The production of the State of Environment (SOE) Report is a major step forward for Townsville City.

SOE Reports are a vital part of national, state, and now local efforts to protect our environment.

In the past decade, Townsville City Council has worked hard to reduce the impact of the city and its people on our environment and to enhance local environmental values in harmony with other social and economic aspirations of the cities residents.Initiatives have included the following:

• Delivering on our commitment to plant a million trees by 2000
• Drought-proofing the city
• Building one of the best resourced environmental departments of a local authority in Queensland
• Investing heavily in better sewage treatment facilities
• Improving the eco-efficiency of council operations
• Working with local businesses to improve environmental performance
• Supporting community-based on-ground environmental repair projects (e.g. Bushcare and Landcare)
• Subsidising public transport to reduce environmental impacts
• Building a bike path network connecting the city
• Rehabilitating Ross River, the city’s beaches, Castle Hill, Serpentine Lagoon and a wide range of other sensitive areas
• Supporting environmental research and monitoring
• Raising environmental awareness in the community

Townsville City Council has a proud record of promoting the environment in Local Government. At the heart of the city’s approach is a desire to build a sustainable development culture in the community, which encourages residents to support projects that enhance the environmental values of our region. This community culture is essential if we are to continue to grow in a way that balances social, economic, and environmental aspirations. The comprehensive assessment, which the SOE Report provides, helps to empower our community to respond more effectively to environmental challenges and to measure progress accordingly.

Unfortunately, data on the condition of the environment in Townsville is not as prevalent as we might like. However, all levels of government are working to build our knowledge and the community does have a wealth of environmental policies and programs that are making a difference. The Townsville City Council alone has 30 major environment-related policies and plans being implemented. These policies are helping Townsville to grow and prosper in a way which enhances the environmental values of the region.

This SOE brings the available information together in a way that makes it accessible to a wide range of stakeholders, involving the science community, businesses, policymakers, community groups and local residents. It is a user-friendly community asset for understanding the local environment, the pressures it faces, it’s current condition, and the responses being implemented - particularly by the Townsville City Council.

Councillor Tony Mooney, Mayor of Townsville