Environmental Impact Assessment Essay Examining South Australia/New South Wales Electricity Interconnector Project

Question

Task:
Assignment 2: Advice on the Essay
1. Choose a 'major project' of your choice in Australia, and discuss the application of the environmental impact assessment process in evaluating whether the project that you've chosen should proceed.
It is important that the essay displays a clear explanation of the South Australian (or the state you chose) system of major projects in terms of its legal status and formal procedures. Essay must go beyond mere description of the process or the project. It should critically appraise the EIA process as well as the selected project. For instance, the students will critically examine the screening criteria, scoping process, the public consultation etc. It will be interesting to note whether the developer is called for mitigation of aspects which are not scoped as key significant ones. Examples of similar cases will certainly enhance the mark, especially if used to illustrate your arguments.

Answer

Introduction
The current environmental impact assessment essay is focused on examining South Australia/New South Wales Electricity Interconnector project. A high capacity electricity interconnector project is initiated between the new South Australia and New South Wales. National Electricity Market (NEM) would be connected with South Australia. Environment impact on electricity interconnector will be discussed in terms of South Australian legal and formal procedures (Afr.com, 2019). The EIA process includes activating the entire scope of environmental impacts by screening, scoping and public consultation. EIA system will be critically evaluated with substantive considerations with current trends regarding the chosen project. The main objectives of the project outlined in this environmental impact assessment essay are to manage security of electricity supply and integration in NEM. It is important to focus on details of the project and environmental impact in the region. 

Discussion
Interconnected proposals between the NSW and SA will be introduced to reduce bills approved by the Australian energy regulator. According to the project, security of supply and diverse cost renewable generation sources would be enhanced through this project in New South Wales. As per the South Australian legal and formal status, equal opportunity, fair treatment and fair dismissal, safe work conditions, notice of termination are influenced to develop the project process critically (Kumschick et al., 2017). While evaluating the project, it is important to discuss the applications of the environment impact assessment on the project. Environmental impact and approach is maximized to develop the assessment of any project, which is taken into consideration for environmental wellbeing. For $1.5 billion electricity interconnected between the South Wales and Australia, the project is significant the signal export power through the link. South Australia has interconnected with Victoria only (Afr.com, 2019). As per the readings obtained in this environmental impact assessment essay, the use of this interconnector has helped SA and NSW to be interconnected and export opportunities would be beneficial for the electricity bills in household (Korol et al., 2016).

Significantly, the environmental impact can be that the small businesses get benefits and local economy can be increased to run the project in New South Wales via West Victoria. Birdlife Australia has flagged that breeding territory of black eared miner can be threatened regarding this electrical supply. Alarmingly, voltage power lines can influence the critical habitats that should be privatised before implementing by the Australian government. South Australian legislation regarding environmental protection would be applied and Environmental Protection Act 1986 would be stipulated here to protect the environment and prevent pollution or danger of the habitats (Legislation.sa.gov.au, 2019). Concerning the environmental impact over the project examined in this environmental impact assessment essay, critical habitat area can be affected by this project and the interconnected line can run through undefined habitat area of the black beard miner. Scoping process and public consultations is included to mitigate the aspect of lines with similar management of assessment process and the environmental impact assessment. Electranet and Transgrid suggested power bills with new interconnected engagement to be replaced from market in New South Wales to avoid or mitigate the environmental risks (Abc.net.au, 2019).

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) is interdisciplinary and multistep procedures by considering decision to help the environment and impact to mitigate the issues (Barrett and Therivel, 2019). As per the research conducted on environmental impact assessment essay, screening process determines monetary process including project warranty on EIA. It can be critically evaluated by addressing the activities in certain monetary value. The preliminary environmental impacts are including limiting the project boundaries as well as expansion. The study developed in the environmental impact assessment essay mentions that public participation is essential to include the entire scope and environmental impacts. In the context of electricity-interconnected project, it is implemented to evaluate energy security and network improvements, which are predicting to reduce the bills. It is implemented that the proposal as an extension cord of New South Wales and South Australia can be implemented differently to expedite the project by 2022 (Sharma and Strezov, 2017). South Australia needs to be looped for developing the network as a power station operation as extension cord into New South Wales. Energy spokesperson described the proposal as an extension cord between South Australia and New South Wales for giving flexibility in supply and demand in national electricity system. South Australia Government was agreed to frame cooperation of the project to be completed by 2022.

