From the Editor

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Special Interest Section on Impact Assessment (SIS-IA) newsletter. We intend this bimonthly newsletter will update you on upcoming events, what is happening in Australia, New Zealand and internationally and on work underway by the SIS Management Committee to promote good practice in impact assessment. The newsletter will also identify new publications and research that maybe of interest to practitioners and provide a forum for members to share their insights on issues relevant to impact assessment.

Articles are invited from SIS-IA members. News articles should generally be no more than 100 words with additional information included via hyperlink to the relevant website. Each newsletter will also include a feature article of up to 1000 words. In this edition, Lara Mottee describes her ongoing research into social impact assessment and urban transport projects.

Contributions to the newsletter need to be submitted to ianews@eianz.org by the last day of the month following the previous newsletter. Feel free to provide feedback on the content and structure of the newsletter and in this way we can endeavour to ensure the newsletter meets the needs of all members.

Look forward to working with you over the coming year in the spirit of professional advancement.

Ian Marshall MEIANZ
Newsletter Editor

In this edition

News from the SIS-IA Committee

Featured articles

• Social impact assessment (SIA) and managing urban transport infrastructure projects
• Observations from the NZAIA Conference 2016
   

News round up

• International Association for Impact Assessment
• Western Australia
• Queensland
• New South Wales
   

Upcoming event

• Impact Assessment Seminar - Doing impact assessment in the context of uncertainty and risk

News from the SIS-IA Committee

The work program for the SIS-IA is developed and overseen by a management committee which meets around 5-6 times each year by teleconference. Membership of the management committee can be found here. A number of other members of the SIS-IA are contributing to implementing the program through working groups.

Current initiatives being pursued by the SIS-IA Management Committee include:

• Organisation of an IA Practitioners' Forum in Sydney on 20/21 February. Further details are elsewhere in this newsletter.
• Preparation of guidance to assist proponents in selecting a consultant to undertake IA work. This is to help ensure consultants preparing IA documentation are appropriately qualified and experienced.
• Work to improve interaction between IA researchers and practitioners.
• Commencement of work on addressing uncertainty in IA.
   

The Management Committee is currently preparing the SIS Business Plan for 2017-18. If you have any suggestions for work that should be undertaken by the SIS or would like to assist, contact ia@eianz.org.

Featured articles

Social impact assessment (SIA) and managing urban transport infrastructure projects

Lara Mottee MEIANZ - NSW Committee Member, Environmental Scientist KBR and HDR Candidate Macquarie University - discusses how social impact assessment practitioners can influence the long term success of urban transport infrastructure.

Read more >

Observations from the NZAIA Conference 2016

The NZAIA's annual conference in December 2016 focused on the use of strategic environmental assessment in New Zealand and the wider region to support policy and planning processes. Nick Taylor and Richard Morgan provide some observations and details on the issues that were explored.

Read more >

News round up

Find out the latest IA news from around the country and the Impact Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA). Click on the heading links to read the full details.

International Association for Impact Assessment

• 2017 IAIA Conference to be held in Montreal
• Papers available from 2016 IAIA Conference
• New video resources available on IAIA website
   

Western Australia

• New EPA website
• Cumalative Impact Assessment in mining
• Presentation by Dr Rebecca Nelson as part of NCGRT/IAH Distinguished Lecture Series
   

Queensland

• South East Queensland Regional Plan
• New Planning Act 2016 to replace Sustainable Planning Act 2009
• Updated state planning policy
• New planning provisions for state heritage places
• Consideration of climate change in planning and development decisions
   

New South Wales

• Improving planning assessment for state significant projects
• Social Impact assessment of state significant mining projects
   

Upcoming event

Impact Assessment Seminar - Doing impact assessment in the context of uncertainty and risk
20 - 21 February 2017 | Sydney

The symposium will address a range of matters related to uncertainty in impact assessment. Day one is aimed at impact assessment professionals, practitioners and academics, Commonwealth, State and local government agencies. Day two is primarily aimed at IA academics and researchers, although professionals and practitioners are also invited. For more information contact Garry Middle on g.middle@curtin.edu.au or visit his website.

Find out more >

This email is sent to Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand Impact Assessment SIS members. If you have an article, relevant event or news item that you would like included in the next newsletter, please submit prior to the end of February by emailing the newsletter editor, Ian Marshall.