABS surveys as well as Commonwealth, State, Territory and Local Government agencies, and industry organisations. These sources have varying degrees of consistency and reliability. For areas where data was not available, estimates were performed based on what ever the relevant data and information available. These estimates should be treated as experimental. For more information please see Explanatory Notes.


COHERENCE

The Discussion paper: Toward an Environmental expenditure account, Australia (cat no. 4603.0.55.001) is based on the System of Environmental and Economic Accounting (SEEA) framework and where possible comparisons were made with other available data sources.


INTERPRETABILITY

There are five sections of Explanatory Notes in this publication, which cover:

• Environmental Accounting Framework
• supply and use of selected environmental protection and natural resource management services
• production of environmental protection and natural resource management services
• national expenditure on environmental protection and natural resource management and
• financing of national expenditure on environmental protection and natural resource management.

ACCESSIBILITY

The data contained in this publication comprise the full detail of data compiled for the Discussion paper: Toward an Environmental expenditure account, Australia (cat no. 4603.0.55.001) and as such it would not be possible to provide any further information beyond what is presented in the publication. For more detail on the publication please contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.