Regional planning deals with the efficient placement of land use activities, infrastructure, and settlement growth across

a larger area of land than an individual city or town. The related field ofurban planning deals with the specific issues of city planning. Both concepts are encapsulated in spatial planning using a eurocentric definition. Regions require various land uses; protection of farmland, cities, industrial space, transportation hubs and infrastructure, military bases, and wilderness. Regional planning is the science of efficient placement of infrastructure and zoning for the sustainable growth of a region. Advocates for regional planning such as new urbanist Peter Calthorpe, promote the approach because it can address region-wide environmental, social, and economic issues which may necessarily require a regional focus. A region in planning terms can be administrative or at least partially functional, and is likely to include a network of settlements and character areas. In most European countries, regional and national plans are spatial directing certain levels of development to specific cities and towns in order to support and manage the region depending on specific needs, for example supporting or resisting, polycentrism. [edit]Principles Specific interventions and solutions will depend entirely on the needs of each region in each country, but generally speaking, regional planning at the macro level will seek to: Resist development in flood plains or along earthquake faults. These areas may be utilised as parks, or unimproved farmland. Designate transportation corridors using hubs and spokes and considering major new infrastructure Some thought into the various roles settlements in the region may play, for example some may be administrative, with others based upon manufacturing or transport. Consider designating essential nuisance land uses locations, including waste disposal. Designate Green belt land or similar to resist settlement amalgamation and protect the environment. Set regional level policy and zoning which encourages a mix of housing values and communities. Consider building codes, zoning laws and policies that encourage the best use of the land.

Land-use planning is the term used for a branch of public policy encompassing various disciplines which seek to order and regulate land use in an efficient and ethical way, thus preventing land-use conflicts. Governments use land-use planning to manage the development of land within their jurisdictions. In doing so, the governmental unit can plan for the needs of the community while safeguarding natural resources. To this end, it is the systematic assessment of land and water potential, alternatives for land use, and [1] economic and social conditions in order to select and adopt the best land-use options. Often one element of a comprehensive plan, a land-use plan provides a vision for the future possibilities of development in neighborhoods, districts, cities, or any defined planning area.

In the United States, the terms land-use planning, regional planning, urban planning, and urban design are often used interchangeably, and will depend on the state, county, and/or project in question. Despite confusing nomenclature, the essential function of land-use planning remains the same whatever term is applied. The Canadian Institute of Planners offers a definition that land-use planning means the scientific, aesthetic, and orderly disposition of land, resources, facilities and services with a view to securing the physical, economic and social efficiency, health and well-being of urban and rural [2] communities. The American Planning Association states that the goal of land-use planning is to further the welfare of people and their communities by creating convenient, equitable, healthful, efficient, and attractive environments for present and future generations

History
Land-use planning often leads to land-use regulations, also known as zoning, but they are not one and the same. As a tool for implementing land-use plans, zoning regulates the types of activities that can be accommodated on a given piece of land, the amount of space devoted to those activities and the ways [4] that buildings may be placed and shaped. The ambiguous nature of the term planning, as it relates to land use, is historically tied to the practice of zoning. Zoning in the US came about in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to protect the interests of property owners. The practice was found to be constitutionally sound by the Supreme Court decision [3] of Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co. in 1926. Soon after, the Standard State Zoning Enabling Act gave authority to the states to regulate land use. Even so, the practice remains controversial today. The taking clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the government from taking private property for public use without just compensation. One interpretation of the taking clause is that any restriction on the development potential of land through zoning regulation is a taking. A deep-rooted anti-zoning sentiment exists in America, that no one has the right to tell another what he can or cannot do with his land. Ironically, although people are often averse to being told how to develop their own land, they tend to expect the government to intervene when a proposed land use is undesirable. Conventional zoning has not typically regarded the manner in which buildings relate to one another or the public spaces around them, but rather has provided a pragmatic system for mapping jurisdictions according to permitted land use. This system, combined with the interstate highway system, widespread availability of mortgage loans, growth in the automobile industry, and the over-all post-World War II economic expansion, destroyed most of the character that gave distinctiveness to American cities. The urban sprawl that most US cities began to experience in the mid-twentieth century was, in part, created by a flat approach to land-use regulations. Zoning without planning created unnecessarily exclusive zones. Thoughtless mapping of these zones over large areas was a big part of the recipe for [4] suburban sprawl. It was from the deficiencies of this practice that land-use planning developed, to envision the changes that development would cause and mitigate the negative effects of such change.

