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Sustaining the Bush Capital - 3

Ecological footprint

The average Canberran cast an ecological footprint of 8.5 global hectares (gha) on the Earth’s landscape 3. For a population of 311 800, as it was in 2004 when the footprint was calculated, this amounts to a total area of 2.65 million gha, or roughly 11 times the area of the ACT. It is a concern that it is growing (it has increased 15% since 1999) and that it is 17% larger than the average Australian footprint.

Ecological footprint

A measure of the sustainability of resource use and subsequent pollution expressed as the total amount of land (hectares) needed to support a community’s lifestyle. It includes the energy consumed in producing goods and the land needed to grow food, harvest water and sequester greenhouse gases produced by people’s lifestyle choices. It also takes account of actions taken to reduce emissions and enhance the environment.

Figure 3

An ecological footprint measures the area of land that is required to provide our food, clothing, housing, roads, freshwater, manufactured goods and energy, and to absorb our carbon dioxide emissions. Only 1.8 gha of bioproductive land are available on Earth for each person; Canberrans average of 8.5 gha is not sustainable at the global level.

Given the small area to large population of the ACT, the ecological footprint of the ACT must be considered at the local and regional level. The main ways for reducing the ACT’s ecological footprint are to reduce:

  • consumption of goods and services brought into the ACT
  • use of non-renewable energy and
  • the occupation and use of land.

Tighter limits on urban expansion will increase sustainability of energy and water use as well as conserving biodiversity. The ACT Government has recognised this in principle in the Canberra Plan and the Climate Change Strategy, but without applying more specific limits on the growth of the physical size of urban Canberra it will be difficult to reverse or make gains on the current trend.

Entrance to part of Canberra Nature Park –
an interconnected nature reserve
within and around the city.



Canberra Nature Park
Photo Sarah Ryan


limiting the footprint


  1. Data from The 2003-4 ecological footprint of the population of Canberra, Centre for Integrated Sustainability Analysis, University of Sydney 2008.

 



Molonglo Catchment Group

Molonglo Catchment Group The Molonglo Catchment Group works largely in NSW and covers the catchments of the Molonglo and Queanbeyan Rivers, Jerrabomberra Creek and the urban areas of inner Canberra and Queanbeyan.

Ginninderra Catchment Group

Ginninderra Catchment GroupThe Ginninderra Catchment Group works in the urban areas of Belconnen, West Belconnen, Hall, Gunghalin, and the rural areas and nature reserves of the Ginninderra Creek catchment.

Southern ACT Catchment Group

Southern ACT Catchment Group The Southern ACT Catchment Group operates in the southern areas of the ACT covering Woden, Weston Creek, Tuggeranong, Tharwa, Tidbinbilla, the Cotter Road, Namadgi National Park and related rural areas.
Theme by Dr. Radut.