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EM312 Environmental Impact Assessment

Updated: 12 December 2011
Credit Points 6
Offering
Responsible Campus Teaching Period Mode of Study
Armidale Trimester 1 Off Campus
Armidale Trimester 1 On Campus
Intensive School(s)
Start Finish Attendance Notes
09 April 2012 12 April 2012 Mandatory on-campus and off-campus students must attend intensive school
Supervised Exam There is a UNE Supervised Examination held at the end of the teaching period in which you are enrolled.
Pre-requisites 72cp or for BEngTech and BUrbRegPlan: ENGT237 or ENVE237 or candidature in a postgraduate award
Co-requisites None
Restrictions EM512
Notes None
Combined Units EM512 - Environmental Impact Assessment
Coordinator(s) Lisa Lobry De Bruyn (llobryde@une.edu.au)
Unit Description

This unit deals with environmental impact assessment in the planning and management of Australia's natural resources. Topics covered include: concepts and philosophy of impact assessment; policy, legislation and administration at the national, state and local level; methods and techniques for impact assessment; impact assessment in forest management, mining and processing, water resources development, conservation and habitat management, and agriculture, and infrastructure development associated with such activities. The practical work will deal with the preparation and review of environment impact statements for resource development. The 500-level unit is based on the undergraduate level unit with additional reading, assignments or projects and the demonstration of a greater level of understanding of the undergraduate material.
Recommended Material
Optional 		Text(s):

Note: Recommended material is held in the University Library - purchase is optional

Environmental Impact Assessment in Australia
ISBN: 9781862877115
Thomas, I. and Elliott, M., Federation Press 5th ed. 2009
Text refers to: Trimester 1 , On and Off Campus
Disclaimer Unit information may be subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Assessment
Title Exam Length Weight Mode No. Words
Assignment 1 15%
Assessment Notes
Oral Group Presentation
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 1,2 GA: 1, 2, 4, 8
Assignment 2 35% 3000
Assessment Notes
Essay
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 1-5 GA: 1, 2, 4, 6
Final Examination 2 hrs 50%
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 1-5 GA: 1, 2, 3, 4

Learning Outcomes (LO) Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. understand the concepts and philosophies for EIA and how they are implemented at the national and state levels;
  2. identify methods and techniques for environmental impact assessment and understand how they are applied to the major natural resource sectors;
  3. apply the concepts inherent in EIA in a critical assessment of an industry standard Environmental Impact Statement;
  4. understand the strengths and weaknesses of EIA;
  5. identify and understand future evolutionary trends in EIA.

Graduate Attributes (GA)
Attribute Taught Assessed Practised
1 Knowledge of a Discipline
The concepts and skills underpinning EIA will be taught, assessed and practised through achieving the unit learning outcomes, and applied in different practical and industry contexts. Students will learn knowledge by direct experience in practicals and field excursions. Knowledge will be assessed in assignments 1 and 2, and within the examination. 		True True True
2 Communication Skills
Communication skills are taught, assessed, and practiced during student group presentations which are undertaken to assess field visit sites and to identify environmental impacts during Intensive School. Report writing to critique an EIS is taught and assessed in completing assignment 2. 		True True True
3 Global Perspectives
International origins and future trends in EIA are taught in lectures and practicals, and assessed in assignment 2 and within the examination. 		True True
4 Information Literacy
Students will be assessed on their skills in obtaining appropriate information for the written assignment, using books, journals and on-line sources. Students will be taught, and directed, to relevant EIA literature and how to assess the validity of impact assessments. In assignment 2, critical review of and Environmental Impact Statement students will be assessed on their ability to identify relevant impact assessment relevant literature, and on their ability to critically analyse the literature. 		True True True
5 Life-Long Learning
The environmental assessment frameworks taught in this Unit will allow students to continue learning about EIA from their own observations, reading and other media. Students will develop a range of life-long learning skills such as how to seek out new information and critically analyse such information in relation to EIA 		True True
6 Problem Solving
Problem solving is taught and practiced during the Intensive School in assessing field visits, and during practical sessions in evaluating the application of EIA to different biological systems. Problem solving is assessed within assignments 1 and 2. 		True True True
7 Social Responsibility
Students will be taught about their professional and ethical standards responsibilities as an EIA practitioner. They will practice social responsibilities during the Intensive School Group sessions. 		True True
8 Team Work
Students will practise their teamwork skills through participating in practicals and during the Intensive School assessment task. Assignment 1 requires student teams to prepare for a field visit during the intensive school, undertake a critical analysis of the impacts of the development visited, and present to the class their team's findings which is then assessed. 		True True
   

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