Environmental Challenges, EIA, and Sustainable Solutions for Australia

This report examines two major environmental issues facing Australia: deforestation and the impact of invasive species, and their connections to climate change. It explores the legal and procedural aspects of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in New South Wales and contrasts it with practices in South Australia, highlighting drawbacks and differences. The report then outlines a development activity focused on reforestation in NSW, including study goals, a screening level assessment, and baseline setup. It assesses the social impacts of the development, emphasizing public participation and the EIA process. Finally, the report proposes a strategy employing soft tools to promote the use of recycled water for drinking, incorporating behavior modification techniques and associated modifications. The assignment draws on research from Simmons et al. (2018), Kopf et al. (2017), Rhodes et al. (2017), Bebbington, Bebbington and Sauls, (2018), Hossain, Hales and Sarker, (2018), Wilkinson et al.(2017), Evens, (2016), Masa et al. (2016), and Hines et al. (2019) to provide evidence-based analysis and recommendations.

Running head: SUSTAINABLE SYSTEM
Sustainable System
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Question 1
Removing stand of plants or trees or removing forest from land for converting it into a
land for using non-forest purpose such as urban use, ranches or farms is known as Deforestation.
One- third landmass of Earth is enveloped with lush green forest that provide a domain of
environmental, economic and social benefits. More than quarter of all the known plant species
and terrestrial animal, sustainable supply for fresh water, regulation of climate and helping in
reducing erosion of soil is harbored by the forests. Even after that, natural vegetation and forests
are cleared continuously at a lurching rate. Australia happens to be one of the home for some
most magnificent and unique nature in world. Yet it happens to be one of world’s worst evolved
countries for broad scale deforestation wiping endangered woodlands and forests and killing
native animals. The most important impact deforestation is having on Australia’s climate is
declining fertility of soil and soil fertility biodiversity. There are almost forty percent of forest in
Australia and the remaining are fragmented. Most of forest in Australia is present in coastal
regions and much portion of the rest continent in covered by dry land and desert (Simmons et al.
2018) The patterns of precipitation and local temperature gets affected broadly by the forest
clearing. It reduces rainfall and increases temperatures. The natural cycle of water gets disrupted
by the cutting down the trees due to which the soil moisture is maintained by the tree and water
vapor comes back in the atmosphere. Protecting the forests not only conserve the biodiversity but
also defends the forest community and their rights. Some measures that can be implemented to
tackle deforestation in Australia are discussed below:
 Consumer Power: One of the biggest environmental crime taking place in the
present time is converting the irreplaceable forests to consumer products such as
paper, books, toothpaste, food ingredients, and tissues. However, inside the battle

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of protecting forests, the consumers have power by being careful of the products
they are choosing to consume.
 Corporate Action: If the corporations have the power to destroy forests then
they also tend to have the power of saving them. The environmental abuses are to
be confronted and exposed for bringing a change in the environment. Many
companies that are multinational have changed practices but still there is a long
way to go.
 Putting ‘No Deforestation’ into practice: A large store of carbon id hold by the
tropical forests. They are fully packed with biodiversity that is crucial for local
communities and millions of people. Companies convert the tropical forests into
plantations or agriculture for commodities such as paper or palm oil have been
under pressure from customers to prove the supply chain and operations are
causing deforestation or not.
Australia has been home to many animals and plants where some are introduced since the
European settlement. Few of those animals have become exotic or invasive species. They
multiplied and spread to a limit where those species are damaging the environment, threatening
the existence of plants animals and plants which are native or create problem with the
agriculture. The invasive animals are also known as feral animas at times and there are invasive
weed or plants present in Australia as well. These species have been found to cause immense
damage in native animals and plants, and loss in annual production of the county. Some Feral or
invasive animals like goats, rabbits, pigs, and buffaloes degrade the natural habitat of Australia
by selective grazing. The animals with hoofs that are hard compacts the soil that makes the
native vegetation difficult to grow and contributes in soil erosion. They have been also observed

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competing with the other native animals for habitat and food (Kopf et al. 2017.) They tend to
affect and interrupt the climate of Australia in these ways. Some measures that can be
implemented to tackle invasion of these exotic and invasive species are discussed below:
 Conventional control methods: The methods for conventionally controlling the
invasive animals are trapping, fencing shooting and positioning. Some community
measures for their welfare have also been taken that has been accepted generally
under the program of pest control. For excluding these species, fences have been
utilized for protecting the species that are becoming endangered. The small areas
that have high conversion use electric fences to protect the value of those places
from invasive animals.
 Biological control methods: The methods of controlling the invasive animals
biologically includes controlling pests by using the praises, bacteria carrying
diseases and natural predators. Examples of biological controlling methods are
calcivirus disease caused to feral rabbit and myxomatosis. Using of Cactoblastis
for controlling prickly pear is also an example. The biological methods become
most effective when used with conventional and combinational methods like
digging up the warren like in case of feral rabbits. Strict controls and tests are also
taken to ensure the future of these species.
Question 2
The legal provisions of EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment in Australia) to administrate
the act of capacity as foundation practice for any country and demonstrates the commitment of
that country to potentially protect the development impacts on projects. The regulations, laws
and policies of the legal framework of a country for the system of EIA requires to be organized