South Australia undertaken project is implemented to understand the public consultations and the environmental impact statement to develop the project stages to be implemented. In the context of environmental impact assessment, the critical habitat can be affected alarmingly due to the voltage power lines (Kumschick et al., 2017). On the other hand, it is also noted in this environmental impact assessment essay that environmental impact can be generated by applying the effective legal and policy systems to illustrate the legislation for the project. Environmental assessment consequences in integrating the legislative and proposed projects for both adverse and beneficial are assessed. Environmental impact statement is included for the project development and assessment with details analysis of the energy security and improves for improved power cost (Li et al., 2016). 

Environmental impact assessment system in South Australia can be described as an important concept for the government to work for the framework of cooperation and implementation to develop the project energy connect, which is approved in Australian energy regulator. The high capacity interconnector of the project has a major impact on the environment and strength of this whole system can be indicated as the annual savings of electricity bills each year. Significantly, it is reduced for small businesses that are invested to develop the significant large scale solar energy to be coupled with is SA PV project. It is indicated that major project status includes environmental and planning approval processes through electronic regulations as threats to endangered and threatened species (Korol et al., 2016). The weakness of the project identified in the context of this environmental impact assessment essay can be included to express concerns regarding critical habitat area, which can be affected for this transmission. 

The high voltage electricity that is projected out from the said project or energy system has a major impact upon the environment. The collaboration of projects between New South Wales and South Australia leaded to majorly affect the country. Usage of non-renewable or non-sustainable energy resources system is consistently increasing. However, the availability of sufficient suppliers makes the energy affordable to prerequisite the development of the economy and achieving high standard of living. However, it reduces the sustainability within the country as the government and their project only seek towards meeting the present needs and not focusing upon the future generations. Sustainable development leads to the development of human and the environment. However, the project had led to endanger the Anthochaera Phrygia bird (Crates et al., 2017). It is recommended after analysing this segment of environmental impact assessment essay that government should also take the consideration of making effective decisions in order to pertain the environmental accountability within the population of the country. South Australia is facing environmental degradation due to the all forms of electricity generation. EIA requires professionally accredited preparation in order to disclose the financial statements and the effective as well as positive outcome of the project. EIA helps the project to identify the environmentally unsound or projects that will affect the environment adversely in order to eliminate major impacts and protect the interest of the communities.

In order to mitigate the risk of endangered species of bird Anthochaera Phrygia, the study developed in the environmental impact assessment essay signifies that it is necessary for the Australian Government to take effective step towards the healthier and greener environment. They can look forward for information that is more informed, data and statistics in order to use alternative systems of energy without compromising for the future needs. The use of alternative source of energy and its implication within the country can add up to the huge expenses, however in the future it will be much beneficial for the country to survive effectively. The reduction in use of non-renewable energy will facilitate the country to become more eco-friendly and protect their environment so that their future generations can also enjoy the nature and its resources. The government should look forward to improve its quality of the environment by identifying various optimal areas in order to reduce the carbon emissions, effluents and other harmful gases. However, the government should also focus upon the effective supply of the energy and electricity as per the demand of the population in such a manner so that the environmental effects are been reduced with other options of managing the resources (Low et al., 2013). Broader decision making process will help the management of the project as well as the government to consider the environmental degradation and should focus upon influencing the international policy of environment and its protection.

Scoping process:
The concept of scoping process explored in the environmental impact assessment essay refers to the process of understanding and determining the content as well as the impact of environment due the projects of economic development. The management or the developer of the projects should always focus upon providing a scoping option to the government in order to understand as well as identify the extent of data and information that must be involves in the environmental assessment. It is not a mandatory process however much necessary for the project developer to make the government understand about the impact of the project. The scoping process focuses on the identification of land and its soil, description that involves the development of the project and how it can be successful for the economic development, description of all the potential effects that will be on the environment due to the generation of the project and other options relevant to the project development.

Figure 1: Scoping Process Tool
(Source: Wilkinson, 2015)

The present environmental impact assessment essay also highlights the concept of Scoping which is considered as the process that helps the early step establishment as well as the preparation of environmental impact assessment. Public involvement is necessary in order to make the environmental impact assessment successful. The details of procedures of the scoping project help in providing effective information to the South Australia. It is application with several guidelines, rules, and policies relating to the process of scoping (Sheaves et al., 2016). It helps in understanding weather the project development will lead to a good environment practice or not. The conduct of the process of scoping helps in identifying the number of concerns for the environment and determine the issues in order to evaluate and mitigate them so that the environment is not been harmed in near future. The scoping stage in EIA helps the project to reveal the positive as well as the negative outcomes that can occur due to the project activities. However, it is a critical stage and can lead to the project cancellation.

