Overview
This unit provides an overview of environmental governance in Australia in a frame that integrates sustainability and climate change. Environmental law operates at multiple scales and is shaped by multiple geopolitical and social forces. First, we consider the regulatory framework, including relevant international law and the role of the Commonwealth and State Governments in responding to human impacts on the environment and biodiversity protection. We then move to consider environmental law and protection as subject to ongoing contestation and multiple dimensions of uncertainty. This includes conflict between environmental law rights which are in the public domain and landowners' property and contractual rights in relation to land, and public advocacy and litigation aimed at protecting the environment. Discussion points include the process of environmental impact assessment, climate change law, and regulatory reform.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisites: 24 credit points of law units including LAWS11057.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student feedback
Assessments need to be clearly relevant to practice.
The unit should be reviewed to identify opportunities to highlight and introduce practical applications.
Feedback from Student feedback.
Some students struggle to understand what is required in the assessments.
The support for assessments should be reviewed to provide greater scaffolding.