Sustainable Systems Assignment: Environmental Challenges in Australia

This report addresses several environmental challenges facing Australia, including rapid population growth and its impact on resource management, particularly in the fishing industry. It also examines the drawbacks of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in New South Wales (NSW), contrasting it with practices in South Australia. The report further explores the EIA process for a hypothetical automobile manufacturing unit in Perth, detailing the assessment procedures, and finally, it investigates the use of soft tools, such as education and social strategies, to promote sustainable practices like household waste composting. The report emphasizes the importance of government intervention, family planning, and the development of sustainable practices to mitigate environmental problems and promote long-term sustainability. The report uses Harvard WesternSydU referencing style.

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QUESTION 1:
Environmental Issues in Australia
There are several environmental problems affecting Australia. The paper has just covered few of
them.
(a) Rapid growth in population: estimations indicate a faster growth rate in the Australian
population doubling in 40 years-time. This was the prediction which was pictured in the
year 1970 among other predictions which were deployed only on deterioration of the
whole economy brought by unemployment and other various social issues such as: large
gatherings of people or overcrowded population within a specific area may hinder the
migration of people from areas susceptible to natural disasters to relatively safe regions
as there might be no possibility of other regions remaining for settling the large
population regardless of their ability to meet their living cost (Xia et al. 2015).
Possible Solution
The population growth rate can be controlled through the program of family planning.
Government should sensitize people on the benefits of having smaller families.
(b) High demand of fish in the available markets: there are great impacts of high
population growth on the markets dealing in fish selling as indicated by the 80% decrease
in the catch made by the fishermen due to the high consumption of the resource. Out of
the above mentioned crisis, fishing problem features to be of the main interest by the
government of Australia. The government attempts to seek the issue by limiting fishing
activity in exclusive economic regions and at the same time practicing the importation of
seafood from outside the country. The management of seafood industry in the country of
Australia is regarded to be efficient as depicted by the 70% import of seafood following
the impressed interest and focus on sea food by the government of Australia.

Possible solution
The government should start initiatives of developing fish ponds so as to increase the population
of fish at least to meet the demands.
QUESTION 2
Drawbacks in EIA in NSW
The Environmental Impact Assessment process requires a crew of experts within the
environment that work together with health department on a particular project. Environmental
Impact Assessment process sometimes becomes a challenge to conduct following the few
number of limitations or some complicated challenges that appear difficult to seek out. Some of
the challenges are confusion within the public members, occurrence of the cost within the
environment, as well as questions on future predictions concerning the efficiency of the project
throughout the process together with problems in accessing the internet for clear decision making
process (Uddin, Alam and Gow 2015).
The notion environmental impact assessment is used to denote a state of having numerous areas
of interest such as the influence of issues concerning the environment, health of individuals,
ecological health and every possible risk within or without on the same together with the
possible changes in the nature of management of some given projects. The demonstrations
presented in the Environmental Impact Assessment indicates a set of regulations for the
operation of Environmental Impact Assessment in Western regions of Australia, that is,
Environmental Protection Act 1986 that mainly consider the influence of environment on major
proposed developments that take place in West Australia. The process comprise of the ultimate
decision made by the Minister of Environment concerning the proposed project on approval,

decision on the process and assessment of the proposal by the Environmental Protection
Authority, an independent legislative council comprised of five members.
The power to acquire most probably suggestions that greatly impact on the environment rests
upon the Environmental Protection Authority. Concurring to the Act of Environmental
Protection, the term proposal is viewed as an inclusion of a plan, policy, development, operation,
program, undertaking and possible changes in land usage or amendments on the same. The step
by step design indicated in the diagram below is an illustration of the Environmental Impact
Assessment process installed in Western regions of Australia (Doherty et al 2015).
The process of Environmental Impact Assessment still faces technological problems regardless
of the plenteous available guidance and advice provided capable of reducing such associated
issues. A partial explanation can best be given perhaps by the existing breach between execution
and knowledge through failure to focus on the abilities, recurrent and snares that can be possibly
avoided.
Unlike the other states of Australia like Victoria where public participation is paramount, NSW
has presented weaknesses in the same area. In fact the EIA in NSW is characterized by:
Failure to Ask
In many instances, the experience shown by experts on the process of Environmental Impact
Assessment incline to lower standards than expected compared to the field requirements and a
recommended knowledge on the Environmental Impact Assessment, environmental knowledge
alongside team work. The issue can however be sought through employing highly expertized
staff with more than 3 year experience in the extensive management of the project. This will

