Comparison of Strategic Environmental Assessment in New South Wales and Scotland

The limited current application of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in New South Wales (NSW) is contrasted with its use in Scottish public sector policy formulation, following recent legislation which has extended the EU SEA Directive to all new government, agency and local authority policies, plans and programmes likely to have significant environmental effects. Drawing on Scottish practice, a case is made for statutory application of SEA to land use planning and natural resource management in NSW.