Environmental Law
UndergraduateLTU-LST2EL2025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 20 July 2025
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Price from
- $2,124
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Environmental Law
About this subject
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Understand the scope, structure, regulatory tools and basic principles of Australian environmental law.
- Critically evaluate the adequacy of legal and policy frameworks to address key environmental challenges facing Australia.
- Demonstrate skill in identifying legal issues and applying relevant Federal, state and local government planning, management and/or environmental assessment rules to problem situations involving the environment.
- Ability to research, analyse, discuss and evaluate specific areas of Australian environmental law.
- Demonstrate ability to read and engage with legal materials and to produce legal writing with appropriate referencing, vocabulary and structure.
- Consolidate collaborative working skills through group-based tasks.
- Introduction to Australian Environmental Law and Principles
- Regulatory Tools, Sources and Division of Power in Environmental Law
- Pollution and Waste Management
- Biodiversity Protection
- Climate Change and Energy
- Environmental Planning and Assessment
- Environmental Impact Assessment
- Compliance and Enforcement
- Environmental Litigation and Challenging Environmental Decision Making
- Future Challenges
This subject provides an overview of the legal and regulatory frameworks to protect and manage the Australian environment at the federal, state and local level. It introduces students to the scope and sources of Australian environmental law, the regulatory tools utilised and overarching environmental law principles. The environmental management and regulatory challenges in relation to waste and pollution management, biodiversity protection and climate change and energy are examined. Environmental planning, impact assessment and development approval, dispute resolution, enforcement and compliance are considered through readings, asynchronous activities and synchronous seminars.
- Group Oral Presentation (500 words equivalent) (10%)
- Assignment (1,000 words) (40%)
- Research essay (2000 words plus 500 words topic selection and abstract). (50%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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- QS Ranking 2024:
- 17
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 18
Entry requirements
Part of a degree
To enrol in this subject you must be accepted into one of the following degrees:
Elective
- LAT-AHS-DEG-2025 - Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Health Sciences
- LAT-ART-DEG-2025 - Bachelor of Arts
- LAT-BUS-DEG-2025 - Bachelor of Business
- LAT-PYS-DEG-2025 - Bachelor of Psychological Science
- LAT-PLN-DEG-2025 - Bachelor of Planning (Honours)
- LAT-URE-ADG-2025 - Associate Degree in Urban and Regional Environments
Others
Prerequisites: Students must have completed 120 credit points.
Past La Trobe University students who have previously completed LAW1LIM (Legal Institutions and Methods) are ineligible to enrol in this subject.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
Related degrees
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Health Sciences
UndergraduateLAT-AHS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-ART-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-BUS-DEG
Bachelor of Psychological Science
UndergraduateLAT-PYS-DEG
Bachelor of Planning (Honours)
UndergraduateLAT-PLN-DEG
Associate Degree in Urban and Regional Environments
UndergraduateLAT-URE-ADG