Definition of Terms and Explanations

Goal carries the implication of the outcome to be achieved. It may be something desirable in the future and not immediately attainable. It should, however, represent the aspiration of the Australian people for environmental quality.

"Standard"

This is a measure of environmental quality. It may be:

a simple numerical standard - eg. pollutant concentration >10ppm (parts per million)
area specific - eg. the pH must be within ± 1 units of the average background level, or
more complex - eg. species diversity index >10

A standard is a quantifiable characteristic of the environment against which environmental quality can be assessed. It is a surrogate for the environmental values that are to be protected. It is a necessary, but not always sufficient, indicator of environmental quality and provides a reference point against which measured environmental quality can be assessed.

Standards are used in each jurisdiction to guide programs and against which the success of programs can be assessed. Participating jurisdictions must:

adopt the standard
design and implement programs to meet the standard, and
follow the standard procedure (ie protocols) to monitor and report achievement.

In this context, jurisdictions will be judged by their success in achieving and monitoring the environmental quality set in the National Environment Protection Measure. Annual reports from NEPC must be tabled in all Parliaments. This will act as a driving force to ensure that all governments take their commitments to NEPC seriously.

"Protocol"

This means the procedure to be followed to determine whether a standard or goal is being met, and to report progress in achieving the goal or standard. It thereby ensures comparability of data, and might include:

statistical basis of the monitoring regime
location of sites
sampling and analysis methods, and
reporting requirements.

Because of the complexities of the natural environment, most scientific measurements only provide partial information. In many cases tests measure only what is defined by the test method rather than directly measuring the health of an element of the environment. It is important therefore that compliance with standards is assessed and reported using agreed standard approaches or protocols. This will not only enable trend comparisons to be made within jurisdictions but will ensure that comparisons between jurisdictions can be readily made.

"Guidelines"

These provide guidance on:

how standards or goals may be achieved (eg. nutrient management strategies), or
how specified environmental problems can be addressed (eg. site contamination).

Guidelines:

are not mandatory
provide a basis for harmonised approaches, and
may stand alone or be part of another NEPM

Guidelines can be used in a number of ways. They can be part of a NEPM and set out the preferred approach to achieving or maintaining an environmental standard. This has advantages including the sharing of resources in the development of management strategies, eg. in the control of motor vehicle emissions. As guidelines are not mandatory they allow jurisdictions to experiment with other approaches or for small jurisdictions to take a lower cost but, in their terms, equally effective route.

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