Assessment of Environmental Effects Process Flashcards
General steps of the AEE process
- Provide description of proposal, site and surroundings
- Talk to the regional and/or district council(s)
- Identify the effects on the environment and people
- Propose any conditions that may help mitigate any effects of the proposal
- Provide any additional reports required to support application
- Finalise AEE
description of proposal, site and surroundings
- Description of proposed activity/activities
- Can include site visit, desktop assessment
- Description of site and site features –> Natural features (vegetation, water courses), Adjacent activities (neighbouring properties), Physical features (infrastructure, buildings)
prior to consultation/during consultation with council
prior:
- confirm compliance with rules in place
during:
- provides information regarding required resource consents
- identifies how proposal fits in with relevant regional plan
- identify specific site constraints and limitations
Identify effects
- Consider all aspects of proposal (Specific site considerations, Adjacent site considerations)
- Utilise the provisions in the relevant plan
- List all effects identified related to proposed Project/activities
- Identify if specialist assessment may be
required - Consult affected parties
impact management phase - propose mitigations for effects
Following identification of effects:
– Rank effects (minor or significant) Can effect be avoided? Can effect be mitigated? Can effect be remedied?
– For significant adverse effects, consider alternatives (e.g. changes in location, resources)
– Identify which effects would require monitoring (Cumulative effects, Uncertain likelihood of occurrence)
– Consider how monitoring will take place - Who will complete monitoring? How often is monitoring required?
table of effects
temporary effects, permanent. effects, cumulative effects - significant, minor, no effect, critical effect
3 steps of finalising a AEE
- provide additional. information if required
- review and reevaluate proposal
- final check of AEE
Final check of AEE
– accurately describe the activity
– accurately describe the site and locality
– complete your effects checklist, including ranking and discussing how any adverse effects may be avoided, remedied or mitigated
– identify any consultation undertaken and its results
– (where significant effects are likely to occur) identify
alternatives you have considered and why they were rejected
– identify any proposals for monitoring potential and actual effects.
Identifying impacts/ effects - identification
identifying the preliminary effects more specifically
Identifying impacts/ effects - prediction
predicting the characteristics of the main effects
Identifying impacts/ effects - evaluation
evaluating the significance of the residual effects
Impact/effect identification methods
- checklists
- networks
- matrices
- overlays
- professional judgement
- GIS and computer based systems
What does the choice of identification method depend on?
- type and size of the proposal
- nature of likely effects
- availability of effect identification methods (e.g. is there a localised checklist)
- experience of AEE/EIA team
- resources available
The characteristics of environmental impacts vary based on:
– nature (positive, negative, direct, indirect, cumulative)
– magnitude (severe, moderate, low)
– extent/location (area/volume covered, distribution)
– timing (during construction, operation, decommissioning, immediate, delayed, rate of change)
– duration (short term, long term, intermittent, continuous)
– reversibility/irreversibility
– likelihood (probability, uncertainty or confidence in the prediction)
– significance (local, regional, global)
Methods of impact/effect prediction
- best estimate professional judgement
- quantitative mathematical models
- experiments and physical models
- case studies as analogues or references
