Reference no: EM132266004

Aim of Assignment 1

• To ascertain if you can demonstrate an understanding of the principles of resource management (Objective 1)
• To determine if you can describe the processes involved in undertaking land resource surveys and land evaluation practices (Objective 7)
• To ensure that you can demonstrate knowledge of the requirements for environmental impact statements and the techniques involved in environmental impact assessment (Objective 8)

Details of assignment

Part A - Introduction to the concept of resource management
Compile an infographic poster to explain the concept of resource management. The target audience is a group of Year 12 students visiting your university. There are multiple resources on the web on what infographics are, how to compile an infographic poster and what software you can use.

Make sure that you peruse the marking rubric to ascertain what elements should be included in the poster. As a second page, submit your reference list for this part of the assignment. Small-font (e.g. Arial Narrow, font size 8) citation of sources of images on your poster is required.

Note: Your poster can be any size, as we can enlarge it when marking. You might wish to select a size that will enable ease of working for you.

Part B - Introduction to environmental impact assessment

Go to the website of the Queensland Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning and click on the Coordinated Project process tab on the left-hand side of the page.

Select any of the Completed Projects that are listed. You may like to select something close to where you live, or a land use that you have an interest in.

You are required to prepare a concisely-written 1000-1400 (2-3 pages, font size 12, single line- spacing) word report on the development that you have selected. To be able to do that, you will have to work through the resources available on the website, as well as through the course content in Module 2. You may cite the course content in this part of the assignment.

Part B should cover three areas plus a reference list

• A brief introduction of the development. Include specific details of the development such as the size, nature, construction and operational requirements, location details (a map or aerial image may be appropriate), general history of land use for the surrounding area of the development that you have selected. Peruse the marking rubric for more details on what type of content you may include (200-300 words).
• A more detailed description of the EIS process that the development went through and an explanation of why that was the case (use your course content to assist you). Identify any geological, geomorphological, water, soil, vegetation, fauna considerations or issues that were considered by the Coordinator-General, and concisely relate those to the conditions set for the approved development. Describe the interrelationship between these factors and how the land use or resource is to be managed (600-800 words). In the case of a multitude of factors, you may choose to select the five main ones only.
• In conclusion, explain how the EIS process can be deemed to be part of a resource management approach (200-300 words).
• References: make sure that you include a full list of the resources that you have used as both a reference list, and as citations in the text. This will not count towards your word count.

Part C - Land resource surveys and evaluation

Explain in a three-minute video recording how we make use of land resource surveys and evaluation as part of EIA and a resource management strateg. To be able to do that, you will have to write a transcript of between 400-600 words for your video (that depends on how fast you speak). Submit your transcript as part of your assessment as a PDF.

Part D - Reflection
Write a professional reflection of 200-300 words on the assignment and your execution thereof. Please note that a reflection is not a conclusion, and your reflection should hence not make concluding remarks to any of the parts of the assignment. What is expected is a reflection on how your skills, attitude, and knowledge have been impacted by completing this assessment item. You should also clearly state any strategies that you intend to put into place to mitigate any areas that you had trouble with during the execution of the assessment.

Assignment 2

Aim of Assignment 2

- To give you an opportunity to demonstrate that you can describe the inter-relationships between geology, geomorphology, water, soils, vegetation and fauna resources (Objective 2)
- To enable you to demonstrate an understanding of land degradation issues and conservation practices (Objective 4)

Background to assignment
In this assignment we shall investigate either a single development project, or alternatively a strategic vision for an area. Either one of those can be deemed to have impact on matters of national environmental significance. A significant impact is an impact which is important, notable, or of consequence, having regard to its context or intensity. Whether or not an action is likely to have a significant impact depends upon the sensitivity, value, and quality of the environment which is impacted, and upon the intensity, duration, magnitude and geographic extent of the impacts. You should consider all these factors when determining whether an action is likely to have a significant impact on the environment.

Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, environment assessments are undertaken to enable environment and biodiversity conservation. There are nine matters of national environmental significance identified under the EPBC Act:

• world heritage properties
• national heritage places
• wetlands of international importance (listed under the Ramsar Convention)
• listed threatened species and ecological communities
• migratory species protected under international agreements
• Commonwealth marine areas
• the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• nuclear actions (including uranium mines)
• a water resource, in relation to coal seam gas development and large coal mining development

These types of projects require separate approval by the Australian Government. Your main resource for this assignment will hence be the website of the Australian Department of Environment and Energy. In addition, you will have to research beyond this website to supplement your knowledge on the topics of ecology, land degradation and conservation of resources.

For this assignment, you may select any project under the Key assessments tab or the Strategic assessments tab on the DEE website. The key assessments contain a list of projects that are significant individual projects which are assessed project-by-project (See Figure 1).

The strategic assessments deal with where strategic assessments should occur in the years ahead. They are landscape scale assessments and can consider a much broader set of actions, for example a large urban growth area that will be developed over many years. Examples of potential strategic assessments could include:

• regional-scale development plans and policies
• large-scale housing development and associated infrastructure
• fire, vegetation/resource or pest management policies plans or programs
• infrastructure plans and policies
• industry sector policies

The website lists many strategic assessments underway in the different states and territories. Select one assessment project that is not focused solely on water or air quality (for example the Lower Hunter assessment project for NSW. You will find individual research projects under the Lower Hunter which address key information gaps).

Details of assignment

Part A Report
Write a 2500-2800 word professional report containing the following sections.
• Title page
• Table of contents
• List of figures
• List of tables
• Executive summary
• Introduction:
o The introduction of your project (from the Key assessment or Strategic assessments list)
o What the aim of the report is
o How the report is structured (signposting)
• Body of report
o Outline the biophysical attributes (e.g. climate, geology, soils, vegetation, water, fauna resources) of your chosen assessment. Also introduce your project as an ecosystem, against a holistic view of ecosystems. Describe the energy flows encountered in your ecosystems and ecological successions. If you choose a Strategic assessment, you may select a section of that area. Include any attributes that are affected by the strategic vision for the area or the individual significant development project. Where appropriate, include maps, aerial images, photographs or other illustrations of the various attributes
o Identify any major degradation issues that have arisen or could be expected to arise from the development, or from the strategic vision for the area. In your answer, explain the processes that have led/may lead to this degradation (e.g. building the dam has reduced flooding and hence, reduced the fish populations and fertility of the surrounding soils)
o 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
• Conclusion
o In the concluding section, make a value judgement of the major environmental impacts of the individual project or the strategic intent for your area. Make recommendations on what conservation agreements might be put into place to mitigate those impacts.
• Reference list (not included in word count)
o Note. Also ensure that there are adequate and correct citations and captions throughout your report.

Part B Reflection

Write a professional reflection of 300-500 words on the assignment and your execution thereof. Please note that a reflection is not a conclusion, and your reflection should hence not make concluding remarks to any of the parts of the assignment. What is expected is a reflection on how your skills, attitude, and knowledge have been impacted by completing this assessment item. You should also clearly state any strategies that you intend to put into place to mitigate any areas that you had trouble with during the execution of the assessment.

Attachment:- Assessment details.rar