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well for meeting the desired set of goals (Rhodes et al. 2017) The department of EIA assesses
the impacts of proposal that are potential for a significant project of state before any decision is
made by the delegates of Ministry of planning. EIA considers the way NSW approaches them
and other approaches of jurisdiction both internationally and within Australia. EIA looks after
the issues too that are raised by stakeholders and communities of the project. The new guidelines
have been designed that includes:
 Creating a framework that is consistent for setting up the scope of EIS.
 Ensuring better and early engagement within the community and other stakeholders.
 Improving quality of the EIA documents.
 Providing an excellent framework for setting up the conditions for operating and
constructing the projects.
 Providing greater amount of clarity on the already approved project for improving the
compliance post approval.
 Increasing the accountability for practicing the professionals of EIA.
After implementing the guidelines of EIA in conduct with NSW, Australia there are some
drawbacks which have been highlighted. They are as follows:
 The requirements of EIA are often avoided.
 EIA does not often carefully integrate into the planning.
 EIA does not ensure the sound projects of Environment.
 They are primarily done for projects but not policies or programs.
 The cumulative impacts are not assessed frequently.
 Public participation in EIA is often not inadequate
 The proposed mitigations may not get implemented all the time.

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 The monitoring of post project is rarely conducted.
 Assessments of social and risk impacts are often emitted.
 Inconsistent and poor documents quality.
 Need for better community engagement (Bebbington, Bebbington and Sauls, 2018.)
However, the monitoring and drawbacks of EIA of South Australia is different from that of
New South Wales. It has been observed from a comprehensive study impact of the environment
within South Australia was established first through the context of monitoring the impact of
environment in the area and analysis of those documents monitored earlier later on. The first and
critical stage of EIA in South Australia is the process of screening where proposals of vetting
development determines if a full assessment is required or not. Significant tests in respect to EIA
were executed inadequately to undermine the purpose of EIA for protecting the environment.
There are substantial variation of jurisdiction all across in prescriptive terms and optional tests of
significance, some thresholds and criteria within them. Out of all the aspects of EIA, the most
frequent citing source is screening that is of actual infringements. Even after that, there is
shortage of research in the area of South Australia (Hossain, Hales and Sarker, 2018) The
operating principles of EIA in South Australia are highlighted below:
 Screening.
 Scoping.
 Examination of alternatives.
 Impact analysis.
 Mitigation and management of impact.
 Evaluation of significance.
 Preparation of EIA reports.

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 Following up.
 Decision making.
Question 3
Development Activity
The clearing of land in New South Wales (NSW) rose to more than fifty percent in the
year of 2016-17. The overall clearing of forest, excluding deforestation caused by fire, increased
from thirty nine thousand hectares to fifty nine thousand seven hundred hectares in the year of
2015 to 2016. Nature is in major crisis in New South Wales (Wilkinson et al.2017.) The news
laws authorize deforestation devastatingly and clearing habitat of important wildlife. Strong and
new laws needs to be introduced by the government for protecting wildlife, bush land and forest.
A development activity has been arranged for saving the cutting of trees in NSW (Evens, 2016.)
The study goals to undergo this activity are as follows:
 Requesting the government to come up with laws that are in favor of reforestation and
against cutting of trees.
 Restoring a habitat for the natural and precious wildlife.
 Controlling erosion of soil.
 Planting more trees.
 Going paperless whenever possible and use paper with utmost care.
 Recycling paper and buying other recyclable products.
 Eating meals that are vegetarian whenever possible.

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Screening Level Assessment
To determine whether any project has the potential to form any significant influence on
the environment or not is determined by the size of the project and its location which is NSW
here. The threshold where the project of resorting planting of more trees falls, creates a
presumption initially whether the goals will have a significant effect or not (Masa et al. 2016.)
To determine that a screening level assessment has been considered. The details are shown in the
following table:
Type of Project Description of Land
Covered
Size of area for the
land which is to be
covered
Likelihood of the
project
Afforestation A land or a part of
land which is in a
sensitive area
probably a National
Park or area with
great natural beauty.
2 hectares or maybe
less than that.
Unlikely to get
significant effects.
Afforestation A land or a part of
land which is in a
sensitive area
probably a National
Park or area with
great natural beauty.
2 hectares or more
than that.
Likely to have
significant effects.
Afforestation A land or a part of Area of any size. Likely to have

