Southern Australia is generally considered to consist of the states and territories of Australia of New South Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory (Canberra), Tasmania and South Australia. The part of Western Australia south of latitude 26° south (which includes the state capital Perth) a definition widely used in law and state government policy is also usually included.
Covering about half of the total area of Australia, Southern Australia includes about three-quarters of the Australian population, the main agricultural areas and the main industrial centres. The area is also notable for its primarily temperate, mediterranean, alpine or arid environmental and climatic conditions which contrasts to the mainly tropical climate of Northern Australia. Southern Australia has long suffered extreme weather events due to the arid landscape, however in recent times these conditions have been exacerbated due to climate change.
The region has several key industries which contribute to the high gross domestic product and large value of exports. Southern Western Australia largely focuses on mining as a key export, whilst the states of Victoria and New South Wales focus on traditional sectors such as manufacturing, tourism and financial services. Tasmania and South Australia are regional economies, primarily concentrated on manufacturing and fisheries.
Economy Southern Australia is the richest part of Australia, home to a diversified economy with an expansive variety of exports including minerals, wine, dairy, livestock, education, and tourism.Perlich, H. (2014). Australia's 'Two-Speed Economy’. The Journal of Australian Political Economy, 72, 106-126. ISSN 1839-3675 Across the region, there is sustainable employment, with all state's unemployment rates being below 8%.
Economists have suggested that Australia moves at two different speeds, with some states focusing on traditional sectors such as manufacturing, finance and tourism, and others emphasising mining industries.Perlich, H. (2014). Australia's 'Two-Speed Economy’. The Journal of Australian Political Economy, 72, 106-126. ISSN 1839-3675 NSW and Victoria are seen as traditional economies, primarily focusing on said "traditional" industries, whilst South Western Australia emphasises mining.Perlich, H. (2014). Australia's 'Two-Speed Economy’. The Journal of Australian Political Economy, 72, 106-126. ISSN 1839-3675 Regional economies such as Tasmania and South Australia prioritise manufacturing, closing them off to advancing in faster growing industries.Perlich, H. (2014). Australia's 'Two-Speed Economy’. The Journal of Australian Political Economy, 72, 106-126. ISSN 1839-3675
Attributable to the region's rich mineral soils, states such as Southern Western Australia and South Australia emphasise exports such as petroleum, iron ore and other minerals. Such commodities account for 36% of Western Australia's gross state product, employing approximately 124,000 people state-wide. South Australia is also home to rich agricultural soil creating a booming trade of fresh produce, seafood, and wine. South Australia's wine industry accounts for 17.2% of overseas exports, also stimulating fortuitous flow on tourism.Department of Treasury and Finance, SA. (2019). SA Overseas Goods Exports. Retrieved from https://www.treasury.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/137898/OS-Goods-exports_-December-2019.pdf
Such fertile soils transpire across the region, whereby Victoria exports 80% of Australia's produced dairy. The state encompasses just 3% of Australian land yet produces 22% of the nation's GDP.
Whilst Western Australia and Queensland have experienced high growth due to the mining resource boom, NSW has recorded dwindling economic growth, measuring lower Gross State Product (GSP) than national GDP since 2001. Nonetheless, NSW's main economic activities include the exporting of minerals such as coal, copper and concentrates, livestock, cropping and horticulture. NSW's number one export market is Asia grossing $3,068m annually, followed by the Americas and Europe.
Contrastingly, the ACT has experienced major growth of approximately 13% over the past 3 years. This is namely due to the prominent tertiary education sector and subsequent increase in popularity among students.
Home to outstanding beauty, Tasmania's strongest industry is unsurprisingly tourism. Isolated from mainland Australia, the government invests in numerous infrastructure projects to strengthen Tasmania's economy.
Climate and geography Comparative to Northern Australia's typical tropical climate, Southern Australia is home to a variety of climates including alpine, temperate, Mediterranean, and arid. Generally speaking, southern Australia experiences hot, dry summers followed by wet winters. Due to the arid nature of the land and intense heat, the region is prone to regular bushfires throughout the summer months.Pezza, A, B., Rensch, P., Cai, W. (2012). Severe heat waves in Southern Australia: synoptic climatology and large scale connections. Climate Dynamics, 38, 209-224. In addition, these fires have been exacerbated by the south-eastern 13-year drought from 1997 to 2009. However, these natural occurrences have been greatly aggravated due to climate change.CSIRO. (2018). State of the Climate. Retrieved from https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/OandA/Areas/Assessing-our-climate/State-of-the-Climate-2018/Australias-changing-climate
The southern coastline is subject to dramatic temperature changes over the summer months where temperatures regularly reach 45°C. Contrastingly, moving inland, the land converts to desert landscapes interrupted by fertile soils, home to renowned wine regions such as the Barossa Valley and Margaret River.
