How much do we value nature?

Elliot Harris proposed that “If we put a value on nature, then we will measure it. If we measure it, we can manage it. If we manage the value, we avoid destroying it. That is the problem we’ve suffered from for a hundred years. Since we did not take that value into account, we’ve treated nature as though it was free and limitless. We’ve been using it up without being aware of how much value we were losing.” …

“Accounting for both nature and the economy allows us to see how our economic activity affects nature, how the presence of nature affects us as a society and as a species, and how our activities could be changed so that we can achieve prosperity without damaging or destroying nature in the process.”

Elliot Harris describes what accounting for nature may look like and be measured. 

Economists have gradually broadened the meaning of “capital” from the many goods and services we consume as part of our standard of living, that is generally the “physical” capital (historically the machines, buildings and infrastructure etc) to include “human” capital (what is in our brains, education etc) and “social’ capital (relationships, networks, norms of behaviour). Discussed in the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH, Business/economy/SMH pdf here).

 “Finally, economists are recognising the importance of “natural” capital: the world’s stocks of natural assets, such as geology, soil, air, water and all living things. These natural assets deliver to us “ecosystem services” ranging from pollinating birds and insects, sources of fresh water, forests, marine life, arable soils and various absorbers of wastes.” (SMH)

Dr Ken Henry, former Treasury secretary and former chair of the National Australia Bank, discussed with the SMH that we’re directly depleting our stock of natural capital (e.g. non-renewable natural resources), and the indirect impact, most obviously, the burning of fossil fuels, damages the atmosphere, the total supply of water, the earth’s surface, in a set of complex processes we call climate change.

However, we’ve contributed further to the degradation of natural capital with industrial use of our ecosystem services exceeding nature’s capacity to regenerate for at least several centuries — services critical to production (e.g. soil fertility, available well-watered farming land, and the capacity of the atmosphere and the land to absorb the waste left by economic activity).

The distinguished American economist Robert Solow argued that for economic growth to be sustainable, the present generation has a moral obligation to “conduct ourselves so that we leave to the future the option or the capacity to be as well-off as we are”.

In response, Dr Ken Henry discussed that so much has been lost, and with such serious consequences, a consensus has emerged that we must now commit to nature repair. He argues “that for some time, perhaps generations, we must seek to restore environmental condition, understanding that without doing so, we cannot be confident that future generations will have the capacity to be as well-off”.

We need a nature positive position.

We love nature, our friends and family probably do too. But how widespread are our nature values in our broader Port Stephens community?

Fortunately our Council undertakes surveys to find out what is important to us.

Through their liveability surveys, not surprisingly, the ideal neighbourhood has ‘Elements of natural environment’ as its top priority and is high in attributes we care most about.

After all, nature is the reason many of us came here to live or have chosen to stay.

If you’d like to delve deeper

From the most recent Port Stephens Liveability Survey report 2020 (an update is due very soon).

We’re all familiar with Destination Port Stephens (DPS) marketing Incredible by Nature. That alone tells us how important nature is to our tourism business.

DPS highlights “born with a natural gift and Port Stephens certainly was” … “one of the most incredible natural ‘stages’ on earth with a wealth of ‘bucket-list’ worthy experiences waiting for you” … “a place to appreciate the simple things in life: space to breathe, natural beauty, connection to nature and each other.”

Nature really is the foundation for our economy here in Port Stephens. Our tourism businesses are either based on nature, or support tourism through accommodation, cafes and the like.

We know our community at large value nature, our businesses depend on nature, and our economic promotion highly values nature.

Destination Port Stephens markets our towns and villages each with a prime nature connections as you can see in this collage, imaging from Destination Port Stephens.

Surrounded by nature is key in real estate. A treed suburb increases your house value. Wealthier suburbs tend to have more trees and a cooler climate various research finds ~ UQ’22 ~ Property Council ~ Greens Spaces

Canadian research points to more far-reaching effects of trees, from an increase in tourists in leafier commercial areas to tangible improvements in an individual’s mental health when surrounded by urban green space.

Environment is one of Council’s 4 focus areas, as per its 2022 Strategic Plan and provides a sense of aspiration and commitment to enhancing our environment. Whether strategies were in reality implemented over the last 4 years to achieve this has not been sourced here.

Above from Port Stephens Community Strategic Plan 2022 to 2032 (PDF)

The updated plan in draft, the Draft Community Strategic Plan 2025 to 2035, as required following the election of the new Council (exhibition closed mid May) seems to have lost aspirational focus and a sense of intergenerational equity …

This Draft Community Strategic Plan 2025 to 2035, strategy talks about sustainability throughout, using words like balancing the natural and built environment.

In EcoNetwork’s response to the draft, we contend that while a ‘sustainable and resilient’ environment is a worthy goal, it is inadequate as our natural environment is already compromised beyond being anything sustainable.

The koala population is declining in Port Stephens. Our large old growth trees are being removed at a much greater rate than they can possibly ever recover, and never in our lifetime. Insect populations and small bush birds are seemingly declining. Our coastal foreshore is neither resilient nor sustained in this era of climate change.

As presented earlier, we need to turn to repair, for the sake of our children and our future generations.

This key strategy should be amended to reflect an optimistic future for intergenerational equity for the environment, enhancing the little natural environment we have remaining.

We will await Council’s final plan and strategic direction for our future 2025-2035 and will report to our readers when released.

EcoNetwork submitted on the Draft Community Strategic Plan 2025 to 2035 here.

Council refused a Development Application from AB Rises Stage 2 to further develop land in Anna Bay on core koala habitat and with the proposed massive landfill potentially flooding neighbours.

Read more here about what’s happened, what’s at threat, and potential impacts.

Back prior to 2018, Council sold land that community understood was part of Stoney Ridge Reserve to a developer with an adjacent derelict resort. There was no community consultation, public exhibition to rezone the land, nor transparent process around this perceived selling of the community land.

Despite being environmentally valuable, with koala habitat, Powerful Owl nesting site and much more, some was cleared for an Asset Protection Zone. Much is still intact though threatened by potentially over-developed fire trails, and a possible subsequent development stage. Council is currently investigating possible environmental breaches.

Community calls on Council to take action to protect the remaining intact land for future generations and halt the impact of unnecessary over-developed fire trails. Read more.

Council has been super active in addressing recent devastating tree vandalism, at several levels. The Mayor has been in the media heralding the issue, and calling out the unacceptable behaviour of the perpetrator. Council has provided signs, surveillance cameras and other deterrents. Rehabilitation is a critical action, and Council commenced onsite planting at the site on the Bridle Path, though there is plenty on the promise. Read more here.

On the policy front, many of the policy issues raised in the above article incorporated into suggestions here are being addressed in the policy review, prior to exhibition which does facilitate change that we have not been able to achieve previously. This is a first for us and we understand has been an efficient partnership from Council’s perspective. The procedural and engagement suggestions will likely be addressed through other Council mechanisms.

We would love to see Council active in rehabilitating past vandalised sites as some important sites are degrading unnecessarily, but everything cannot be otherwise be achieved at once. We do hope there’s the will to support this. Read here to appreciate the selfish behaviour of just a few in our society that impacts other people as well as wildlife.