Sustainable Development

The Department's sustainable development framework provides the structure for the reporting of the social, environmental and economic impacts of the Department's operations. The benefi ts and effectiveness of the framework are increasingly being realised as it is progressively linked to the Department's decision-making and core processes.

The reporting guidelines, protocols and sector supplements prepared and issued by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), continue to be applied as the basis for the Department's sustainable development framework. The guidelines provide a list of core and additional social, environmental and economic aspects and indicators that, where relevant to the Department, are measured, monitored and reported on.

Strategy and Approach

The Department's strategy identifies the relevant GRI social, environmental and economic indicators against which the Department's non-financial performance can be measured. These indicators are then further developed to meet the unique custodial and non-custodial requirements of the Department.

The Department's approach to sustainable development continues to build upon the triple bottom line reporting commenced in 2002. That work includes the ongoing development of a sustainable development framework that provides the basis from which performance indicator development can be progressed.

The Department's 2006/07 Sustainable Development Plan will describe the key sustainable development performance measures and will be published as a separate document in mid to late 2006. The Sustainable Development Plan will be available as a PDF document on this website.