Introduction to the assignments -
A major recurring theme of this course is the concept of resource management for development planning. Whenever developments are undertaken, decisions have to be made by both the developer and regulatory authorities regarding the appropriateness and acceptability of the development impacts on the surrounding environment. To assist in making these decisions, many developers are required to submit environmental impact statements (EIS) that outlines the nature and extent of the expected impacts arising from the development. The format of an EIS can be seen from the terms of reference shown in the Reading 11.2. This reading shows the type of headings and information required for an EIS. The two assignments for this course are loosely fashioned on the requirements of an EIS. Impact statements normally require an outline of the proposed development, some background on the nature of the physical resources of the area, a discussion of the likely impacts arising from the development, and recommendations for either alternative proposals or mitigation of the impacts.
The assignments for this course should be viewed as two components of the same environmental impact statement report. The first assignment requires you to provide some background to the nature and diversity of land development in an area (e.g. shire or region) and to identify and discuss a major development in this area that has either been recently proposed or constructed within the last ten years. The second assignment requires that you provide a physical resource inventory of the development site, identify the degradation issues arising from the development identified in assignment 1, and that you propose strategies for the resolution of these impacts.
Assignment 1 - You are required to prepare a report on a major development that has either been constructed during the past 10 years or is currently proposed for an area with which you are familiar. Examples of developments which you could select include a new road, building, airport, dam, weir, subdivision, manufacturing factory, mine, power lines, tourist enterprise (e.g. bungee jump site, sky rail), agricultural enterprise (e.g. piggery, farmland clearing, processing plant), port or bridge (there may be many others more appropriate to your area). The assignment should cover three areas (NB: these should also be the major sections in your report):
1. Provide an outline of the major development proposal you have selected for study. Include specific details of the development such as the size, nature, construction and operational requirements, and location (a map may be appropriate). (300 words).
2. Outline the general history of land use for the surrounding area of the development (e.g. locality/shire/region) that you have selected. Include details of the nature and extent of both urban and rural land use history since settlement (or a suitably long time frame) and comment on the relationships between the physical and social resources of the area and the development that has occurred. (600 words).
3. Describe the previous land use of the specific site and immediate surrounding areas, and the appropriateness of the development given the history of the land development in the area. Ensure that you also provide the reasons (e.g. physical, social, economic) why this development has been proposed or constructed in this area. (600 words).
Assignment 2 - For the area and development identified in assignment 1:
1. Outline the biophysical attributes (e.g. climate, geology, soils, vegetation, water, fauna resources) of either the development site or your selected locality/shire/region. Ensure that your discussion includes those attributes that are affected by the development or have impacts on the development due to construction. Where appropriate, include maps of the various attributes. (1200 words).
2. Identify the major degradation issues that have arisen (or could be expected to arise) from the development. In your answer, explain the processes that have led to this degradation (e.g. building the dam has reduced flooding and hence, reduced the fish populations and fertility of the surrounding soils). (800 words).
3. Propose strategies to mitigate or reduce the degradation issues identified above. These strategies should address the fundamental causes of the degradation but also should be practical with respect to technology, economics and societal preferences. If you are discussing a proposed development, you may like to suggest alternative proposals. (800 words).
Special instructions -
It is expected that the assignment will be a scholarly, informative, neat, well-structured and well-documented presentation in the form of a report. The report should be concise and consists of headings that uses key words from the description of assignments or marking criteria. Use of headings such as part 1, part 2 etc. are not informative of contents underneath; therefore use of such headings in a report is not encouraged. All assignments must be typed or word-processed.
Clear, consistent and concise prose, grammatically correct and free of spelling mistakes is the main attribute of scholarly presentation. A suitable system of headings and pagination (numbering of pages) greatly assists the structure. You should have a special section for references at the end of the assignment. References in this assignment should be in the Harvard referencing style. Examples of this style are provided in the referencing guide available from the Library homepage. Students may consult this guide for the style required in using references within the assignment text and also in the reference section of their assignment. Each reference in the reference section will include the author's name and initials, date of publication, and name of article or book. Where there is more than one author, full details of each author should be included. The use of et al. is inappropriate in the reference section. If the reference is a book, include information about the publisher and the name of city and country where published. If the reference is from a journal, quote the name of the journal, volume number and page as well as, of course, the date of publication. If the reference is from a symposium or conference, quote the name of the symposium or conference, the page number (if appropriate), and where and when the symposium or conference was held.
The examiner will expect the author to have contributed considerable effort in gathering information. Various reports and publications are likely to have been consulted and quoted, but the examiner will not encourage or countenance slavish and extensive copying from the reports of other people. Information from personal observations and accompanying maps, and diagrams of localised areas will be greatly appreciated.
The accuracy and comprehensiveness of on-the-spot, in-the-field observations and ground checks assume even greater importance, with the increasing sophistication of technology. A capacity for astute and comprehensive observations of the environment is expected. The assignment topics are aimed at using these skills.
The topic should be developed for a specific region, district, or location that is clearly identified. Technical information will be expected to be specific. For example, when vegetation is a major item in the title, rather than vaguely mentioning trees and grass as vegetation, the account of vegetation should at least be in terms of the classifications presented in the course study material. Inclusion of an account of the percentage on assemblage (temporally and spatially) of genus and species of trees and of ground cover would enhance this specific category of presentation. Shire libraries and government agencies should be of assistance when locating suitable reference material.