Sustainable Systems Assignment: Australia's Environmental Challenges

This report addresses several key aspects of sustainable systems within the context of Australia. It begins by identifying and analyzing two severe environmental issues facing Australia, linking them to climate change and proposing potential solutions. The report then delves into the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, specifically examining its drawbacks in New South Wales (NSW) and contrasting it with practices in Tasmania. A case study of the Cumberland Hospital development is presented, detailing the project's screening, baseline conditions, and risk mitigation strategies within the EIA framework. Finally, the report explores the use of "soft tools" to reduce fossil fuel consumption, focusing on education, social, and financial tools as strategies to promote sustainable practices and mitigate the impacts of climate change. The report utilizes various sources and references to support its analysis and recommendations, providing a comprehensive overview of sustainable systems in Australia.

SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS
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Institution
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QUESTION 1: CRISES
Population growth: There is a very high and rapid growth in the rate of population in Australia
which has been estimated to be about double in 40 years. This prediction was made in the 1970
even though all predictions were assumed unless entire economy crumbled with enhanced
unemployment besides numerous other social issues including:
Prevention of safety manuals: Human overcrowdings or greater gatherings in a given region
might prevent them I migrating from areas that are prone to natural disasters to regions that are
relative safer since there might not be any other regions or places left for human settlement even
if they have to meet the cost with their lives (Barrett and Therivel, 2019).
Pressure on the fish market: The population growth just like any other crisis has devastating
impacts on the fish markets where there was a reduction by 80% of the catches of fishermen as a
result of too consumption of the food resources.
The problems of fishing is the issue that is being handled by the government of Australia among
the discussed issues through a reduction of fishing in exclusive economic zones as well as
importation of seafood from other countries or regions. The seafood industry has been noted to
be well managed in Australia and the imports are about 70 per cent of the seafood with Australia
at the time focusing her efforts as well as pressure on the resources of sea food (Doughty et al.,
2017).
QUESTION 2: Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental Impact Assessment defines process of having various areas of focus for instance
the effect of environmental issues, ecological health, human health as well as all non-linked
besides associated risk with the same alongside presence of alterations in the maintenance of

nature in specific projects. It is demonstrated in the Environmental Impact Assessment that there
is a regulation in Western Australia under which the Environmental Impact Assessment operates
i.e. Environmental Protection Act 1986 tends to be the major method of taking into consideration
the effects of the environments on main developments that take place in Western Australia
(Fernando et al., 2018). The process entails a binding decision regarding projects by Minister of
Environment upon approvals, process decisions as well as assessments by Environmental
Protection Authority which is a statutory body that is independent made up of five people.
The process of Environmental Impact Assessment needs a group of experts in environment as
well department of health to work on a given project at times it may be a challenge to carry out
Environmental Impact Assessment due to the presence of a few pitfalls or challenges which
might not be easy to handle. Some of these issues include environmental cost occurrence, public
confusion, and question regarding future prediction regarding its effectiveness in the entire
process alongside complication in internet function for the process of decision making. Problems
related with competence endeavour to take place in the Environmental Impact Assessment
process despite ample and available guidance as well as advice which ought to minimize such
issues. May be the gap between knowledge and implementation may be elaborated partly by
failure to concentrate on recurrent, qualified as well as avoidance related pitfalls. The two pitfalls
alongside a procedure of countering the same:
Not being to task
In most cases it has been noted the specialists in the Environmental Impact Assessment process
tend to fall below the mark with regard to experience in the field alongside relevant expertise on
Environmental Impact Assessment, knowledge regarding the surrounding as well as in team
work (Prăvălie, 2016). This challenge may be sorted by hiring staff with greater experience and

have served in the extensive project management related tasks for a period that exceed three
years for a period that is long enough that is likely to render them more efficient in working in
Environmental Impact Assessment.
Failing to concentrate on decision making
A practical Environmental Impact Assessment process is focused on. Important and weighty
concerns tend to receive limited attention even as the least important concerns are given a lot of
attention in case there is no focus. The overall result is a costly as well as protracted
Environmental Impact Assessment process and Environmental Impact Assessment documents of
the tainted quality. Stakeholders as well as decision makers may have challenges finding out if
and how the issues concerning them alongside their priorities are handled, nevertheless
Environmental Impact Assessment is a tool for making decision. For that matter, Environmental
Impact Assessment process ought to focus on offering a sound basis on implementation and
making of decisions that are environmentally sound.
EIA in NSW
Upon drawing up of the plans, they can be looked at by a private developer to establish the
development types that are permitted within a specific area and those that need Environmental
Impact Statement to be conducted prior to development consent. For the case of public project
for instance roads, the government department or authority tends to be the determining authority
and is tasked with the duty of considering the environmental impacts and if there is need of an
EIS.
EIA in TAS Tasmania

