AIM/PURPOSE
The purpose of this report was to capture and present available information on the condition and trend of key natural assets of the South Coast Natural Resource Management (South Coast NRM) region of Western Australia. This is portrayed by a variety of indicators provided by specialists within the fields of their expertise.
Initially, the analysis was to be represented in a ‘report card’ format, which typically communicates asset condition at a given point in time using a grading scale (for example ‘traffic light’ system). As the project progressed, it became apparent that a report card layout that could be applied across the whole of the region was not the most suitable method of expressing the data. This was primarily because of limitations outlined in section 2.4 (page 15), and, in particular, because of the great diversities of climate, geology, habitat and land use that occur across the region.
Instead, information regarding the current state and trend of the region’s assets is described and illustrated through mapping. It is intended that the report:
- provides relevant,credible and useful information of natural assets that can be quickly comprehended
- creates awareness and promotes discussion, through a greater understanding of our environment
- identifies gaps in knowledge, and
- is used to inform priorities for efficient use of limited funding.
