The need for balance between community residential and industry
With a rising trend in anthropogenic caused environmental effects, cooperative and collective environmental management ought to be carried out thereby requiring the attention of individuals, states, locals up to global engagement.
As it is widely accepted that industry is the backbone of human development. In order to achieve greater sustainability, the role of industry and urbanization cannot be neglected. Moreover, to achieve higher success in the collaboration of nature and industry, it is to be understood that the economic and environmental sustainability is closely related. In addition to this, it is also witnessed that an organization or economic system can obtain growth by being focused on the environmental sustainability. With regard to the possible problems that can be witnessed in public health and environment, it is seen that the growth of unplanned industry has most of the influences. Lack of proper planning has often resulted into health problems, loss of trees and biodiversity and many more. While speaking in the context of cities such as Brisbane, Logan city, Gold coast and Redland city, it is seen that the governing bodies of these cities have taken up proper actions and measurements in order to reduce environmental hazards. As mandated by the EIA, the organizations are required to maintain the construction quality. The industries are required to build constructions in an area that is desolated from the agricultural field as well as residential area. The ERA guidelines follow the maintenance of organizational activities so that they do not harm the surrounding environment.
Industrialization and urbanization possess an enormous impact on the environment. This is because pollution sources tend to rise with development of urban centers which in turn contaminate the air, soil and water. The lack of city environmental planning and management measures has set reasons for increasing expansions. Urbanization is an increase in the population of individuals residing in towns and cities. It occurs mainly as a result of rural to urban migration in turn increasing urban populations. This ultimately leads to significant social and economic transformations in that changes in ways land is used are witnessed. In addition to that, the population’s culture changes, school attendance improves, better health conditions are witnessed together with reduced fertility and an elongated life expectancy. Nonetheless, the unplanned rapid growth witnessed in urban areas result in poor infrastructural development. More than half of the world’s population resides in urban areas and the unparalleled growth rates of the world’s population and urban expansion result in stress on the environment’s quality. This thereby triggers a necessity to proper elucidation of the factors that intercede the relationship between urbanization and environmental quality (Ferdous et al, 2013).
Tools and measures are adapted to evaluate and mitigate the potential impacts this development has on the environment. For physical planning, Environmental impact assessment plays a role in forecast and assessment of impacts on biodiversity. This is because land use, urbanization and development destruct natural ecosystems in turn threatening biodiversity. EIA as a legislative tool reduces any anthropogenic effect on the environment. It is therefore a process through which data about the environmental impacts of a given project is collected from variant sources and internalized followed by proper decision making prior to commencing a project. This ensures that before it is fully decided to go ahead with a development, its environmental impacts are assayed besides any economic and social benefits making it a preventive, Participatory environmental management tool (Rezaei et al, 2012)
Understanding the impacts of urbanization and expanding industry in cities and communities
As set by the Australian government, (2017) the authority over planning and development has been bestowed to local governments and councils. This therefore caters for both communal and industrial development in relation to land use and management. In their review of the year 2017 Boral clearly insinuated that the authorities therefore ensures deployment of the ecological sustainable development paradigm at the time of urban and communal development. In such instances, the process at times becomes hectic with all-encompassing rules and regulations set at the national level as well as some site specific ecological impacts that call for special consideration. This makes the ERAs approval and regulation under EPA significant because it encompasses vast factors to be considered. For the Queensland government, 2017 due to devolution, Administration of authority is left to the local government that utilizes operation inceptions to determine the various environmental risks in addition to identification of certain environmental qualities of the site. In this case the Redland city Council Environmental Health Regulation has to put into account outstanding sites of the city’s natural environment such as the Petrie quarry which is a turbid water discharge.
According to O’conor, 2013, strict zoning schemes are witnessed in Redland city. This is because of possible overlap between natural environments, industrial areas and the community area. The zoning instructs conditional utilization of the land thereby giving room for urban development while constantly protecting and advancing natural environments. The planning scheme (RPS) adapts to the Queensland Sustainable planning act of 2009 with provisions that enable the authorities to protect vital areas. In this city, expanses of land is effected by present overlays that ensure that appropriate development is met in specific areas of interest or if it is for environmental importance. The Overlays enable the local government to attain set environmental goals. In a case of ERAs prescribed as above and are authorized by EHP the ability to land government’s consultation proves to be very helpful. In addition, the Environmental protection agency audit policy employs inducements to enable regulated businesses to willingly monitor and correct violations of environmental regulations (Shahanas et al, 2011). When acting on the violations before investigation by the authorities, industries therefore receive reductions or total removal of fines depending on the impact created. However, non-ERA industries are always subjected to acting within set standards, zoning and overlay requirements and set codes.