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land which is in a
sensitive area
probably a National
Park or area with
great natural beauty.
significant effects.
Afforestation There is no part of
land in the sensitive
areas.
Less than 2 hectares. Unlikely to have
significant effects.
Afforestation There is no part of
land in the sensitive
areas.
2 hectares or more
than that, probably 5
hectares but not less
than that.
Unlike to have
significant effects
until and unless
written notification
for assessment is
provided by the
regulation authority.
Afforestation There is no part of
land in the sensitive
areas and all the
areas are of low risk.
More than 5 hectares
but not more than 50
hectares.
Unlike to have
significant effects
until and unless
written notification
for assessment is
provided by the
regulation authority.
Afforestation There is no part of More than 50 Likely to have

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land in the sensitive
areas.
hectares. significant effects.
Afforestatio
n
There is no part of
land in the sensitive
areas and all the
areas are of low risk.
More than 50
hectares.
Likely to have
significant effects.
Afforestation There is no part of
land in the sensitive
areas and all the
areas are of low risk.
More than 5
hectares.
Likely to have
significant effects.
Source: Author.
Setting up a baseline for the sites
After the screening level assessment has been done, a baseline is to be set for the chosen
sites and how the activities will be distributed and accounted (Hines et al. 2019.) Volunteers are
required for each of the chosen site and divided into small teams according to hectares. There
will be 6 volunteers from each 8 teams who will conduct the work. Further the volunteers will be
subdivided into 4 small teams and sent to hectares for doing the activity. The development
campaign starts from the beginning of month and continues till the end of that month. Every day
the volunteers will assemble for planting trees. The seeds will be brought from a collected fund

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from each time. the study goals will be followed by them and they are all said to recycle products
as much as possible and preach the same.
Social Impacts of Development
The people living nearby of every site in NSW will be aware about the activity going on
and the volunteers will promote it as well (Barron and McDermott, 2015.) The awareness about
deforestation and this development plan is incomplete without the engagement of people that is
them being aware and contribute with little steps like recycling products, using less paper,
consuming more vegetarian meal and so on. The people are made to be understand the causes
and how it is effecting the daily life. Forests and lush green trees form a very important part in
supporting human life as well. If trees are cut in huge numbers with every passing year, then the
day is no far when sustaining life on earth will be a matter of concern. The project will not only
help the people of society to be aware about the issue but also help them learn and contribute by
their active engagement, which is bringing changes in daily lifestyle (Charfeddine and Mrabet,,
2017.) The development program is linked with public participation as an important concept.
The processes of EIA are linked to this somehow in making the society aware about the program
so the program can be addressed in EIA. If EIA gets involved with this program then it will get
an official recognition which will help to gain more recognition and involvement of people.
Question 4
Soft Tool Strategy
The soft tools adopted for this development program will make the audience aware and
changing their behavior towards daily life which will make them contribute in the program being
at their own space and comfort. The strategy that has been made for this development program of

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reforestation includes soft tools such as utilizing the digital media by conducting a Facebook
campaign, putting placards on the development site, distributing pamphlets, posting posters,
broadcasting about the program on local radios and advertising on daily newspapers. The
Facebook campaign is the most effective soft tool strategy out of all. In today’s date digital
platform is the most suitable way to inform large number of people about anything. Almost
people of every age group are on social media. Announcing the program and holding a social
campaign describing the purpose and goals of the program will make the people aware ad has a
tendency to gain new members for volunteers as well (Dauvergne,2017.) A placard with slogan
“Plant a Tree Save a Life” will be put on every site the development program is going get cover.
This will make any passerby now what is happening and might influence them as well.
Pamphlets will be distributed to each house in the locality to see nobody is missed and unaware
about the program. Putting posters in every locality will do the same and literally every passerby
gets to know resulting in more publicity. Other broadcasting and advertising on media will make
the entire area of NSW know about the program and will encourage active participation
(Huisman, Lucke amd Missong, 2015.) A similar campaign of Greenpeace was designed in
other parts of Australia for protecting the forest and preserving biodiversity. It was one of the
cost effective and quickest way for changing climate. Greenpeace is a campaign for zero
deforestation by 2020 (McCarthy, 2016.) A forest stewardship council (FSC) was established
under this program which was responsible for the ecological and social management of forest.
This sort of management ensured that ecosystem of forest does not damages (Romero et al.
2017.)

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Technical Solutions
Designing the program is not sufficient. Looking after that the program is happening
efficiently or not is also important. The technical solutions are as follow:
 Green Business of recycling and re-suing products.
 Eco-Forestry.
 Laws and Regulations by the government.
 Establishing a Forestry Community.
 Replanting programs.
 Sensitizing and Educating people.
 Having joint organizations for similar purpose.
 Planning for using Land effectively.

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