Suburban development near Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States

As America grew and sprawl was rampant, the much-loved America of the older towns, cities, or streetcar [5] suburbs essentially became illegal through zoning. Unparalleled growth and unregulated development changed the look and feel of landscapes and communities. They strained commercial corridors and affected housing prices, causing citizens to fear a decline in the social, economic and environmental [6] attributes that defined their quality of life. Zoning regulations became politically contentious as developers, legislators, and citizens struggled over altering zoning maps in a way that was acceptable to all parties. Land use planning practices evolved as an attempt to overcome these challenges. It engages citizens and policy-makers to plan for development with more intention, foresight, and community focus than had been previously used. [edit]Types

of planning

Various types of planning have emerged over the course of the 20th century. Below are the six main typologies of planning, as defined by David Walters in his book, Designing Communities (2007): Traditional or comprehensive planning: Common in the US after WWII, characterized by politically neutral experts with a rational view of the new urban development. Focused on producing clear statements about the form and content of new development. Systems planning: 1950s1970s, resulting from the failure of comprehensive planning to deal with the unforeseen growth of post WWII America. More analytical view of the planning area as a set of complex processes, less interested in a physical plan. Democratic planning: 1960s. Result of societal loosening of class and race barriers. Gave more citizens a voice in planning for future of community. Advocacy and equity planning: 1960s & 70s. Strands of democratic planning that sought specifically to address social issues of inequality and injustice in community planning.

Strategic planning: 1960s-present. Recognizes small-scale objectives and pragmatic real-world constraints. Environmental planning: 1960s-present. Developed as many of the ecological and social implications [5] of global development were first widely understood.

Today, successful planning involves a balanced mix of analysis of the existing conditions and constraints; extensive public engagement; practical planning and design; and financially and politically feasible [6] strategies for implementation. Current processes include a combination of strategic and environmental planning. It is becoming more widely understood that any sector of land has a certain capacity for supporting human, animal, and vegetative life in harmony, and that upsetting this balance has dire consequences on the environment. Planners and citizens often take on an advocacy role during the planning process in an attempt to [5] influence public policy. Due to a host of political and economic factors, governments are slow to adopt land use policies that are congruent with scientific data supporting more environmentally sensitive regulations. Smart Growth: Since the 1990s, the activist/environmentalist approach to planning has grown into the Smart Growth movement, characterized by the focus on more sustainable and less environmentally [5] damaging forms of development.

Aerial view of Rosslyn-Ballston corridor in Arlington, Virginia. High density, mixed use development is concentrated within mile from the Rosslyn, Court Houseand Clarendon Washington Metro stations (shown in red), with limited density outside that area. This photograph is taken from the United States Environmental Protection Agency
[7]

website describing

Arlington's award for overall excellence in smart growth in 2002 the first ever granted by the agency.

Smart growth supports the integration of mixed land uses into communities as a critical component of achieving better places to live. Putting uses in close proximity to one another has benefits for transportation alternatives to driving, security, community cohesiveness, local economies, and general quality of life issues. Smart growth strives to provide a means for communities to alter the planning [8] context which currently renders mixed land uses illegal in most of the country.

[edit]Methods Professional planners work in the public sector for governmental and non-profit agencies, and in the private sector for businesses related to land, community, and economic development. Through research, design, and analysis of data, a planner's work is to create a plan for some aspect of a community. This process typically involves gathering public input to develop the vision and goals for the community. A charrette is a facilitated planning workshop often used by professional planners to gather information from their clients and the public about the project at hand. Charettes involve a diverse set of stakeholders in the planning process, to ensure that the final plan comprehensively addresses the study area. Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, is a very useful and important tool in land-use planning. It uses aerial photography to show land parcels, topography, street names, and other pertinent information. GIS systems contain layers of graphic information and their relational databases that may be projected into maps that allow the user to view a composite of a specific area, adding an array of graphically oriented [6] decision making tools to the planning process. A transect, as used in planning, is a hierarchical scale of environmental zones that define a land area by its character, ranging from rural, preserved land to urban centers. As a planning methodology, the transect is used as a tool for managing growth and sustainability by planning land use around the physical character of the land. This allows a community to plan for growth while preserving the natural and historical nature of their environment

Environmental Planning is the process of facilitating decision making to carry out development with due consideration given to the natural environmental, social, political, economic and governance factors and provides a holistic frame work to achieve sustainable outcomes. It is sometimes used as a synonym for spacial planning.