Field trip environmental activities
Boral Clay and Concrete is a multinational company that produces and supplies construction materials. It is Australia’s second largest manufacturer of pavers and clay bricks in addition to it being an exporter to New Zealand and Japan amid other Asian nations. The company is made up of seven manufacturing sites located in eastern Australia.
The processes of construction material production require environmental authorization as per an ERA under EPA. However, Boral not being an ERA, its environmental regulation falls under council zoning and overlays. The industry is therefore zoned as a rural manufacturing industry. Under RPS, the rural zone code gives a range of rural uses, enable non rural uses that do not affect the land on long term and protect vital natural resources. In addition, the company is protected under the manufacturing protection overlay which in reference to RPS prevents any development from affecting the industry’s operation. To achieve this, Boral has an effective layout design, orientation and is located in places with minimal breezes that in turn do not transport the gaseous carbon dioxide far (Holzhauer, 2008)). Despite zoning and overlay being not explicit in protecting the surrounding environment, prevention of communal area development and long-term land protection will positively impact the natural environment around the company.
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Swot analyses for environmental management of Boral clay and Concrete company |
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Strengths -Boral has set an Environmental management plan as well as has a compliance officer as measures to monitor environmental problems. -The company embraces technological changes thereby proactively invests in new techniques -Reduced environmental impacts since it was fined -well Established hazard prevention activities, bunding techniques, water storage. -Set waste treatment techniques before disposal – Goals targeting zero environmental infringement – established greenhouse gas emissions reduction, efficient use of energy, water conservation, waste minimization |
Weaknesses -Previous link to regulatory infringements -Records of several breaches of air emission license conditions. -Gas and dust emissions to the environment -Large potential for environmental hazard considering proximity to protected habitats -minimal access to information and limited access to existing sources about environmental issues. – Lack of full monitoring from local authorities |
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Opportunities – There lies a potential for joint cooperation initiatives to optimize efforts, reduce costs. -Overlays enable environmental protection from future development. |
Threats -Air pollution from gases and dust. -Continued threat of climate variance and loss of Crop as a result of acid rains |
The defects in the regulations and planning
The organization is lacking in the field of managing and reducing the dust and gas emission. Moreover, it has been subjected to environmental infringement many a times. In this regard, the lack of governance from the local governing bodies can also be seen. In addition to that, the company does not have proper information regarding the environmental issues and the present guidelines.
In this regard, it can be said that the site should be more careful regarding the environmental issues and the regulations. The company should create an overlay to protect the surrounding environment. Proper and technologically advanced machineries should be implemented in order to reduce the emission of dust and gas from the construction sites.
References
Australian Government. (2017).Department of Environment and Energy, Legislation. From: https://www.environment.gov.au/aboutZus/legislation
Boral Review.(2017)). Environmental, Compliance & Performance. From: https://www.boral.com/sites/corporate/files/media/field_document/Boral%20Review%202017%20-%20Environmental.pdf
Queensland Government (2017).Compliance and Enforcement,”Department of Environment And Heritage Protection. From: https://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/management/planningZguidelines/enforcement.html
Deepasree M Vijay, Poornima A Menon nd Fathima Shahanas. (2011). Environmental management in business organization: Environmental pollution from brick making operations and their effect on workers. From: https://businessimpactenvironment.wordpress.com/2011/10/03/environmental-pollution-from-brick-making-operations-and-their-effect-on-workers/
Mohammad Ghasemian, Parinaz Poursafa, Mohammad Mehdi Amin, Mohammad Ziarati, Hamid Ghoddousi, Seyyed Alireza Momeni, and Amir Hossein Rezaei. (2012). Environmental Impact Assessment of the Industrial Estate Development Plan with the Geographical Information System and Matrix Methods. From: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jeph/2012/407162/
Ron Holzhauer. (2008). Boral opens country’s largest brick manufacturing facility. From: https://www.concreteconstruction.net/business/management/boral-opens-countrys-largest-brick-manufacturing-facility_o
Steve O’Conor (2013). From: Getting the balance right: our natural assets https://www.planning.org.au/documents/item/4877
Suman Kumar Pariyar, Tapash Das and Tanima Ferdous. (2013). Environment And Health Impact For Brick Kilns In Kathmandu Valley. From: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.307.3065&rep=rep1&type=pdf
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