The current delineation of responsibilities between local, state, and Federal Government, the Australian Constitution and the scope of Commonwealth powers, Aboriginal heritage, the development of international law and international heritage agreements are discussed. The institutions, policies, specific regulations concerning environmental development and management, and procedures for dispute resolution are studied in detail. Students undertake a major investigation which involves the application of multidisciplinary skills in a research context. A compulsory 5 - 7 day excursion on Marine Science is part of this unit. A continuation of Environmental Applied Studies 1.
Students complete the fieldwork component including the analysis and interpretation of results.
The written and verbal presentation of the research findings to a variety of audiences is stressed as an important aspect of contemporary environmental science. This unit will include the opportunity for students to undertake marine research on the Great Barrier Reef. The legal and institutional requirements for environmental impact assessment, identification of the types of development proposals that are affected by these requirements and the nature of the assessment procedures used to evaluate various aspects of development proposals. Students will examine critically past environmental impact statements and assess the accuracy of their predictions by field observation. The choice of sampling strategies in different types of investigations and their validity and reliability are examined.