Dr Angus Morrison-Saunders

Room: S&C/3.016

Research

The effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Specific interests include EIA audits, utility of environmental monitoring and management programmes, and the role of science in EIA.

Projects

Audit of tourism impacts on natural areas.

Management plans are prepared for national parks in Western Australia. How do the management strategies proposed in these plans compare with the actual impacts of tourism that are evident? This research would involve an audit of selected national park management plans.

Evolution of environmental policy through impact assessment.

This project would examine the treatment of a particular environmental issue (eg. wetland management) by the Environmental Protection Authority in Western Australia from the 1970's to the present. The aim of the project is to understand how EIA has influenced the development of policies and management practices for that particular issue over time.

How representative are the accounts of projects in the report and recommendation documents prepared by the EPA compared to when the projects are implemented? Sometimes the Ministerial approval conditions are very different to the EPA recommendations. How often does this occur? Other projects change over time when proponents successfully bid to have approval conditions changed. This project will examine the extent to which projects differ from EPA recommendations.

Efficacy of environmental monitoring programmes.

How capable are current environmental monitoring programmes established during EIA of actually recording environmental impacts? This project would require a candidate with a strong background and interest in statistical analysis.

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