Statewide Natural Resource Management (NRM) Monitoring and Reporting Program

The Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) is standardising approaches to natural resource management (NRM) planning, investment and reporting. The department is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the condition of natural resources and the impact of NRM activities across the state. Consistent statewide reporting will help assess progress towards achieving the Victorian Government's objectives for our land, water and biodiversity, and will guide future investment in NRM.

DEPI is working with Victoria's NRM agencies including Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs), Coastal Boards and Parks Victoria to implement systems and standards for clear and consistent statewide monitoring and reporting on the management and condition of Victoria's valuable land, water and biodiversity assets.

Satellite Images and Aerial Photography DEPI has recently made a significant investment in remote sensing information and aerial photography that will provide the foundation for consistent environmental data across the whole state. Two projects of particular note are being completed for landscapes and for waterways: Landscape An extensive suite of images of Victoria were taken by German RapidEye satellites and a fleet of aircraft over the 2009-10 summer period. These detailed images provide a unique view on Victoria’s fragile ecosystems and will be used by scientists to look closely into our landscapes, helping to improve our understanding of the impact of climate change and the unique patterns left by changing land use. See DEPI's Flickr gallery for examples of downloadable images of landscapes across a number of Victoria's regions. Waterways During 2010 aerial photography as well as specialist optical remote sensing technology (LiDAR) will be used to capture over 26,000km of Victoria’s stream network. This data will be used by scientists to provide a more accurate and comprehensive assessment of the state of Victoria’s streams. In particular they will contribute to assessment of the “streamside zone” and “physical form” components of the third iteration of the Index of Stream Condition. For more information see River Health Monitoring on the Office of Water website.