Australia Yearbook - 2001

580 Year Book Australia 2001
Graph 14.1 shows that, for every age group, the
passage of seven years saw a decline in the
proportion of people concerned about
environmental problems. This change in attitude
is at odds with evidence which suggests that,
during the 1990s, many of Australia’s
environmental problems worsened (SOE 1996);
an example of ongoing environmental
degradation was widespread and intensive
clearing of native woody vegetation (Barson et al.
2000).
Reduced levels of concern for environmental
problems may be partly explained by people’s
view on the quality of Australia’s environment in
the last ten years. In 1999 some 52% of adult
Australians indicated a belief that the
environment had improved or stayed much the
same in the last ten years, compared with 49% in
1996.
Visiting World Heritage Areas,
National Parks and State Parks
The numbers of adult Australians visiting World
Heritage Areas, National Parks and State Parks
were assessed in 1992 and 1998. The visitation
rates in 1992 and 1998 are presented in
graph 14.2.
The proportion of Australians visiting World
Heritage Areas and National and State Parks
declined in 1998 compared to 1992. This fall
occurred in every Australian State and Territory,
Tasmania showing the largest fall and the
Australian Capital Territory the smallest.
Nationally, the proportion of people who had
visited these places dropped from 62.9% in 1992
to 54.4 % in 1998. In 1992 and 1998 people were
also asked to nominate the reason they had not
visited a World Heritage Area, National or State
Park in the last twelve months. In both years
people nominated lack of time as an important
constraint, although it was more of a constraint in
1998 (37% of respondents in 1998 compared to
25% in 1992). In addition, more people indicated
that age and health, and lack of interest, were
factors in 1998 than in 1992.
Household water—use, sources,
quality and conservation
Household water consumption represented just
over 8% of all water consumption in Australia in
1996–97. About half of all the water consumed in
Australia is mains water (11,525.5 gigalitres (GL)
in 1996–97), household use representing 15.6%
(1,796.1 GL). This compared to household use of
1,676.7 GL (17.7%) of Australia’s mains water in
1993–94. (A gigalitre, one billion litres, is roughly
equivalent to one thousand Olympic swimming
pools of water.)
Graph 14.3, comparing the sources of household
water in 1994 and 1998, shows that little has
changed at the national level, with the exception
of an increase in bottled water use.
14.2 VISITED A WORLD HERITAGE AREA OR PARK—1992 and 1998
NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT
Aust.
1992
1998
0 20 40 60 80 100
%
Source: Environmental Issues: People's Views and Practices (4602.0).