Legislation: Introduction
Preceding chapters have outlined the current pressures on and condition of Queensland's environment. They have also identified the legislative and non-legislative environmental and coastal management strategies implemented to manage the pressures on and protect or improve the condition of the environment.
Under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act) and the Coastal Protection and Management Act 1995 (Coastal Act) (s 547(2)(d) and s 166(2)(d) respectively) this report is also required to include an evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness of strategies implemented to achieve the objects of the respective Acts. Effectiveness is assessed by how well a strategy has produced or helped to produce the intended result. Efficiency is a measure of how well resources have been used in obtaining the intended result.
This chapter focuses on assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of legislative strategies. The Queensland environmental legal system has four major layers: international law, Australian Government law, Queensland law (including planning schemes and local laws made by local governments) and common law (McGrath 2006a, p.5). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers some of the Queensland environmental legislation (see Figure 11.1).
Individually and collectively, environmental legislation aims to achieve ecologically sustainable development. Each layer of law and administrative structure is designed to regulate the impact of humans on the natural environment and protect and rehabilitate the condition of the environment (McGrath 2006a).
This chapter focuses on environmental legislation administered by the EPA. It does not provide an assessment of the full environmental legal system outlined in Figure 11.1, but instead focuses on the EP Act and the Coastal Act, the two pieces of environmental legislation in Queensland that require state of the environment reporting. This chapter presents an assessment of the effectiveness and efficiency of the strategies of the EP Act and Coastal Act in achieving the objectives of the Acts.
Figure 11 .1 Environmental legislation in Queensland
Note: partial shading = EPA administers part of the Act; full shading = EPA administers Act
Source: McGrath 2006a, p.32
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Last reviewed 16 May 2011
Last updated 13 February 2008