VEAC Assessment of the Values of Victoria's Marine Environment (VEAC, 2019)

The purpose of the assessment is to:

(a) identify current environmental, economic, social and cultural values of Victoria's marine environment, including their spatial distribution where relevant

(b) identify current and likely future threats to these values

(c) provide independent advice on future patterns, trends and direction related to existing and emerging uses

(d) determine a process to systematically classify data and an approach to describe social economic values and uses of Victoria's marine waters

(e) provide an inventory of available knowledge and data on existing values, uses and threats and advise on any significant gaps.

The Victorian Environmental Assessment Council Act 2001 was amended in 2016 to allow the Minister to request the Council to conduct an assessment or to provide advice in relation to a matter that, in the opinion of the Minister, does not require an investigation, having regard to the matter's limited scale or scope or its technical nature.  This assessment of the values of Victoria's marine environment is required pursuant to the new section 26B of the Act.

The report on VEAC’s Assessment of the Values of Victoria’s Marine Environment was submitted to the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, the Hon Lily D’Ambrosio MP, on 21 May 2019 and released publicly on 28 May 2019.