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  2. Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures [SCI5250]

School: Science

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures

  • Unit Code

    SCI5250

  • Year

    2026

  • Enrolment Period

    1

  • Version

    2

  • Credit Points

    20

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online

  • Unit Coordinator

    Prof Angus MORRISON-SAUNDERS

Description

This unit examines the role of environmental impact assessment as part of an environmental decision making process in land using planning, resource management and development projects. The legislative basis for environmental impact assessment and administrative and technical procedures are investigated. Experience is gained in critically reviewing environmental impact assessment documents. This unit aims to provide students with the theoretical knowledge and skills needed to be an effective member of an environmental assessment project team.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

On-campus version of unit will be delivered in four all-day workshops over the semester.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Critically evaluate environmental impact assessment best practice principles and the contribution of these to sustainable development.
  2. Describe the actual and potential roles of stakeholders to environmental impact assessment, reporting and monitoring of a development proposal.
  3. Identify and evaluate current environmental impact assessment legislation and practices.
  4. Describe the procedures used in environmental impact assessment in Australia and internationally.
  5. Develop effective written and oral communication skills relevant to professional practice in the field of environmental impact assessment.

Unit Content

  1. Aims and purpose of EIA.
  2. Legislative and administrative basis for EIA evolution of practice internationally.
  3. Monitoring, auditing, effectiveness and best practice EIA.
  4. The EIA process (screening, scoping, EIA study phase, decision-making, implementation and follow-up).
  5. Public participation and stakeholder engagement.
  6. Transparency, accountability and public engagement in EIA.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

City CampusJoondalupSouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 110 x 4 hour workshopNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

Additional Learning Experience Information

Learning material is provided through workshops and in an on-line environment. Students are encouraged to pursue independent learning by searching and reviewing all information resources available to them. Some assessments make use of shared information in the on-line environment.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
EssayBest Practice EIA Principles30%
PresentationEIA Process Audit30%
ExerciseCritical Review of an EIA Project Case Study40%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
EssayBest Practice EIA Principles30%
PresentationEIA Process Audit30%
ExerciseCritical Review of an EIA Project Case Study40%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

  • Plagiarism: Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).
  • Unauthorised collaboration (collusion): Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).
  • Contract cheating: Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.
  • Cheating in an exam: Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment Procedure - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment Procedure - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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