Elements of environmental planning

Environmental Planning concerns itself with the decision making processes where they are required for managing relationships that exist within and between natural systems and human systems. Environmental Planning endeavours to manage these processes in an effective, orderly, transparent and equitable manner for the benefit of all constituents within such systems for the present and for the future. Present day Environmental Planning practices are the result of continuous refinement and expansion of

the scope of such decision making processes. Some of the main elements of present day environmental planning are: Social & economic development Urban development Regional development Natural resource management & integrated land use Infrastructure systems Governance frameworks

The environmental planning assessments encompass areas such as land use, socioeconomics, transportation, economic and housing characteristics, air pollution, noise pollution, the wetlands, habitat of the endangered species, flood zones susceptibility, coastal zones erosion, and visual studies among others, and is referred to as an Integrated environmental planning [1] assessment. It is the ability to analyse environemental issues that will facilitate critical decision making. [edit]Environmental

planning in the United States

In the United States, for any project, environmental planners deal with a full range of environmental regulations from federal to state and city levels, administered federally by the Environmental Protection [2] Agency. A rigorous environmental process has to be undertaken to examine the impacts and possible mitigation of any construction project. Depending on the scale and impact of the project, an extensive environmental review is known as an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and the less extensive version is Environmental Assessment (EA). Procedures follow guidelines from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and/or City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR), and other related federal or state agencies published regulations. The Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP) is a non-profit organization of interdisciplinary professionals including environmental science, resource management, environmental planning and other professions contributing to this field. AEP is the first organization of its kind in the USA, and its influence and model have spawned numerous other regional organizations throughout the United States. Its mission is to improve the technical skills of members, and the organization is dedicated to "the enhancement, maintenance and protection of the natural and human environment". From inception in the mid 1970s the organization has been closely linked with the maintenance of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), due to California being one of the first states to adopt a comprehensive legal framework to govern the environmental review of public policy and project review. [edit]Environmental [edit]Background The table 1.0 (p89, Conacher and Conacher 2000) depict the changes of focus in planning over the last 300 years in Australia, which has evolved from an amenity and resource use focus to an integrated approach which espouses the stewardship of natural systems for the continued long term viability of both human and natural systems.

planning in Australia

Public Interest

Resource

Resource and Environmental Protection

Environment Protection Acts and EIA

Integrated Land use, Integrated Environment Natural and Natural Resource Resource Management Planning and Management

Late 1770s

1960s 1980s

1970s 1980s 1980s 1990s 1990s

Resource Health, development common law (Utilitarian)

Specific Reducing environmental environment impacts of resource protection development legislation and agencies

Consolidated natural resource legislation and agencies

Integration of national, State, regional and local levels of plans / policies / roles

Pollution

Private rights

Pollution control

Comprehensive and strategic planning / policies ICM and incorporating Land-care natural resource increased management, regional focus land-use planning and environmental management

Parks and reserves, conservation

EIA

Increased powers of EP legislation (Penalties)

Integrated regional planning

Environment protection

Incorporation with planning

National and state planning

policies

strategies

Regional economic development planning land use and resources integrated but low environment priority

Broader Environment responses to clearly defined EP legislation

Increased local government responsibilities in planning and environmental management

Some reference to planning (still Resource laws amended narrow / Environmental Bio-regional or new laws (Utility still specific focus) priorities planning? -> paramount) ESD EMS raised 2000+ BMP Environmental values

Settlement

Responses to Development environmental and public pressures : integration

Increased public awareness / participation, international agreements national legislation, policies, measures, strategies ESD; national, State, local roles clarified,environmental values recognised social, cultural, heritage and equity values

recognised [edit]Summary

of regulatory framework

Relevant environment protection, planning & administering agencies and legislation at the level of commonwealth, states & territories are as shown in table below. Environmental planning policies vary from state to state. Table 2.0 Key environment protection, planning legislation in Australia. (Cited in Conacher & Conacher "Environmental Planning & Management In Australia". Updated from various websites(Sep 2010))

