PUN363 Environmental Health Law
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | PUN363 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $1,118 |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $2,976 |
| International unit fee | $4,236 |
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | PUN363 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Coordinator: | Natalie MacGregor | natalie.macgregor@qut.edu.au |
Overview
Legal frameworks, such as the Public Health Act 2005, the Environmental Protection Act 1994, the planning legislation, local laws and other State and local legislation, provide the basis for environmental health and environmental management practice. Skills in interpretation and application of legislation, a thorough understanding of environmental health legislation and the prosecution process is vitally important to the practice of an environmental health professional. These legal frameworks have been developed over many years and aim to protect the health of the community. These frameworks encompass scientific principles for the protection of the public's health, but respond to emerging public issues and perspectives. This unit explores legal and legislative issues, public health and environmental health legislation and the legal issues associated with the administration of public health legislation.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Interpret law and government principles and interpret and apply public health legislation;
- Interpret and apply environmental protection, planning and local government legislation;
- Critically apply legal procedures relevant to the administration of environmental and public health legislation and the gathering of evidence;
- Identify and manage environmental health/environmental management issues using the relevant legal frameworks;
- Integrate administrative law requirements and ethics to real world examples.
Content
Major topics include:
- an introduction to law and government
- public health law
- planning and environmental law
- local government laws including local laws
- administrative law
- investigation processes and procedures
Learning Approaches
To maximise your engagement with the learning materials in this unit, a combination of face to face (for internal students) lecture and regular Canvas sessions will be used. Lectures and Canvas sessions will be recorded to enable flexibility in the location, time and mode of study, with respect to work and life commitments. This Unit is available in both internal and online modes and all taught sessions are recorded for asynchronous access.
You are expected to undertake self-directed learning and should pace your study in line with the schedule provided on the online platform. Links to a range of readings/resources that expand on the material in the study modules will be provided.
Active participation and discussion in the taught sessions is strongly encouraged to allow for the exchange of ideas between staff and students and to expand upon the theory and knowledge undertaken within the study modules.
The unit hosts guest lecturers from the industry and promotes diverse interpretations and perspectives in informing organisational policies based on legal requirements. You will be expected to participate in an 2 day on campus workshop that involves work integrated learning (WIL). This workshop is designed to support you to develop skills and knowledge in evidence gathering, prosecution processes, good decision making and the management of complex environmental health issues using relevant legal frameworks. The workshop will also include group activites.The knowledge gained during these sessions will assist you in completing the assessment items in this unit.
You have access to various resources, including the Student Success Group and Library. Class and individual consultations with the unit coordinator and formative and summative feedback during the course and on the assessments are offered to support learning.
The unit embeds opportunities to demonstrate and improve industry relevant digital capabilities, including locating relevant literature and navigating data bases; sourcing, collating and critically analysing scholarly research related to EH; communicating with peers, colleagues, community members and senior managers through digital platforms; negotiating with internal systems to access, upload and download materials, etc.
You will need to allocate on average 10 hours per week to successfully meet the learning outcomes in this unit.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
This unit may use text matching software that assists students to develop the academic skills required to correctly use and cite reference material as well as to check citations to determine and avoid possible instances of plagiarism.
Individual and overall feedback on all submissions will be provided to students on all assessment items. The application of feedback on each assessment item is intended to support improved performance in subsequent assessment.
Assessment
Overview
There are three (3) assessment items. Your assessment items are designed to measure your attainment of the learning outcomes stated above. The second and third assessment items are intentionally practical in nature to enable you to connect theory with practice.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Quiz
You will complete a quiz which covers unit content on legal systems, public health legislation and environmental health issues.
Assessment: Problem solving tasks
You will be required to interpret and apply environmental protection and local government legislation to manage environmental health issues through real world environmental health scenarios that Environmental Health professionals would encounter. This type of activity would be required by an EHO/HSE professional in their role of offering advice to management following an investigation.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Report
This assessment is a Real world task that will require you to submit a technical report researching, synthesising and analysing a scenario that an environmental health professional would be tasked with. You will be required to write a report on the interpretation and application of legislation to a given scenario. As a practitioner, you will be expected to critique options available under relevant legal frameworks and determine the most appropriate process to resolve the environmental health/environmental management issues.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.
Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Resource Materials
Recommended text(s)
Reynolds, C. 2011. Public and Environmental Health Law. The Federation Press: Sydney.
Other
You will be required to access relevant legislation online. Therefore internet access is essential.
Risk Assessment Statement
Substantial computer-based work will be required. You should ensure that you take regular rest breaks when engaging in prolonged computer-based work.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.PU67 Graduate Diploma in Environmental Health
- Apply advanced knowledge of environmental health science, public health principles and policies, recent developments in global political and economic events to the management of the health of the environment.
Relates to: Quiz, Problem solving tasks, Report - Apply independent critical and creative thinking, problem solving, reflective decision-making and technical skills to evaluate and generate solutions to complex problems in the field.
Relates to: Quiz, Problem solving tasks, Report - Interpret and enact culturally safe communication styles and strategies to inform diverse audiences about complex knowledge and ideas.
Relates to: Quiz, Problem solving tasks, Report - Work independently and within teams with integrity, ethically, objectivity and impartiality in the planning and management of research and other projects and in dissemination of knowledge
Relates to: Problem solving tasks, Report
PU80 Master of Health, Safety and Environment
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of an advanced body of theoretical and practical knowledge and emerging challenges within the fields of occupational and environmental health/management
Relates to: Quiz, Problem solving tasks, Report - Demonstrate advanced skills and abilities to describe, appraise and apply the major tools and systems of OHS and EH practice and research to identify and manage complex problems
Relates to: Quiz, Problem solving tasks, Report - Integrate and synthesise complex knowledge and apply critical and reflective thinking to advance the discipline’s body of research.
Relates to: Problem solving tasks, Report - Work independently and in teams to interpret and communicate complex scientific, legal and psychosocial data and present it in a format that is easy to understand
Relates to: Quiz, Problem solving tasks, Report - Enact and apply ethical, culturally safe, socially inclusive principles with self, people, and organisations in diverse contexts.
Relates to: Problem solving tasks, Report
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Online
| Unit code: | PUN363 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
Overview
Legal frameworks, such as the Public Health Act 2005, the Environmental Protection Act 1994, the planning legislation, local laws and other State and local legislation, provide the basis for environmental health and environmental management practice. Skills in interpretation and application of legislation, a thorough understanding of environmental health legislation and the prosecution process is vitally important to the practice of an environmental health professional. These legal frameworks have been developed over many years and aim to protect the health of the community. These frameworks encompass scientific principles for the protection of the public's health, but respond to emerging public issues and perspectives. This unit explores legal and legislative issues, public health and environmental health legislation and the legal issues associated with the administration of public health legislation.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Interpret law and government principles and interpret and apply public health legislation;
- Interpret and apply environmental protection, planning and local government legislation;
- Critically apply legal procedures relevant to the administration of environmental and public health legislation and the gathering of evidence;
- Identify and manage environmental health/environmental management issues using the relevant legal frameworks;
- Integrate administrative law requirements and ethics to real world examples.
Content
Major topics include:
- an introduction to law and government
- public health law
- planning and environmental law
- local government laws including local laws
- administrative law
- investigation processes and procedures
Learning Approaches
To maximise your engagement with the learning materials in this unit, a combination of face to face (for internal students) lecture and regular Canvas sessions will be used. Lectures and Canvas sessions will be recorded to enable flexibility in the location, time and mode of study, with respect to work and life commitments. This Unit is available in both internal and online modes and all taught sessions are recorded for asynchronous access.
You are expected to undertake self-directed learning and should pace your study in line with the schedule provided on the online platform. Links to a range of readings/resources that expand on the material in the study modules will be provided.
Active participation and discussion in the taught sessions is strongly encouraged to allow for the exchange of ideas between staff and students and to expand upon the theory and knowledge undertaken within the study modules.
