Landuse

Indicator description

The way we use our land affects the health of ecosystems and our quality of life. Changes in the intensity of landuse over time indicate changes in the pressure of landuse on the people and their environment. In some cases, landuse changes can also indicate the environmental and economic sustainability of landuses, if a landuse stops due to environmental degradation, for example.

For this report, landuse types of specific interest include:

• agricultural (including pasture/grassland, horticulture, cropping)
• forestry (as area used for timber production)
• water supply and storage
• urban (including the proportion of urban land used for residential, commercial and industrial purposes and urban green space)
• conservation (including national parks, heritage places)
• mines/quarries
• energy easement
• transport.

Depending on the data available, any of the categories within each landuse type may be presented separately or together.

The area of land devoted to conservation values is an indicator of the condition of our natural and cultural heritage, and the commitment by society to providing adequate protection, conservation and management of heritage places.

It is important to disaggregate the area designated as "urban" residential, commercial and industrial uses as well as urban green space. The amount of land used for each affects the nature and extent of impacts of urbanisation on the environment and the demands for infrastructure such as energy and water supply systems. The way land is used in urban areas also impacts on the quality of life for residents as it affects the amount of privacy, space, and noise experienced by the residential population, resulting in a range of effects on human health.

The area of urban green space should be further disaggregated into the area of urban land devoted to native vegetation, parks, gardens, recreation and other open spaces, relative to the total urban area, and whether this green space is accessible to the public. This is because urban green space that is not easily accessible for all does not contribute as much to the overall quality of life for an urban population.