Week 7 - Infrastructure

1. Infrastructure & Traffic

Types of infrastructure projects which may need an assessment of environmental effects include:

• Roads / Transport Developments (Hydrology)
• Coastal infrastructure (Harbours)
• Water infrastructure (Abstraction / Discharges)
• Agriculture / Farming (Nutrients)
• Power infrastructure (Damming)
• Mining (Tailings- Acid)
• Discharges (e.g. spills)

There are a multitude of assessment tools available including:

• Noise Management Plan
• Landscape Assessment
• Social Impact Assessment
• Consultation
• CPTED
• Integrated Transport Assessment

As we have already looked at landscape and social impact assessments, SEPTED and the benefits of consultation (in the "people" section of this course), we will concentrate mainly on noise management plans and integrated transport assessments.  However as a reminder, of key importance to the landscape assessment is the magnitude of the effect that is likely to occur.  Magnitude  is determined by considering four separate factors, namely:

• Size/scale;
• Geographical extent;
• Duration;
• Reversibility. 

Social impact assessment (SIA) is a methodology to review the social effects of infrastructure projects and other development interventions.

Consultation is an ongoing, two-way process for which agreement is not always necessary but an open mind is.

Finally CPTED guidelines considers design and use, identifies which aspects of the physical environment affect the behaviour of people and then uses these factors to allow for the most productive use of space while reducing the opportunity of crime.  

CPTED concepts and principles are ideally incorporated at the design stage of a development, but can also be applied to existing developments and areas where crime and safety are a concern

1.1. Noise Management Plans

Noise management plans include the following activities:

• Assess
• Monitor
• Report
• Consult
• Controls
• Feedback

Here is a link to the noise management plan for the extension of Auckland airport as well as link to see how Hong Kong airport manages its noise - here

The following shows the restrictions on noise at Auckland airport, where HANA and MANA refer to high aircraft noise areas and medium aircraft noise areas around the airport.

1.2. Integrated Transport

A key part of the integrated transport assessment lies in the consideration of the alternative options for the projects.

Follow this link for the relevant New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) report - click here

The ITA guidelines are also a great information source for considering land transport issues click here