A recent decision by the Full Court of the Federal Court in TAS Tasmania made a confirmation
that the Federal Environment Minister is not need to take into consideration the cumulative
effects in assessment of projects even though the decision allows potential for the Tasmanian
Environment Protection Authority to take into consideration the impacts under the environmental
assessment regime of the State.
QUESTION 3
Development of the Hospital
The undertaking is development of the Cumberland Hospital, west mead, Sydney West in
Australia. It is one of the most famous and largest health facilities that has been ranked to be
offering one of the best psychiatric medical services in Sydney and Australia as a whole and
located adjacent to Bungarribee House. The development program within the university is
inclusive of a new energy efficient building that will be used in housing the male wards with
water conservation and solar powering equipment with all the procedures being carried out with
a complete consideration of safety alongside eco-friendly steps even though some of the
undertakings will be carried out that could be of significant harm to the surrounding and will
hence call the attention of full control that will be certainly provided. The project wills in general
e subjected to EIA process since there would be a few environmental issues noted
Screening
There will be a few repercussions in this development project that may result in some effects on
the environment and hence to attain an approval for execution of the project, it would be
important to carry out the EIA process. The construction project will incorporate most of the
steps involved in construction hence the materials adopted will be of minimal impact on the

environment. Innovative ideas and skills including the use of thermal efficient and locally
produced materials will be used in the project even as the environmental, economic and social
issues in the project context are given the required attention. The provisions and regulations of
the local authority will be observed in the construction procedure.
Baseline conditions
Prior to starting the project, all the needed considerations have to be noted hence the project
baseline conditions are a reflection of some of the environmental effects of the project. There are
a number of ways in which the natural environnement within the context of the project will be
disturbed with some of them being as listed:
Noise pollution as a result of the use of heavy machines that is disruptive of the surrounding
peace
Pollution of water as a result of drainage of the construction debris into the nearby rivers or
drains
Air pollution resulting from dust generated during the excavation process as well as from the
machines that are used for various operations
Disposal of wastes would be of interest resulting in the creation of an extra space at landfills on
the site.

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Monitoring of risks & mitigations
The project will be associated with a few risks which will need to be considered. Such risks need
to be checked prior to commencement of project since monitoring would aid in the determination
of all basic results and impacts of probable risks. Monitoring as well aids in location of the issues
linked with the environment so the mitigation measures can be made ready to evade negative
effect in the future times.

S.
No.
RISKS MITIGATIONS
1. Shortage of water Using water tankers in backing up
2. Contamination Control check of contamination
3. Pollution via waste materials Offering adequate safety modules (mask) as well
as proper site disposal waste/dust bin
Results
The project development may be conducted on the EIA process basis upon scanning of all
baseline conditions as well as mitigations. All requirements of health for the public as well as
staff should be taken into consideration to approve the EIA process and the suggested design
may need to incorporate a few adjustments.
QUESTION 4: SOFT TOOLS
Reducing the use of fossil fuel
Soft tools are able to change the dimension of thinking as well as the behavior of the general
public. The selected strategy for design depending on soft tools is encouragement of minimal
utilization of fertilizers. A fossil fuel is a fuel formed as a result of natural process for instance
anaerobic decomposition of dead creatures that contain energy coming from ancient
photosynthesis. Fossil fuels are among them petroleum, coal, natural gas, heavy oils, bitumen’s,
tar sands among others. All these fuels contain carbon and were generated due to geologic
processes acting upon the remains of organic matter generated by photosynthesis. Fossil fuels
burn in air containing oxygen to generate heat that may be employed in a direct manner for
instance the case of home furnaces or in the production of steam used in driving generators that
may supply electricity.
Carbon dioxide is one of the major by-produces of combustion of fossil fuel and the rapid
increase in the use of fossil fuels in construction, industry as well as transportation has seen an

increase in the volume of the gas in the atmosphere. The concentration of carbon dioxide has
risen to between 275 and 290 parts for every million by volume of dry air between the periods of
1000 CE and late 18th century and increased to 316 ppmv by the year 1959 and a further 412
ppmv by the close of 2018. Carbon dioxide takes the nature of a greenhouse gas hence a
significant increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is one of the main contributing factors of
human induced global warming. The use of fossil fuels may be minimized through the use of the
soft tools as discussed below:
Education tools
These involve carrying out workshops as well as enhancing programs involving campaign
awareness in the different states of the nation to offer guidance to users regarding the need to
abandon the use of fossil fuels. The use of fossil fuels may be reduced without negatively
impacting on the supply of energy within a region. The available natural and renewable sources
of energy within a region may be evaluated and the possible ways of exploiting them developed
to ensure self-sustainability of a geographical location with regard to supply of energy.
Social tools: This is the kind of tool where there are some methods that are needed to be
observed by each user in a given country. An operation may need a source of energy that is
preferably from fossil fuel but there is need to understand the limitation of the usage of such fuel
in the required operation (Rajaeifar et al., 2016). Fossil fuels may be adopted in cases where
there are no alternatives and their use should be limited to such areas only. For the case of
fueling cars using petroleum products for instance, users would be advised to use public means
as opposed to private cars to facilitate a check on the carbon footprint.
Financial tools

The prices of fossil fuels should be increased and customers who are championing for
minimization of the use of fossil fuels should be awarded discounts or exemptions.
Marketing tools
Manufacturing more quantity of renewable sources of fuel to minimize the damaging properties
of environment is part of this tool. Still, enhancing as well as spreading awareness regarding
minimal use of fossil fuels through making adverts in the newspapers alongside social media to
facilitate getting attention of the targeted audience is greater number.
There are numerous other ways of reducing the use of fossil fuels. Such include:
 Reuse, Reduce and Recycle
 Use of less heat and air conditioning
 Installation of solar panels on the roof
 Buying locally produced food
 using biofuels
 saving energy at home
 using mass transport

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