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Local Environmental Risk Assessment as a Sustainability Education Tool

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 June 2015

Garry Smith  and
Ingo Koernicke
Garry Smith*
Affiliation:
Sutherland Shire Council
Ingo Koernicke
Affiliation:
Sutherland Shire Council
*
†Director, Institute of Environmental Studies, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. E-mail: gj.smith@unsw.edu.au
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Abstract

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Experience in Australia has demonstrated that problems arise when sustainability requirements appear to conflict with individual development rights or local lifestyles. Community partnering between government and the public is therefore of fundamental importance in working towards sustainable development. Unfortunately genuine partnering is only rarely achieved today, and consultation is a poor working alternative.

Research at Sutherland Shire Council has concluded that citizens are prepared to undertake genuine partnering, including personal involvement in understanding and initiating lifestyle changes. However such willingness is subject to being provided with adequate information and with a genuine government commitment to take action.

The paper describes a local environmental risk assessment procedure which successfully informs citizens about local risks and which demonstrates government commitment to openness and facts-based sustainability planning.

Keywords

Local GovernmentEnvironmentRiskPartnershipsSustainability.
Type
Research Article
Information
Australian Journal of Environmental Education , Volume 20 , Issue 1 , 2004 , pp. 129 - 136
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

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