32   Meaning of “environmental indicator”

For the purposes of this Division, an environmental indicator is an aspect of the natural world or built environment that can be monitored to provide information on environmental conditions and trends. Environmental indicators include physical, chemical, biological and socio-economic measures of the environment (such as measurements of contaminants in soil, of the health of fish species and of the number of motor vehicles per household) that can be used to assess natural resources and environmental quality.

Note. This elucidation of the term “environmental indicator” is based on the definition contained in the Glossary to the Report called Australia: State of the Environment 1996 issued by the Commonwealth.