The unit hosts guest lecturers from the industry and promotes diverse interpretations and perspectives in informing organisational policies based on legal requirements. You will be expected to participate in an 2 day on campus workshop that involves work integrated learning (WIL). This workshop is designed to support you to develop skills and knowledge in evidence gathering, prosecution processes, good decision making and the management of complex environmental health issues using relevant legal frameworks. The workshop will also include group activites.The knowledge gained during these sessions will assist you in completing the assessment items in this unit.
You have access to various resources, including the Student Success Group and Library. Class and individual consultations with the unit coordinator and formative and summative feedback during the course and on the assessments are offered to support learning.
The unit embeds opportunities to demonstrate and improve industry relevant digital capabilities, including locating relevant literature and navigating data bases; sourcing, collating and critically analysing scholarly research related to EH; communicating with peers, colleagues, community members and senior managers through digital platforms; negotiating with internal systems to access, upload and download materials, etc.
You will need to allocate on average 10 hours per week to successfully meet the learning outcomes in this unit.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
This unit may use text matching software that assists students to develop the academic skills required to correctly use and cite reference material as well as to check citations to determine and avoid possible instances of plagiarism.
Individual and overall feedback on all submissions will be provided to students on all assessment items. The application of feedback on each assessment item is intended to support improved performance in subsequent assessment.
Assessment
Overview
There are three (3) assessment items. Your assessment items are designed to measure your attainment of the learning outcomes stated above. The second and third assessment items are intentionally practical in nature to enable you to connect theory with practice.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Quiz
You will complete a quiz which covers unit content on legal systems, public health legislation and environmental health issues.
Assessment: Problem solving tasks
You will be required to interpret and apply environmental protection and local government legislation to manage environmental health issues through real world environmental health scenarios that Environmental Health professionals would encounter. This type of activity would be required by an EHO/HSE professional in their role of offering advice to management following an investigation.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Report
This assessment is a Real world task that will require you to submit a technical report researching, synthesising and analysing a scenario that an environmental health professional would be tasked with. You will be required to write a report on the interpretation and application of legislation to a given scenario. As a practitioner, you will be expected to critique options available under relevant legal frameworks and determine the most appropriate process to resolve the environmental health/environmental management issues.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.
Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Resource Materials
Recommended text(s)
Reynolds, C. 2011. Public and Environmental Health Law. The Federation Press: Sydney.
Other
You will be required to access relevant legislation online. Therefore internet access is essential.
Risk Assessment Statement
Substantial computer-based work will be required. You should ensure that you take regular rest breaks when engaging in prolonged computer-based work.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.PU67 Graduate Diploma in Environmental Health
- Apply advanced knowledge of environmental health science, public health principles and policies, recent developments in global political and economic events to the management of the health of the environment.
Relates to: Quiz, Problem solving tasks, Report - Apply independent critical and creative thinking, problem solving, reflective decision-making and technical skills to evaluate and generate solutions to complex problems in the field.
Relates to: Quiz, Problem solving tasks, Report - Interpret and enact culturally safe communication styles and strategies to inform diverse audiences about complex knowledge and ideas.
Relates to: Quiz, Problem solving tasks, Report - Work independently and within teams with integrity, ethically, objectivity and impartiality in the planning and management of research and other projects and in dissemination of knowledge
Relates to: Problem solving tasks, Report
PU80 Master of Health, Safety and Environment
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of an advanced body of theoretical and practical knowledge and emerging challenges within the fields of occupational and environmental health/management
Relates to: Quiz, Problem solving tasks, Report - Demonstrate advanced skills and abilities to describe, appraise and apply the major tools and systems of OHS and EH practice and research to identify and manage complex problems
Relates to: Quiz, Problem solving tasks, Report - Integrate and synthesise complex knowledge and apply critical and reflective thinking to advance the discipline’s body of research.
Relates to: Problem solving tasks, Report - Work independently and in teams to interpret and communicate complex scientific, legal and psychosocial data and present it in a format that is easy to understand
Relates to: Quiz, Problem solving tasks, Report - Enact and apply ethical, culturally safe, socially inclusive principles with self, people, and organisations in diverse contexts.
Relates to: Problem solving tasks, Report