Jurisdiction

Legislation

Administering Agency

Commonwealth

Environment Protection & Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts

South Australia

Development Act 1993

Department of Planning & Local Government

Development Regulations 2008

Department of Environment & Heritage

Department of Environment & Natural Resources

Environment Protection Authority

New South Wales

Environmental Planning and Assessment Act NSW Department of Planning 1979

Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000

Department of Urban Affairs & Planning

Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment Act 2008

Victoria

Planning and Environment Act 1987

Department of Infrastructure

Planning and Environment Regulations 2005

Department of Planning & Community development

Planning and Environment (Fees) Regulations 2000

Environment Protection Authority

Major Transport Projects Facilitation Act 2009

Department of Transport

Transport Integration Act

Department of Transport

Queensland

Integrated Planning Act 1997

Department of Infrastructure and Planning

Integrated Planning Regulation 1998

Department of Environment and Resource Management

Sustainable Planning Act 2009

Tasmania

Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment

State Policies and Projects Act 1993

Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal Act 1993

Resource Planning and Development Commission Act 1997

Western Australia

Planning and Development Act 2005

Department of Environment & Conservation

Planning and Development (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2005

Department of Planning & Infrastructure

Metropolitan Region Improvement Tax Amendment Act 2005

Australian Capital Territory

Planning and Development Act 2007

The Planning & Land Authority

[edit]Background

of Australian environmental planning

The incorporation of environmental considerations in land-use planning in Australia began after the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden in 1972. One of the key principles developed in reference to planning and human activity was: Principle 13 In order to achieve a more rational management of resources and thus to improve the environment, States should adopt an integrated and coordinated approach to their development planning so as to ensure that development is compatible with the need to protect and improve environment for the benefit of their population.UNEP Previous to this conference the United States Congress passed National Environmental Policy Act, which created a process whereby government agencies were required to publicly state and justify the environmental impacts of their development proposals by preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS structure was further developed by Burchell and Listokin (1975), and this approach has informed the development of environmental impact regulation worldwide (Beer 1977), and resulted in the development of legislation within several Australian states. [edit]Overview

of recent environmental planning processes in Australia

[edit]New South Wales In NSW the first attempt to incorporate environmental assessment and protection into planning law began in 1974 with the appointment of a Planning and Environment Commission to overhaul the existing predominately urban land-use system. After various delays the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) came into force on 1 September 1980. The EP&A Act incorporated a three tired system of State, Regional and Local levels of significance, and required the relevant control authority to take into consideration the impacts to the environment (both natural and built) and the community of proposed development or land-use change. Within the EP&A Act most development requires an environmental impact statement (EIS) detailing the impacts to both natural and human environments,

which should be taken into consideration by the regulatory authority. Significant projects require a more thorough Environmental Impact Assessment with a corresponding greater public scrutiny. Concurrent with this development was the establishment of a parallel legal system, the Land and Environment Court, to arbitrate disputes. The EP&A Act has been amended over time, generally giving the government, acting through the Minister, greater powers to determine approval of development, particularly large projects of 'State Significance', but also to incorporate specific environmental laws, such as the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (Park 2010). [edit]Victoria The Environment Effects Act 1978 was the first environmental planning control in Victoria, and it assessed the environmental impact of significant developments via an Environmental Effects Statement (EES). However the obligation for presenting an EES remained somewhat unclear and is ultimately at the discretion of the Minister for Planning (Eccles and Bryant 2007). The Planning and Environment Act 1987 created a statewide nested planning process, Victoria Planning Provisions (VPP) which has within the statewide objectives: "the protection of natural and man-made resources and the maintenance of ecological processes and genetic diversity" (PaE Act 1987, s4(1)) To achieve these ends, the VPP includes several overarching policy frameworks, including the identification of important environmental values and assets, such as 'protection of catchments, waterways and groundwater', 'coastal areas' and 'Conservation of native flora and fauna'. Below this level, local planning schemes identify land-uses through Zone designation, and also identify land affected by other criteria, called 'overlays'. Overlays include environmental parameters such as 'Environmental Significance', 'Vegetation Protection', 'Erosion Management' and 'Wildfire Management', but also social issues like 'Neighbourhood Character'. Below this again are various regulations on particular issues, such as details pertaining to regulation of areas of Native Vegetation DSE Victoria Reform has occurred to the Victorian framework in recent years aimed at improving land use and transport outcomes including consideration of environmental impacts. The Transport Integration [3] Act identifies key planning agencies as interface bodies required to have regard to a vision for the transport system and objectives and decision making principles if decisions are likely to have a significant impact on Victoria's transport system. In addition, the Major Transport Projects Facilitation Act [4] 2009 establishes a scheme to improve the approval and delivery of major rail, road and ports projects. [edit]South Australia Planning in South Australia is coordinated within the Development Act 1993. Under this law most urban and land-use planning is assessed against local plans of allowed development. The Minister must declare a proposed development either 'Major Development' or a 'Major Project' for it to be subjected to greater depth of environmental assessment and public consultation, via an independent Development Assessment Commission of experts. Complex proposals will generally require an indepth EIS. Planning SA

