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Current Issues in Environmental Law and Policy
Undergraduate | TAS-LAW195 | 2023
Course information for 2023 intake
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- No ATAR needed,
- No prior study
- Duration
- 14 weeks
HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Current Issues in Environmental Law and Policy
About this subject
Upon completion of this subject, the student should be able to:
- Describe and explain of the division of powers between local, state, and Commonwealth governments, sources and principles of environmental law, the role of international law, and the efficacy of current laws in relation to the case studies and issues discussed in the unit.
- Describe, explain, and critically reflect on the range of social, political, ethical, economic and ecological factors that influence environmental law, policy, and decision-making in Australia, in the context of the issues, disputes and case studies discussed in the unit.
- Research and evaluate a contemporary environmental problem and applicable legal framework.
- Express yourself effectively orally and in writing, using a range of media.
- Introductory issues a:
- 1.State of Australia’s environment
- 2.Sources and structures of environmental law
- Introductory issues b:
- 3.The principles of ecologically sustainable development
- 4.Common tools and instruments of environmental law
- Test + Salmon aquaculture controversies in Tasmania
- Salmon Aquaculture continued
- Protecting the Great Barrier Reef
- The Adani Carmichael coal mine (I)
- The Adani Carmichael coal mine (II)
- Protecting Aboriginal cultural Heritage after Juukan Gorge
- Biodiversity offsets
- Tourism development in national parks
- Bushfires – a burning issue for environmental law reform
- Forestry under the regional forest agreement process
This subject explores some of Australia’s most challenging environmental controversies, and the legal and policy context in which they arise. It uses a range of topical issues and case studies to introduce students to the framework for national and international environmental regulation, encouraging them to see how laws operate and apply in specific situations.
Through these case studies, students will appreciate common themes and challenges in environmental governance, including:
• failures of enforcement and implementation
• problems of overlapping and overly complex regulation across local, state and national laws;
• challenges for implementing the principles of ecologically sustainable development through law;
• the role of international law in influencing domestic environmental law;
• the importance of public participation in environmental decision-making; and
• the role of markets, media, human rights and environmental ethics in environmental protection.
- Take-Home Exam (40%)
- Test (15%)
- Presentation and Annotated Bibliography (30%)
- Contribution to Class Discussion (15%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
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UndergraduateTAS-PLG-DIP
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