Course overview
Despite the multiple ecological challenges facing the planet, the imperative for economic progress remains, and as a result there will be ongoing impacts caused by mining, urbanisation and other forms of development, including work needed to build towards green energy transitions. In this context, this course aims to teach students how to assess impacts, understand their relative impact and to develop the skills to identify how to reduce those risks and build more sustainable outcomes. Increasingly, EIA processes also require sophisticated engagement with industry as well as deployment of other programs such as Sustainability Appraisal, Environmental Management Systems and Life cycle Analyses, and this course introduces students to – and assists them to trial them using real life case studies. They will also be taught how to engage with stakeholders, and how to manage and resolve conflict.
Course learning outcomes
- Explain the major principles of environmental impact assessment in Australia
- Understand the different steps within environmental impact assessment
- Discuss the implications of current jurisdictional and institutional arrangements in relation to environmental impact assessment
- Communicate both orally and in written form the key aspects of environmental impact assessment
- Understand how to liaise with and the importance of stakeholders in the EIA process
- Be able to access different case studies/examples of EIA in practice