Like other tools, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been developed to do a specific job. In the case of EIA, the job is to gain an understanding of the environmental consequences of proposed actions. The theory is that this understanding helps decision-makers determine if the action is worthwhile and if any safeguards would be required. But in practice, EIA is a social and political tool: it may not necessarily stop bad environmental decisions from being made.
The question then is what is the role of EIA? What is EIA? And how does EIA relate to other assessment procedures, such as Social Impact Assessment?
EIA in Australia: Theory and Practice explores these questions. But it goes further, also looking at:
- 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), the main document of an EIA; and
- the challenges involved in determining EIS content and presentation.
EIA in Australia: Theory and Practice 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.
Table of Contents
Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
CHAPTER 1: The Background to EIA
CHAPTER 2: EIA: Context and Content
CHAPTER 3: The Many Faces of Impact Assessment
CHAPTER 4: The Public Face of EIA
CHAPTER 5: EIA Worldwide
CHAPTER 6: EIA Procedures in Australia
CHAPTER 7: Contents of the EIS
CHAPTER 8: Determining Impacts for the EIS
CHAPTER 9: Stepping Through EIA
CHAPTER 10: The Future of EIA
Appendices
References
Index
Review of the third edition:
"The book is comprehensive in scope and the author has drawn on a very wide range of sources....
The book is successful, in my view, in achieving its stated purpose and in providing a comprehensive, readable and non-technical overview of EIA.
...it would be a very useful text for those needing a non-technical introduction to EIA and an overview of EIA procedures in the various Australian jurisdictions. This could include undergraduate and postgraduate students in scientific and non-scientific disciplines, as well as EIA practitioners and others with an interest in EIA. I commend the book to this audience and to readers of this Journal."
-- Australian Journal of Environmental Management Vol 9, June 2002