enable the experts to operate on the tasks assigned to them in an efficient manner concerning the
Environmental Impact Assessment.
A clash in focusing on decision making
The process of practical Environmental Impact Assessment requires a great concern. Generally,
most of the important and momentous concerns that deserve great interest are rather given little
attention whereas concerns which are of less importance tend to receive a lot of interest when the
focus is not deployed. This generally results into a protracted and costly process of
Environmental Impact Assessment as well as a tainted quality of documents of Environmental
Impact Assessment.
In some cases it may pose to be a challenge to the decision making body as well as the
stakeholders to identify in case and how the concerned issues together with their priorities are
settled, nonetheless, Environmental Impact Assessment is regarded a decision making tool. Due
to that, the process of Environmental Impact Assessment should greatly major on the provision
of sound basis on decision making and implementation that appeal to be friendly to the
environment (Harris 2017).
QUESTION 2:
Environmental Impact Assessment (Automobile Manufacturing unit in Perth)
.
Objectives
 To identify the most effective manner of handling the EIA of the automobile industries
by the ministry of transport in Australia

Proposal Assessment
The Environmental Protection Authority with a delegated chairperson is responsible for decision
making on whether or not the assessment of the proposal should be done within a time span of 4
weeks. Further information on the proposed project may be acquired by the Environmental
Protection Authority in case there is need by the authority to gather on the same (Ivanova et al
2016). Provided that the decision made by the Environmental Protection Authority does not
consider the assessment of the proposal, presentation of the decision assumes the manner
illustrated in the table below.
Screening Levels summarized in the table
“No assessment – no provision of any advice” No extensive action deployed by EPA
“No assessment – provision of public advice” Offers advisory services to the authority
dealing in decision making
“No assessment – management done under
part V of the Act”
Management is presumed by the EPA to be
done under EP Act part V comprising of
approvals, clearing laws and licenses.
However every person holds the appealing right of nullifying the assessment of the proposal to
the Minister of Environment by filling a relevant form downloaded from the website bearing a
proposed evidence that indicates the reason as to why the individual comprehends that the
assessment of the proposal should not be conducted. In case the assessment is approved, the

Environmental Protection Authority notifies the entire authority responsible for decision making
to extensively decide on an approval technique that enables continuity of the proposal.
Setting of Baseline
Assessment on Procedure Information (API) – the possibility of this assessment type being
accepted or not is clearly observed at the early stage of referral. The proposal is conducted in two
general categories by the Environmental Protection Authority at the instance of availability of
Assessment Procedure Information level of assessment. The categories are A and B.
The first category, group A, comprise of the proposal regularity to the registered structures
within the policy of the environment and also the limited and local proposals only. The second
group, B, denotes the principals with great and critical effects. At this stage, also proposals that
do not comply to the objectives of the environment deployed by the Environmental Protection
Authority are separated (Poruschi and Ambrey 2019).
Public Environment Review: the proposal in this type of assessment is viewed to be of state-
broad beneficial that requires an elaborate assessment for its determination and possible
management of the environmental influences.

