Terms of reference

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Environment and Heritage undertook a review of the 1997-98 annual report of the Department of the Environment and Heritage, and will table a report on its review in June 1999. This review was carried out under the provisions of House of Representatives Standing Order 324 (b).

The management of Australia's water resources, particularly regarding the health of urban and rural waterways and water quality standards, was outlined in the annual report and identified by the committee in its review as a topic warranting further examination. On 2 June 1999 the committee resolved to continue its investigation of water resource issues through an inquiry into catchment management, with particular attention to the following matters:

• the development of catchment management in Australia;
• the value of a catchment approach to the management of the environment;
• best practice methods of preventing, halting and reversing environmental degradation in catchments, and achieving environmental sustainability;
• the role of different levels of government, the private sector and the community in the management of catchment areas;
• planning, resourcing, implementation, coordination and cooperation in catchment management; and
• mechanisms for monitoring, evaluating and reporting on catchment management programs, including the use of these reports for state of the environment reporting, and opportunities for review and improvement.

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