Environmental Impact Assessment in Australia Theory and Practice

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is designed to help decision-makers gain an understanding of the environmental consequences of proposed actions in order to determine if the action is worthwhile and if any safeguards are required. In practice, EIA is a social and political tool: it won't necessarily stop bad environmental decisions from being made. This text looks at the role of EIA; the range of international EIA approaches; the procedures and legislation governing EIA within the Commonwealth, State, and Territory governments of Australia; how to determine when an EIA is needed; how to undertake an EIA; how to involve the community; how to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS); and the challenges involved in determining EIS content and presentation. The book concludes with an overview of the future role of EIA, its use in private industry, and its relationship to processes such as Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Management Systems.Thomas, Ian is the author of 'Environmental Impact Assessment in Australia Theory and Practice', published 2005 under ISBN 9781862875388 and ISBN 1862875383.