[edit]Queensland The Integrated Planning Act 1997 vested most planning control with local government, but required 'significant projects' to be assessed by a State Coordinator General and usually required an [6] environmental impact statement (EIS). This has been replaced by the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 which came into force 18 December 2009. This law aims to 'improve sustainable environmental outcomes through streamlined processes', and incorporates Statewide, Regional and local planning hierarchies, which follow the model of Victoria's VPP. The Coordinator General may still declare projects to be 'significant projects' which then require [8] assessment under the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 (Qld). [edit]Chronology Year
[7] [5]

of key environmental planning milestones & decisions

Relevance

Milestone

Growth Centres (Financial 1973 Assistance) Act 1973*

This act enabled the establishment of entities within Australian States to manage the release of land and undertake planning, urban development and infrastructure development in an orderly manner.

1974

Urban & Regional Development (Financial Assistance) Act 1974*

Established to provide financial assistance to states for the purpose of urban and regional development.

The main object of this Act is to provide for the long term Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 protection and conservation of the environment, biodiversity 1975* and heritage values of the Great Barrier Reef Region.

This is the primary legislation under which the division of The The Environment Protection Supervising Scientist monitors, advices on, and manages 1978 (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978* environmental protection related activities in relation to uranium extraction and processing in Australia.

Environmental Planning and 1979 Assessment Act 1979**

NSW environment planning and assessment legislation which recognised the importance of a comprehensive interpretation of the environment in relation to development planning.

1983 Commonwealth blocks the construction of the Franklin river

In 1982 Tasmanians elected a Liberal Government for the first time ever. The Premier, Robin Gray, had campaigned on

Dam in Tasmania.

building the Franklin Dam. In 1983, the then Labor Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, took the Tasmanian Government to the High Court. It decided by just one vote to allow the Federal Government to stop Tasmania building the dam.

In recognition of Antarctica as the last great wilderness on Madrid Protocol is created in earth the Madrid Protocol was created under the Antarctic 1991 recognition of Antarctica as the last Treaty System in 1991 to make certain mutually agreed great wilderness on earth. resolutions on the environment legally binding upon member nations.

1993 Native Title Act 1993*

This Act recognises the occupation of Australia by indigenous peoples prior to European settlement.

1994

National Environment Protection Council Act 1994*

The Commonwealth, the States, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory and the Australian Local Government Association have entered into an Agreement known as the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment setting out certain responsibilities of each party in relation to the environment.

1995

Local Government (Financial Assistance) Act 1995*

Established to provide financial assistance to local government.

Publication of Australian Model A comprehensive model code developed for the purpose of Code for Residential Development 1995 providing model guidelines for residential development (AMCORD) 1995 by the Australian controls. Government.

1997

Protection of the Environment (Operations) Act 1997**

A significant environmental protection legislation introduced by the State of NSW, under which a polluter with the highest likelihood maybe retrospectively held liable for damages.

1998

Formation of Development Assessment Forum (DAF)

The Development Assessment Forum (DAF) was formed in 1998 to recommend ways to streamline development assessment and cut red tape - without sacrificing the quality of

the decision making. The Forum's membership includes the three spheres of government - the Commonwealth, State/Territory and Local Government; the development industry; and related professional associations.

Environment Protection and 1999 Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999*

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The EPBC Act is the Australian Governments central piece of environmental legislation. It provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places defined in the Act as matters of national environmental significance. The Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts is required, under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, to table a report in Parliament every five years on the State of the Environment (SOE).

