Description

Overview of the book – textbook edition

Environmental impact assessment, or EIA, is a long-established tool in support of government decision-making, used widely in most developed and emerging countries. In its simplest form, EIA is used to determine the environmental impacts of new proposals prior to final decisions being made. The assessment allows changes to be made to the proposal to ensure environmental impacts are acceptable. In practice, EIA is more complex than this, reflecting 40 years of practice. 

I first began working in EIA in 1989, when I joined the Environmental Protection Authority as a senior officer, and have been practicing, teaching and researching in EIA since then. I developed a set of detailed lecture notes during the years I taught EIA, which I have now turned into this text book.

This book explores EIA as it is practiced, with a particular focus on the Western Australian (WA) process and practice. It will also look at what is happening in the Commonwealth and other States in Australia. WA specific case-studies are provided in some chapters to illustrate the points made in the general discussion of the chapter.

This book has two audiences: anyone in WA who would like to know more about the practice of EIA in WA; and, those who want to use this book as part of eLearning training in EIA I offer – see below. 

Using this book as a self-guided eLearning resource

Whilst this book has been written as a textbook, it can be used as the key resource in an eLearning course I offer through my website. If you enrol to do the course as a self-guided eLearning exercise you can download a complementary booklet that contains quizzes and assignments. As well, you will have access to me for tutoring via emails and Zoom/Teams catch ups, and I will assess and provide feedback on your assignments. Please contact me for more details of this option via email.

The 2020 changes to the WA Environmental Protection Act 1986

In April 2020, the Government introduced two Bills into Parliament to amend the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (EP Act), and the final Acts were agreed to by both Houses in November and assented to by the Governor late in November 2020. This book covers those changes made to the EP Act. Appendix 1 is a summary of the key changes made to the EP Act in 2020.

Purchasing the book

The book is available in both PDF and epub formats and can be purchased by clicking here