the diversity of interests in environmental governance a challenge for the rule of law

THE DIVERSITY OF INTERESTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE

A CHALLENGE FOR THE RULE OF LAW

By Professor D E Fisher

Approaches to the Rule of Law

Approaches which give it a purely formal content to those which give it a significant substantive content, with intermediate positions along the spectrum.

Justice Philip Sales of the High Court of England and Wales

One Meaning of the Rule of Law

Government in all its action is bound by rules fixed and announced beforehand – rules which make it possible to foresee with fair certainty how the authority will use its coercive powers in given circumstances, and to plan one’s individual affairs on the basis of this knowledge.

F. A. Hayek, The Road to Serfdom

The Relevance of Ecologically Sustainable Development

The principles of ecologically sustainable development are to be applied when decisions are being made under any legislative enactment or instrument which adopts the principles.

The EPA Act is one such legislative enactment. It expressly states that one of the objects of the EPA Act is to encourage ecologically sustainable development.

Section 79C(1) of the EPA Act, which sets out the relevant matters which a consent authority must take into consideration, does not expressly refer to ecologically sustainable development. Nevertheless, it does require a consent authority to take into account the “public interest” in s 79C(1)(e). The consideration of the public interest is ample enough, having regard to the subject matter, scope and purpose of the EPA Act, to embrace ecologically sustainable development.

Chief Justice Brian Preston of the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales

Land Act 1994

Section 16

(1) Before land is allocated under this Act, the chief executive must evaluate the land to assess the most appropriate tenure and use for the land.

(2) The evaluation must take account of State, regional and local planning strategies and policies and the object of this Act.

Land Act 1994

Section 4 In the administration of this Act, land to which this Act applies must be

managed for the benefit of the people of Queensland by having regard to the following principles –

Sustainability sustainable resource use and development to ensure existing needs

are met and the State’s resources are conserved for the benefit of future generations

Evaluation land evaluation based on the appraisal of land capability and the

consideration and balancing of the different economic, environmental, cultural and social opportunities and values of the land

Geothermal Energy Act 2010

Section 3 (1)

The main purpose of this Act is to encourage and facilitate the safe production of geothermal energy for the benefit of all Queenslanders.


Section 3 (3)

Other purposes of this Act are to –

(a) ensure the following for the carrying out of the activities –

(i) minimisation of conflict with other land uses;

(ii) constructive consultation with people affected by the activities;

(iii) appropriate compensation for owners or occupiers of land adversely affected by the activities;

(iv) responsible land and resource management; and

(b) encourage the use of renewable energy in the State.


Section 80

Subject to section 83, the Minister may grant the applicant a geothermal lease only if satisfied the requirements mentioned in section 81 have been complied with.


Section 81 (e) and (f)

For section 80, the requirements are the following –

(e) the relevant environmental authority has been issued;

(f) any relevant Water Act authorisation has been issued.


Section 90 (1) and (2)

(1) The proposed development plan must include an assessment of –

(a) water needed for the proposed activities; and

(b) the potential for obtaining any relevant Water Act authorisation; and

(c) the potential structural and other impacts of the carrying out of the proposed activities on aquifers.

(2) The proposed plan must include a plan for the treatment and disposal of any water taken or that may be taken because of the carrying out of the proposed activities.

Environmental Protection Act 1994

Section 3

The object of this Act is to protect Queensland’s environment while allowing for development that improves the total quality of life, both now and in the future, in a way that maintains the ecological processes on which life depends (ecologically sustainable development).


Section 5

If, under this Act, a function or power is conferred on a person, the person must perform the function or exercise the power in the way that best achieves the object of this Act.


Section 6

This Act is to be administered, as far as practicable, in consultation with, and having regard to the views and interests of, industry, Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders under Aboriginal tradition and Island custom, interested groups and persons and the community generally.


Schedule 4

Interpretation of Standard Criteria

Standard criteria means –

(a) The principles of ecologically sustainable development as set out in the ‘National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development’; and

(i) The public interest.

Strategic Cropping Land Act 2011

Section 3

The purposes of this Act are to –

(a) protect land that is highly suitable for cropping; and

(b) manage the impacts of development on that land; and

(c) preserve the productive capacity of that land for future generations.


Section 11 (1) and (2)

(1) The SLC principles are the following principles – protection avoidance minimisation mitigation productivity.

(2) The protection principle is to protect SCL and that, except in exceptional circumstances, doing so takes precedence over all development interests.


Section 76 (2)

A person must not carry out, or allow the carrying out of, development on SCL or potential SCL that has a permanent impact on land.


Section 101

(1) In making an SCL protection decision, the chief executive must consider –

(a) the extent of the impact of the carrying out of resource activity on SCL; and

(b) whether the carrying out of the resource activity will have a permanent impact or a temporary impact on the land; and

(c) whether the applicant has demonstrated that the impact has been avoided or minimised to the greatest extent practicable.

(2) In imposing SCL protection conditions, the chief executive must consider the SCL principles.

Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003

Section 4

The main purpose of this Act is to provide effective recognition, protection and conservation of Aboriginal cultural heritage.


Section 5 (e)

The following fundamental principles underlie this Act’s main purpose –

(e) There is a need to establish timely and efficient processes for the management of activities that may harm Aboriginal cultural heritage.


Section 6 (g) For achieving effective recognition, protection and

conservation of Aboriginal cultural heritage, this Act provides for the following –

(g) ensuring Aboriginal people are involved in processes for managing the recognition, protection and conservation of Aboriginal cultural heritage.


Section 23 (1)

A person who carries out an activity must take all reasonable and practicable measures to ensure the activity does not harm Aboriginal cultural heritage ( the “cultural heritage duty of care”).


Section 24 (1)

A person must not harm Aboriginal cultural heritage if the person knows or ought reasonably to know that it is Aboriginal cultural heritage.

Wild Rivers Act 2005

Section 3 (1)

The purpose of this Act is to preserve the natural values of rivers that have all, or almost all, of their natural values intact.


Section 31 A

This subdivision applies if –

(a) a person who is the owner of land within a wild river area proposes to carry out activities on, or take natural resources from, the land; and

(b) all or some of the activities or the taking of resources is prohibited under a wild river declaration.


Section 31 E

The Minister may approve the proposed plan, with or without conditions, for the purpose of subdivision (2) only if the Minister is satisfied –

(a) the carrying out of activities or the taking under the plan –

(i) may not reasonably be carried out without amending the wild river declaration; and

(ii) is likely to be completed within 10 years of the grant of the approval; and

(b) the carrying out of the activities or taking, and anything mentioned in section 31 D(1)(j), will not have an overall adverse impact on the natural values of the wild river to which the plan applies; and

(c) the environmental benefits of the plan justify the approval of the plan.

the diversity of interests in environmental governance a challenge for the rule of law

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