2000

Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act This Act was established to: 2000*

(a) to encourage the additional generation of electricity from renewable sources; and

(b) to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in the electricity sector; and

(c) to ensure that renewable energy sources are ecologically sustainable.

The Environment Protection and Heritage Council of Australia and 2001 New Zealand was established in June 2001 by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG).

The Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) addresses broad national policy issues relating to environmental protection, particularly in regard to air, water, and waste matters. The EPHC also addresses natural, Indigenous and historic heritage issues. The EPHC incorporates the National Environment Protection Council (NEPC). The NEPC is a statutory body under the NEPC Acts of the Commonwealth, the states and the territories. The NEPC

meets simultaneously with the EPHC. The NEPC Service Corporation provides support and assistance to both EPHC and NEPC.

New South Wales State Environmental Planning Policy 2002 65** - Quality of Residential Flat Development released in 2002.

This act was introduced to ensure the maintenance if design quality in residential flat buildings and thereby improve the quality of urban high density living.

New South Wales State Environmental Planning Policy** 2004 Building Sustainability Index (BASIX) 2004 is released.

This act was introduced to ensure adherence to minimum levels of sustainable design in residential development in the areas of water use, thermal comfort and energy use.

The object of this Act is to assist national and regional AusLink (National Land Transport) economic and social development by the provision of 2005 Act 2005* Commonwealth funding aimed at improving the performance of land transport infrastructure.

2005

Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005*

Under this act the Water Efficiency Labelling and standards (WELS) scheme was implemented to improve water use efficiency nationally for a variety of devices. The Australian Government administers the scheme in cooperation with state and territory governments, which have complementary legislation to ensure national coverage.

2007 Water Act 2007*

For more than a century our greatest system of rivers and aquifers, the Murray-Darling Basin, was managed between five states and territories, each of which has had competing interests. The Water Act provides the capacity to meet the future challenges facing water management in the MurrayDarling Basin, one of the nations great assets.

The National Greenhouse and 2007 Energy Reporting Act 2007*

This Act was passed in September 2007 establishing a mandatory corporate reporting system for greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and production.

2007

Tamar Valley pulp mill development approved in 2007.

The Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2007 approved the controversial plan for a pulp mill in Tasmania's Tamar Valley, with 48 conditions. The nature of conditions imposed provides the commonwealth the power to exert influence on development based on environmental outcomes.

2008

The MurrayDarling Basin Authority (MDBA) is established.

The MurrayDarling Basin Authority's principal aim is to manage the Basin's water resources in the national interest. The establishment of the MDBA means that, for the first time, a single agency is now responsible for planning integrated management of the water resources of the MurrayDarling Basin.

2008

Formation of Infrastructure Australia.

Infrastructure Australia 2008. Infrastructure Australia has the primary function of providing advice to the Minister, Commonwealth, State, Territory and local governments, investors in infrastructure and owners of infrastructure on matters relating to infrastructure, including in relation to the following:

(a) Australias current and future needs and priorities relating to nationally significant infrastructure;

(b) policy, pricing and regulatory issues that may impact on the utilisation of infrastructure;

(c) impediments to the efficient utilisation of national infrastructure networks;

(d) options and reforms, including regulatory reforms, to make the utilisation of national infrastructure networks more efficient;

(e) the needs of users of infrastructure;

(f) mechanisms for financing investment in infrastructure.

Carbon Pollution Reduction 2009 Scheme (CPRS) fails to pass through Australian Parliament.

The pricing of Carbon via an emissions trading scheme was acknowledged as a necessity by both majour political parties of Australia prior to 2007general election. However the proposed legislation in relation to an emissions trading scheme proved to be unpopular among some sections of the political realm.

2009

Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment Act 2009*

In August 2009, the Government implemented the Renewable Energy Target (RET) Scheme, which is designed to deliver on the Governments commitment to ensure that 20 per cent of Australias electricity supply will come from renewable sources by 2020.

2010 Transport Integration Act

In July 2010, the Victorian Government commenced a scheme to reform land use and transport activity across the state. The Act promotes strong policy, planning and operational connections between planning and transport decisions and has a sustainability theme which includes emphasis on environmental outcomes.