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GEOP4070 – Social Impact Assessment

2025 – Session 1, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor, lecturer, tutor
Fiona Miller
fiona.miller@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
Arts Precinct, 25B WW, Rm B264
By appointment only
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
130cp
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Social impact assessment (SIA) is an important assessment tool with wide application in land use planning. This unit provides an introduction to and broad overview of SIA in urban and regional environments, and addresses both the processes needed to accomplish a diligent assessment and the resources available to inform the assessment process. Through the use of current case studies, the unit provides an insight into practical difficulties, common mistakes and ethical issues that are frequently encountered. Students will learn how to recognise and respond to these problems, apply social science research methods to impact assessment and present impact issues to non-specialist audiences.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Explain the practice and requirements of SIA in planning systems
  • ULO2: Recognise key social impact issues that occur in planning practice
  • ULO3: Apply knowledge and key concepts from social impact assessment to critical evaluation of planning decisions
  • ULO4: Identify and discuss ways of integrating social issues into planning discourse and planning decisions
  • ULO5: Research and discuss complex ideas about social change, social process and assessment of social impacts
  • ULO6: Recognise ethical issues and risks in impact assessment

General Assessment Information

Late Submission Penalty

Circumstances that affect your ability to complete assignments by the deadline must be discussed with the unit convenor prior to the due date. Extensions will be granted only in unforeseen or exceptional circumstances according to the University Special Consideration policy. Students must apply online via AskMQ and  provide appropriate supporting documentation (e.g. medical certificate).

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of '0' (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted.

Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to non-time sensitive assessment (incl. essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams,  performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special Consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Social impact issues 30% No 19/03/2025
Critique of case study 40% No 30/04/2025
Presentation of key SIA issue 30% No 04/06/2025

Social impact issues

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 19/03/2025
Weighting: 30%

 

1000 word report identifying social impact issues raised by a proposed project

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the practice and requirements of SIA in planning systems
  • Recognise key social impact issues that occur in planning practice

Critique of case study

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 30/04/2025
Weighting: 40%

 

2000 word review of a social impact assessment or similar document

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply knowledge and key concepts from social impact assessment to critical evaluation of planning decisions
  • Identify and discuss ways of integrating social issues into planning discourse and planning decisions
  • Research and discuss complex ideas about social change, social process and assessment of social impacts
  • Recognise ethical issues and risks in impact assessment

Presentation of key SIA issue

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 04/06/2025
Weighting: 30%

 

Presentation of social impact issues in a form suited to an identified audience plus 600 word written commentary

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and discuss ways of integrating social issues into planning discourse and planning decisions
  • Research and discuss complex ideas about social change, social process and assessment of social impacts
  • Recognise ethical issues and risks in impact assessment

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Lectures and tutorials

Lectures and tutorials will be offered via a 3 hour block of teaching on Thursdays 9am-12pm in 08SCO 117 Tutorial Room.

Lectures (1.5 hours) will be delivered face to face and be recorded and available via Echo360 on iLearn.

GEOP4070 has a full schedule of online and on-campus (1.5 hours) tutorials that enhance your general and discipline-specific skills and knowledge. It is important that you attend all tutorials for GEOP4070.

Unit webpage

The webpage for this unit can be found at iLearn, the Macquarie University online learning system at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au. iLearn has both a discussion board and an internal email system. The webpage will provide you with access to lectures through the University's echo360 lecture recording facility, as well as to follow-up discussion, links, readings and forum discussions. Access to the website is essential to complete GEOP4070.

Unit Schedule

Wk

Date

Lecture and tutorial topic

Lecturer

Assessments

Module I – Introduction to and Guiding Concepts in SIA

 

1

27/02/2025

Unit overview and orientation to Social Impact Assessment in planning

FM

 

2

06/03/2025

Key moments in the development of SIA and why we need SIA?

FM

 

3

13/03/2025

What are the social issues in SIA?

AZ

 

Module II –Methods and Process in SIA

 

4

20/03/2025

Uses and abuses of SIA

AZ

*Social impact issues report

Wed 19/03/2025 (11:55pm)

5

27/03/2025

Methods, data, ethics and power in SIA

FM

 

Module III – SIA in Practice

 

6

03/04/2025

SIA in Transport Planning

FM

 

7

10/04/2025

SIA in Energy Projects

FM

 

Mid-semester break (14/04/25-25/04/25)

8

01/05/2025

SIA in Disaster Contexts

FM

*Critique of case study

Wed 30/04/2025 (11:55pm)

9

08/05/2025

Guest lecture

TBC

 

10

15/05/2025

SIA in Extractive Industries

FM

 

11

22/05/2025

SIA in Mine Closure

FM

 

12

29/05/2025

SIA of loss, damage and compensation

FM

 

Module IV – Conclusion and review

 

13

05/06/2025

Conclusion and review

FM

Presentation of SIA issue

4/6/2025 (11:55 pm)

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

Reflecting the change in convenor for the unit this year a number of new lectures, tutorial topics and activities, and readings have been added.

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Unit information based on version 2025.02 of the Handbook