What is the role of Public consultation in the context of this environmental impact assessment essay?
Public consultation is a strategic approach towards the environmental assessment. It is an effective practice, which involve monitoring, planning, as well as implementation public consultation within the process of environmental assessment. Environmental assessment refers to the document of successor, which includes the group of affected living beings, as well as the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and consults with them in order to effectively mitigate the environmental problems or issues (Jones and Morrison-Saunders, 2017). Its purpose is to protect the interest of the community that is getting affected due to the economic development activities. The experiences strongly linked with the sustainability of the project and effective consultation of the public. It is the right of the public to be aware, informed, and takes concerned with the economical developmental activities as well as the projects that might affect the population of birds, animals, or human beings in the near future. The process of EIA depends upon the consistent rules of participation in the systems so that the quality of project is been enhanced. The judicial as well as administrative procurement of in EIA law helps in identifying the potential issues in order to mitigate them as soon as possible.

Conclusion
The environmental impact assessment essay is based on the application of environmental impact assessment in order to evaluate a major project of South Australia and New South Wales. The project was developed in order to increase the level of efficiency of energy and electricity with high voltages and reduce cist. However, it leaded to majorly affect the population of Reagent honeyeater, which is now considered as an endangered species of bird. EIA process is described as the proposed project has impact over environmental screening process. It develops the decision-making capacity and beneficial effects on the projects. The EIA project of South Australia/New South Wales Electricity Interconnector project has immense importance and significance for professional determination for the projects. Impact of environmental assessment system on the state of Australia had been critically evaluated for the better understanding of the project and its impact on the environment. Several recommendations had been provided for the project examined in the environmental impact assessment essay for the Australian government in order to mitigate the issues effectively. 

Reference list
Abc.net.au (2019) ABC environmental impact assessment essay Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-13/sa-nsw-electricity-interconnector-proposal-to-reduce-bills/10806376?pfmredir=sm [Accessed on 17 October 2019]

Afr.com (2019) AFR Available at: https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/compelling-case-for-1-5b-sa-nsw-interconnector-electranet-boss-20190627-p521rp [Accessed on 17 October 2019]

Barrett, B.F. and Therivel, R., 2019. Environmental policy and impact assessment in Japan.Routledge.

Crates, R., Rayner, L., Stojanovic, D., Webb, M. and Heinsohn, R., 2017.Undetected Allee effects in Australia’s threatened birds: implications for conservation. Emu-Austral Ornithology, 117(3), pp.207-221.

Jones, M. and Morrison-Saunders, A., 2017.Understanding the long-term influence of EIA on organisational learning and transformation. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 64, pp.131-138.

Korol, J., Burchart-Korol, D. and Pichlak, M., 2016.Expansion of environmental impact assessment for eco-efficiency evaluation of biocomposites for industrial application. Journal of Cleaner Production, 113, pp.144-152.

Kumschick, S., Vimercati, G., De Villiers, F.A., Mokhatla, M.M., Davies, S.J., Thorp, C.J., Rebelo, A.D. and Measey, G.J., 2017. Environmental impact assessment essay Impact assessment with different scoring tools: How well do alien amphibian assessments match?. Neobiota, 33, p.53.

Legislation.sa.gov.au (2019) legislation.sa.gov.au Available at: https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/Web/Information/Understanding%20legislation/UnderstandingLegislation.aspx [Accessed on 17 October 2019]

Li, T., Wang, H., Deng, B., Ren, W. and Xu, H., 2016.Strategic environmental assessment performance factors and their interaction: An empirical study in China. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 59, pp.55-60.

Low, P., Angus, W., Wagner, A., Wilkin, D., Shiels, M., Dockerill, R. and Hochuli, D., 2013. Environmental impact assessment essay Use of spider silk for nest building by the Regent Honeyeater Anthochaeraphrygia and the Helmeted Honeyeater Lichenostomusmelanopscassidix. Australian Zoologist, 36(3), pp.349-354.

Sharma, A. and Strezov, V., 2017. Life cycle environmental and economic impact assessment of alternative transport fuels and power-train technologies. Energy, 133, pp.1132-1141.

Sheaves, M., Coles, R., Dale, P., Grech, A., Pressey, R.L. and Waltham, N.J., 2016.Enhancing the value and validity of EIA: serious science to protect Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Conservation Letters, 9(5), pp.377-383.

Wilkinson, L., 2015. Environmental impact assessment essay Environmental impact assessment in Australia: theory and practice.