Strategic environmental assessment: lessons for New South Wales, Australia, from Scottish practice

Abstract

Disparate approaches to strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia and Scotland are compared. The first is fragmented and unfamiliar while the other is well established. A detailed analysis of the use of SEA in each jurisdiction follows a contextual evaluation of its purpose. Whereas the Scottish system is supported by recent regulation and policy, both NSW and the overriding Commonwealth Government follow haphazard actions with few if any settled methodologies. In order to improve its environmental assessment credentials and promote more sustainable development outcomes, NSW might consider the need for SEA more seriously. Investigation of other systems, such as that in Scotland, may assist. Disparate approaches to strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia and Scotland are compared. The first is fragmented and unfamiliar while the other is well established. A detailed analysis of the use of SEA in each jurisdiction follows a contextual evaluation of its purpose. Whereas the Scottish system is supported by recent regulation and policy, both NSW and the overriding Commonwealth Government follow haphazard actions with few if any settled methodologies. In order to improve its environmental assessment credentials and promote more sustainable development outcomes, NSW might consider the need for SEA more seriously. Investigation of other systems, such as that in Scotland, may assist.

Towards effective scoping in strategic environmental assessment

“…This may be happening due to the lack of quality control by national bodies with responsibilities in this area and the lack of political commitment to SEA. As showed by Jackson and Illsley (2007), Kelly et al (2012) and McLauchlan and João (2012) for the Scottish practice, it is essential for the effectiveness of the scoping, as well as the whole SEA process, that there is commitment and engagement from the Government.…”

Strategic Environmental Assessment practices in European small islands: Insights from Azores and Orkney islands

“…Here the Government published the first SEA regulation in 2004 (Jackson and Illsley, 2007) in order to implement the Directive on time. However, the " (Polido et al, 2014 (Jackson and Dixon, 2006;Kelly et al, 2012). Also, as identified by McLauchlan and João (2012), SEA in Scotland presents a unique SEA stage -the pre-screeningwhere the responsible authority needs to register their intention not to do an SEA that they identify "EA A P…”

“…To provide practitioners with the tools to develop SEA, the Scottish Executive issued an SEA toolkit (Scottish Executive, 2006) with detailed guidance where the SEA process is organised and structured (Kelly et al, 2012;Noble et al, 2012;SEPA, 2011). In 2013 the SEA Toolkit was replaced by the Strategic Environmental Assessment Guidance (Scottish Government, 2013).…”