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In January 1996, Tasmania introduced a formal and explicit requirement for health impact assessment (HIA) through the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act (EMPCA).
Under this legislation, all proposed developments which require environmental impact assessment must also be the subject of health impact assessment. Tasmania is the first Australian state to introduce such a requirement.
This was done because it was believed that health issues were not always adequately dealt with through the existing environmental impact assessment process.
The level of HIA required is consistent with the health significance of the activity and the likely public interest. The HIA may range from a few summary paragraphs for a small development, to one or more substantial chapters of an environmental impact assessment.
A basic principle is that HIA is not a separate process but an activity integrated into environmental impact assessment. This simplifies the procedure for developers and government.
There is cooperation in the early stages between government and developer to ensure that the final HIA is appropriate. Another feature of HIA is that positive impacts of health are sought as well as negative.
Because HIA is a relatively new concept in Australia and worldwide, the methodology is still evolving. The Tasmanian experience is being used to guide the rest of Australia in this regard.
For more information on HIA, contact:
Dr Martin Bicevskis
Phone: 0362 222 7719
Email: martin.bicevskis@dhhs.tas.gov.au
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