The Great Dividing Range runs north to south along Australia's east coast bringing the high elevations of it cold weather, whilst the easterly side receives the most rain and the west plains suffer the heat. Despite the overarching hot environment of southern Australia, regions of NSW, Victoria, and Tasmania experience winter snowfall, creating several ski resorts.
Majority of southern Australia is uninhabited due to its arid nature, with populations concentrating in the cities of Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. Of Australia's 9 main cities in Australia, southern Australia is home to 7 of them, making the region the most populated area of Australia.
Climate change
Southern Australia is experiencing rapid population growth and density, and when paired with increasing weather extremes presents a consequential concern for life and property.Pezza, A, B., Rensch, P., Cai, W. (2012). Severe heat waves in Southern Australia: synoptic climatology and large scale connections. Climate Dynamics, 38, 209-224. Rising temperatures have led to an increased risk of health issues such as heart-related mortality, infectious diseases, and pollen allergies.Pezza, A, B., Rensch, P., Cai, W. (2012). Severe heat waves in Southern Australia: synoptic climatology and large scale connections. Climate Dynamics, 38, 209-224. The effect of large-scale extreme events such as prolonged heat waves not only impacts human activities but mortality rates; this presenting critical reasons to address climate change.
Whilst Australian rainfall has always been variable and influenced by weather patterns such as La Ninã and El Niño, there are underlying trends that implicate global warming as the cause of drier winter seasons across south-eastern and south-western Australia. Since 1970, the region has experienced 20% less rainfall than in the period of 1900–1969, and now since 1999 that has increased to 26% less rainfall.CSIRO. (2018). State of the Climate. Retrieved from https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/OandA/Areas/Assessing-our-climate/State-of-the-Climate-2018/Australias-changing-climate Although southern Australia has experienced declining rainfall in the colder months of April to October, the northern counterpart has seen increasing rainfall since the 1970s.CSIRO. (2018). State of the Climate. Retrieved from https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/OandA/Areas/Assessing-our-climate/State-of-the-Climate-2018/Australias-changing-climate The prevalence of flash flooding is set to continue to intensify, brought by a 7% increase in short-duration extreme rainfall events.CSIRO. (2018). State of the Climate. Retrieved from https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/OandA/Areas/Assessing-our-climate/State-of-the-Climate-2018/Australias-changing-climate An increase in the simultaneous occurrence of two or more extreme events, known as compound extreme events, has largely impacted Southern Australia's agricultural industry. In each year of dry conditions and synchronous heatwaves, a typical cropping farm will experience a substantial loss of approximately $125,000 whilst in a regular year profit exceeds $230,000.Australian Government Department of Agriculture. (2019). The effects of drought and climate variability on Australian farms. Retrieved from https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/EffectsOfDroughtAndClimateVariabilityOnAustralianFarms_v1.0.0.pdf Simultaneously, drought years lead to reduction of livestock herd sizes as we see lower birth rates alongside discretionary forfeiture of dairy cows to the beef trade.Australian Government Department of Agriculture. (2019). The effects of drought and climate variability on Australian farms. Retrieved from https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/EffectsOfDroughtAndClimateVariabilityOnAustralianFarms_v1.0.0.pdf Climate change and bushfires In the past decade, southern Australia has experienced a surge in sweltering summers, coupled with low rainfall leading to a longer and more devastating bushfire season.CSIRO. (2018). State of the Climate. Retrieved from https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/OandA/Areas/Assessing-our-climate/State-of-the-Climate-2018/Australias-changing-climate Scientists have stated that the increased regularity and intensity of these conditions is a direct cause of climate change, including increasing temperatures.CSIRO. (2018). State of the Climate. Retrieved from https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/OandA/Areas/Assessing-our-climate/State-of-the-Climate-2018/Australias-changing-climate The region is experiencing an increase in yearly fire days, decreased annual rainfall, increases in mean sea level pressure, and tropical cyclones.CSIRO. (2018). State of the Climate. Retrieved from https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/OandA/Areas/Assessing-our-climate/State-of-the-Climate-2018/Australias-changing-climate
2019-2020 summer bushfires
Whilst climate change is not the sole contributor to Australia's devastating fire experience, since the 1950s, it has caused an increase in their occurrence and intensity.CSIRO. (2020). The 2019-20 bushfires: a CSIRO explainer. Retrieved from https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/Environment/Extreme-Events/Bushfire/preparing-for-climate-change/2019-20-bushfires-explainer Such effects have been seen in the 2019-2020 bushfires which ravished mainly NSW and Victoria but additionally South Australia and Southern Western Australia. 2019 was the driest and hottest year on record, with the annual average temperature increase measuring at 1.52°C.CSIRO. (2020). The 2019-20 bushfires: a CSIRO explainer. Retrieved from https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/Environment/Extreme-Events/Bushfire/preparing-for-climate-change/2019-20-bushfires-explainer