A figure of general API process as per the provisions of OEPA

Findings and recommendations
There is a lot of information to be adopted by the Environmental Protection Authority from
varied sources concerning the findings as well as the presented recommendations. Such sources

comprise of: External and internal experts, Public, Proponent and The governmental departments
(Baker, Buckland, and Sheaves 2014)
Absolute Decision
Upon presenting the reports and also gauging the recommendations, conclusions are then
dragged by the minister of environment together with the decision making authorities concerning
the proposal before the final information is made on whether the implementation on the proposal
should be carried out or not (Beck et al.2019). The right of approval of the proponent rests upon
the minister changing the proposal content regardless of whether conditional alterations are made
or not on approval. In case the opinion is not supported by the minister, such alterations could
greatly impact on the entire or part of environment regarding the influence of the ancient
proposal.
QUESTION 4: soft tools
Soft tools have the ability to alter the belief and also the behavior of the public. Encouraging
proper use of household waste has been regarded to be the selected design stratagem grounded to
soft tools. The term household waste is used to denote any artificial and natural substance
produce from the houses activities especially kitchen. This can also be used as an improvement
purpose on the plant growth. These nutrients can be manipulated by the soil and presented in the
food in a natural manner, farmers are therefore encouraged to operate of fertile lands for the
purpose of producing the necessary nutrients and packed crops of good health (Woinarski et
al.2017).
The term healthy here is used to refer to a fertile soil which can easily be cultivated on. The
application of composting household waste as organic fertilizer in farming industries and sectors

dealing in agricultural activity became rampant back in the 21 century and has presently above
the expectations. The reason for the use of composting household waste by the farmers for the
growth of plants is due to the numerous nutrients provided by such fertilizers, these include,
potassium, calcium, nitrogen and phosphorus. Such nutrient helps in the rapid and quality growth
of plants. The application of composting household waste for the purpose of improving on the
production in plants can be reduced by use of soft tools as the paper discusses below (Benham
and Hussey 2018).
Education Tools
This comprise of conducting workshops and encouraging campaign programs to create
awareness for the entire population of the state and also to guide farmers on the importance of
proper use of the composting household waste. Increase on the application of composting
household can be attained without necessarily affecting the associated profits only if the farmer
has assimilated necessities of the crops and also the soil structure of the region. Tests on tissues
of the plant and soil are very necessary as it aids the farmer with the necessary knowledge
required to design an efficient state of growth for the plants. The conducted tests illustrate the
part of plant with sufficient nutrients, regions with little supply and the total amount of nutrients
within the plant.
Social Tools
For social kind of tools necessary for the reduction in the production of the household waste and
using it as compost manure without affecting the profits, there are devised techniques that each
farmer within a given country must comply with. The level of compost manure in the soil might
be low and application may be necessary but it is required that the farmer have a little knowledge

on the side impacts of application. The application of composting household waste should
presume a slow release form to help reduce the regular use, and also to greatly reduce the large
amounts of nutrient that leach into the groundwater. Application of composting manure by the
farmer should follow a set recommendation and the exact amount and quality of the nutrients
required by a given crop should be determined for proper addition of composting manure
(Berardi, GhaffarianHoseini and GhaffarianHoseini 2014).
Financial Tools
There should be an increase in the prices of composting manure made from household waste and
exemptions or awards to be offered on customers that campaign for effective use of composting
household composting waste.
Marketing tools
Marketing tool involves production of organic fertilizers in large quantities to reduce the
dangerous effects on soil posed by the use of artificial fertilizers. It also includes facilitation on
the spread and creation of awareness on the reduction of fertilizer application to the soil by
displaying adverts in social media and popular newspapers to mainly catch the attention of a
large number of targeted individuals (McLennan, Becken and Moyle 2017).
Apart from Australia, other countries are also on the move to reduce the use of artificial fertilizer
as a method of improving on production in plants. Such countries include:
 Britain whereby farmers are invigorated to warrant that land management is done in a
more suitable manner especially in catchment sensitive farming (Anwar et al 2015).
 Europe in which high concentration problems of nutrients like nitrate in the underground
run-off are addressed by the responsible body, European Union’s Nitrates Directive.