Issues pertaining to the environment are presently taken seriously by government authorities throughout the world. Out of realization that destruction of the environment in one part of the world also affects other parts, various world bodies dealing with environmental issues have impressed upon government authorities to have mechanisms in place to ensure safe practices that help in the protection of environment.

One such mechanism is the Australian Environmental Planning And Assessment Act, which provides for various legislations relating to various practices that if not controlled can have a negative effect on the environment. Like other environmental acts in other countries, the Australian environmental planning act provides for a mechanism through which decisions are made on how to manage the relationships that exist between the environment and human activities.

The act strives to manage such relationships in an effective, orderly and equitably for the benefit of both humans and the environment. The act aims at ensuring sustainable use of available resources. The act addresses such issues as social and economic development, development of urban areas, natural resources management, infrastructure systems and governance frameworks. Other areas that the act addresses include issues relating to land use, transportation, housing, air pollution, noise pollution, protection of wetlands and protection of endangered species.

The Australian Environmental Planning And Assessment Act forms the basis of various environmental legislations in force in different territories within Australia. It is important to point out that the different territories in Australia have different environmental planning policies. Likewise, the different authorities have different agencies responsible for ensuring that the act is adhered to alongside the applicable legislation.

While the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts is the responsible agency in the Commonwealth territory, the Department of Planning and Local Government is responsible for South Australia. Other territories such as New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia have their own agencies as well. The different Australian territories have of late built on what the Australian Environmental Planning And Assessment Act provides for by enacting additional legislations to take care of emerging environmental issues.

In order to take care of disputes that may arise between different players, the Environmental Planning And Assessment Act makes provision for the establishment of a parallel legal system complete with the Land and Environment Court in different territories to arbitrate in disputes. Although the act gives the different territories the leeway to approve various economic plans relating to the environment, the act still gives the Minister responsible the powers to approve development projects with a national significance.

Tagged as: Environmental Act, Environmental Planning Act, Environmental Planning And Assessment Act, Planning and Assessment Act