Conference paper
Principles for effective impact assessment: Examples from Western Australia
IAIA11 Impact Assessment and Responsible Development for Infrastructure, Business and Industry, 31st Annual Conference of the International Association for Impact Assessment (Puebla, Mexico, 28/05/2011–04/06/2011)
2011
Abstract
What makes an impact assessment process effective with respect to underlying legal and other principles? Prompted by a local review of administrative processes for environmental impact assessment (EIA), I identify 10 key aspects of IA legislation and practice in Western Australia along with corresponding principles. The EIA system in Western Australia (WA) has established an international reputation as a strong model for successful practice, and draws on more than 30 years of operation. Recent government reviews pose some threat and uncertainty regarding the future. In this context I reflected on the key ingredients of the legal and operating framework and realised that each conformed with important principles for good practice. Examples include a significance test at the screening step based on an environment-centred approach; public involvement that upholds natural justice expectations, transparency and accountability; the application of rational-scientific principles in the pursuit of adaptive environmental management; as well as upholding the polluter pays principle by ensuring that the proponent is responsible for all major EIA tasks and outcomes which in turn are legally binding and enforced. I outline each of the 10 principles using extracts from the legal arrangements for EIA in WA practice to illustrate each. I argue that the simultaneous attainment of all principles is necessary to deliver an effective impact assessment practice. The WA arrangements may have relevance to practice elsewhere in the world. I conclude with some observations on the implications of recent EIA review for the situation in Western Australia.
Details
- Title
- Principles for effective impact assessment: Examples from Western Australia
- Authors/Creators
- A. Morrison-Saunders (Author/Creator)
- Conference
- IAIA11 Impact Assessment and Responsible Development for Infrastructure, Business and Industry, 31st Annual Conference of the International Association for Impact Assessment (Puebla, Mexico, 28/05/2011–04/06/2011)
- Identifiers
- 991005541068707891
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Environmental Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Conference paper
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