The purpose of this assessment is to get students familiar with an area of environmental policy that operates in NSW. 

Your task is to select one of the policies below and:

1. Summarise the history of its development, the objectives, who is responsible for its implementation and review

2. Find a development application that has used this policy as part of the conditional approval.  You need to summarise the development proposal, outline how and where the policy was applied and include the conditions of consent that relate to the policy.

3. As part of a critical review you are also required to comment on the impact of the policy on the final development approval outcome and where possible find supporting academic and or main-stream media on the effectiveness of the policy in the development assessment process.

The policies you can select include:

• SEPP (Mining, Petroleum Production and Extractive Industries) 2007
• SEPP (Building Sustainability Index: BASIX) 2004
• SEPP No. 58 - Protecting Sydney's Water Supply
• SEPP No. 55 - Remediation of Land
• SEPP No. 44 - Koala Habitat Protection

You will be given a building plan and asked to undertake a number of tasks using your scale ruler, referring to the relevant council LEP and DCP that would form the basis of an initial assessment as undertaken by a DA planner. This task will follow an in-class exercise.

Each week a number of students will do a short (5-7 min) presentation on a particular pollutant or polluting activity or a regional planning issue.

Accompanying your presentation will be a written report (including tables, graphs, photos and references) that summaries your presentation and findings with a particular focus on the implications of the pollutant / polluting activity / or urban land management.   Your assessment is divided into two parts: presentation (10%) and written report (20%)

All students must nominate their topic by the end of week 3 or will be allocated a topic by the convenor.

A. The pick a pollutant students are required to talk about a particular pollutant (such as lead) or group of pollutants (for example hydrocarbons), where it has come from (such as a certain industrial activity), what are the risks and impacts (environmental and or health), past and current contamination levels and how it is remediated or treated. You are also required to use case studies (national and or international) to demonstrate the impact of the pollutant or activity and how it has been regulated over time. This should draw on national and or state based planning laws and policies.

B. The pollution regulation and licencing students are required to identify a particular activity that has planning approval and is licenced by the NSW EPA (under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997) or other environmental regulator (this may be interstate or from an overseas jurisdiction).  You need to briefly discuss the activity, its approval and the role of the EPA/environmental regulator. You should also review the performance of the activity against the pollution licence, whether the licence has been adaptively changed and comment on where the licence could improve in relation to your understanding of best practice.

C. The Sydney Olympic Park students. The land surrounding Sydney Olympic Park is subject to significant development. This includes the impact of two (2) urban activation precincts (Carter Street and Wentworth Point), the Parramatta Road urban renewal project (WestConnex) and the expected growth linked to the recently approved metropolitan plan for Sydney.  Your task is to prepare an analysis report for SOPA on the future impacts of the development surrounding the Park and what it may mean for the Park as part of its future management and direction. Your report would be used as part of the review of the SOPA Master Plan 2030.  Your analysis, comment and recommendations should be framed around how the off Park impacts can or should be addressed in the new Master Plan.

You are to focus on one of the following areas:

• Transport
• Climate change
• Recreation
• Biodiversity.  

D. The policy to practice students will examine the aspiration of Parramatta City Council to have Parramatta River swimmable within 10 years (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-03/local-government-calls-for-parramatta-river-to-be-cleaned/5935196).  This follows the opening of Lake Parramatta for public swimming in 2014.  Your task is to critically assess feasibility of this proposal and examine specific water sensitive urban design treatments and community actions that would be necessary to delivery on this policy outcome.

This is a group assignment (4 students per group) and your submission should be of a high quality that would accompany a development proposal for the local and regional cycleway within the Rouse Hill development area. 

You are required to prepare a review of environmental factors for a cycle way through Caddies Creek in the Rouse Hill precinct. The cycle way forms part of a proposed sporting complex around Cadies and Strangers Creeks. Your group is to define the extent of the cycle way and this should consider regional connections and access.

Your submission should following relevant guidelines for the preparation of REF or SEE. These include but are not limited to:

Department of Environment

(web search for Template for the preparation of REF as a word document)

The Department of Planning

(for example http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Portals/0/planning_reforms/pdf/Part%204-%20B%20-%20070809.pdf) and

The Hills Shire Council

(http://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/docs/Preparing%20Plans%20for%20Development%20Applications.pdf).

An example of an REF is available for the proposed cycle link in the catti Creek Riparian Corridor (dated 22 Sept 2012)

http://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/docs/Review%20of%20Environmental%20Factors%20-%20Cycleway%20Linksley%20Ave%20-%20Roseberry%20Rd%2028%20Sept%202012.pdf

You should also consult other key policies and guidelines such related to riparian corridors on water front land

file:///C:/Users/mq20060846/Downloads/licensing_approvals_controlled_activities_riparian_corridors%20(1).pdf)

NSW Bicycle guidelines

http://www.bicycleinfo.nsw.gov.au/downloads/nswbicycleguidelines_12a_i.pdf

Your submission needs to define how you envisage the cycle way to be constructed, maintained and used (including promotion such as signage) by the local community.

Your REF needs to consider relevant plans of management or strategic plans of the Council and Sydney Water (refer to below)

You are expected to consult all publically available data bases to obtain background information on the site and surrounds and all data must be referenced. Note the Library has access to Australia Standards and the Building Code of Australia that should also be consulted.

The maximum length of your submission is 40 pages including diagrams, maps, plans, photos and references.

If you need to make assumptions in your submission these should be clearly stated.

Key local documents

Caddies and Strangers Creek Landscape Master Plan

(http://www.sydneywater.com.au/web/groups/publicwebcontent/documents/document/zgrf/mdu1/~edisp/dd_055306.pdf#search="Rouse Hill")

Draft Landscape Master Plan

(http://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/docs/Landscape%20Master%20Plan%20Report_Draft%202%20for%20Public%20Exhibition%2020131212-redu%20%20%20.pdf)

Hills Shire Council Community Strategic Plan

http://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/SPContent.aspx?PageID=23&ItemID=121&count=1#.VM7vaWiUdGE

Lecture, tutorial and field trip attendance and participation