Overview
This unit aims to provide students with an understanding of the interpretation and application of statutes, legislative frameworks and principles that form the foundation for environmental health practice. In particular, this unit will detail various legislative tools for the management of public health issues in different settings. The prosecution process and gathering of evidence will be discussed, along with a detailed discussion on the role of the environmental health practitioner in relation to public health, environmental and planning legislation. Major topics covered include: an introduction to law and government, public health law, planning and environmental law, local laws, investigation processes and procedures.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from TaSAC advice
H5P study guides will become inoperable owing to H5P update.
Redesign weekly study guides in new version of H5P, incorporating more interactive features.
Feedback from SUTE
Student response rate to Student Unit & Teaching Evaluation (SUTE) survey was low.
Include additional reminders to students throughout the later weeks of term, explaining why their feedback is important.
- Interpret and apply the provisions of key public health legislation related to environmental health practice
- Interpret and apply the provisions of key environmental and planning legislation related to environmental health practice
- Identify and manage public health issues using legal frameworks within relevant environmental and public health legislation
- Apply legal procedures relevant to the administration of environmental and public health legislation
This unit meets the following criteria for accreditation by Environmental Health Australia:
L1 Introduction to legislative frameworks for environmental health.
L2 Introduction to the law making process and factors that influence policy and legislation.
L3 Knowledge of how to interpret legislation.
L4 Knowledge of public and environmental health legislation.
L5 Introduction to development assessment processes.
L7 Introduction to grounds for internal and external reviews, appeals, etc.
L9 Knowledge of legal authority and requirements to act in accordance with the purpose of legislation and ethical standards for authorised persons/officers (e.g. duty of care, confidentiality, powers of entry).
L10 Knowledge of compliance options (legislative and non-legislative) including their strengths, limitations and legislative requirements.
L11 Introduction to interviewing, investigation and risk-based inspection techniques, prosecution processes, court procedures, etc.
L12 Introduction to enforcement guidelines/policies/protocols.
L13 Introduction to governance principles and strategies, ethics and decision making.
L14 Overview of the jurisdiction and role of agencies relevant to environmental health in all tiers of government.
L15 Introduction to key government strategies and intergovernmental agreements in the context of environmental health.
L17 Knowledge of criteria and general procedures for assessing, approving, determining conditions and licences, notices, orders and fines.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 15% | ||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | ||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 45% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 15% | |||||||||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | |||||||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 45% | |||||||||||
Textbooks
Public and Environmental Health Law
- Edition: 3rd edn (2011)
- Authors: Reynolds, C
- Federation Press
- Annandale Annandale , NSW , Australia
- ISBN: 9781862878327
- Binding: Paperback
Additional Textbook Information
This textbook is available electronically through the CQUniversity Library. Students are not required to purchase this book.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Zoom Conferencing (Webcam and Microphone)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
l.bricknell@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 10 Mar 2025Module/Topic
Introduction to environmental health law
Chapter
Reynolds (2011) Ch 1
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2
Begin Date: 17 Mar 2025Module/Topic
The governance of public health and the Court system in Australia
Chapter
Reynolds (2011) Ch 2 & 3
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3
Begin Date: 24 Mar 2025Module/Topic
Theory of Regulation
Chapter
Reynolds (2011) Ch 5
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4
Begin Date: 31 Mar 2025Module/Topic
Statutory powers and the interpretation of statutes
Chapter
Reynolds (2011) Ch 2 & 4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5
Begin Date: 07 Apr 2025Module/Topic
Public Health Legislation
Chapter
Reynolds (2011) Ch 6 & 12
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 14 Apr 2025Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6
Begin Date: 21 Apr 2025Module/Topic
Public Health Legislation cont'd
Chapter
Reynolds (2011) Ch 6 & 12
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7
Begin Date: 28 Apr 2025Module/Topic
Environmental protection law
Chapter
Reynolds (2011) Ch 7
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment item 2A: Short answers (public health) Due: Week 7 Friday 11:59PM AEST
Week 8
Begin Date: 05 May 2025Module/Topic
Planning and development law
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment item 2B- Short answers (environmental protection) Due: Week 8 Friday 11:59PM AEST
Week 9
Begin Date: 12 May 2025Module/Topic
Legal procedure and prosecution
Chapter
Reynolds (2011) Ch 3 & 4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment item 2C- Short answers (planning and development) Due: Week 9 Friday 11:59PM AEST
Week 10
Begin Date: 19 May 2025Module/Topic
Local Government and local laws
Chapter
Selected readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment item 2D- Short answers (legal procedure and prosecution) Due: Week 10 Friday 11:59PM AEST
Week 11
Begin Date: 26 May 2025Module/Topic
Common law & the tort of negligence
Chapter
Selected readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12
Begin Date: 02 Jun 2025Module/Topic
Future challenges in environmental health law
Chapter
Reynolds (2010) Ch 8
Selected readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Review/Exam Week
Begin Date: 09 Jun 2025Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Exam Week
Begin Date: 16 Jun 2025Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Online Quiz(zes)
Details
- The quiz will become available from Week 4 of term and will remain open until 11:59 pm on the Friday of Week 5.
- The quiz will consist of 30 multiple-choice questions.
- There is no time limit to complete the quiz and you can save your quiz and return to it later (while the quiz is available)
- You should choose the most correct answer
- Your final result will show which questions you got right or wrong. This will let you know what areas you need to study/revise.
1
Week 5 Friday (11 Apr 2025) 11:59 pm AEST
Results will be available to students once the quiz has closed.
This assessment task assesses the student's ability to find and interpret specific provisions in legislation according to the rules of statutory interpretation.
- Interpret and apply the provisions of key public health legislation related to environmental health practice
- Interpret and apply the provisions of key environmental and planning legislation related to environmental health practice
- Identify and manage public health issues using legal frameworks within relevant environmental and public health legislation
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
2 Online Quiz(zes)
Details
Four short answer assignments relating to the following topics will be posted on Moodle. Each assignment will be worth 10% of the overall grade for the unit.
- Part A- Public Health legislation
- Part B- Environmental protection legislation
- Part C- Planning and development legislation
- Part D- Prosecution procedures and legal process
Answers should be clear and concise and should include a reference to the relevant legislatory provision, including the name of the Act (you may use an abbreviated form), the section and the subsection where appropriate. In some cases you may need to only refer to the Act and the relevant Part or Chapter.
You will need to have the relevant legislation available to refer to when you are completing the task.
Students who are located outside Queensland may use their local legislation to complete this assessment task. If you are using legislation from another jurisdiction, you will need to specify this in each answer when you identify the legislative provision you have applied.
Please refer to the Generative AI Permission document available on the Moodle site for guidelines on the acceptable and unacceptable use of generative AI for this assessment task.
4
Weekly
Part A- Friday Week 7 at 11:59 PM; Part B- Friday Week 8 at 11:59 PM; Part C- Friday Week 9 at 11:59 PM; Part D- Friday Week 10 at 11:59 PM
Two weeks after each task closes.
- Correct identification, interpretation and application of statutory provisions (60%)
- Correct legal referencing (40%)
- Interpret and apply the provisions of key public health legislation related to environmental health practice
- Interpret and apply the provisions of key environmental and planning legislation related to environmental health practice
- Apply legal procedures relevant to the administration of environmental and public health legislation
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
3 Written Assessment
- Identify the statute and legislatory provisions that apply to the case.
- Into which government agency’s jurisdiction does the case fall?
- What action should be taken by the regulatory body? If you would recommend an improvement notice or similar type of legal requisition, prepare the documentation and include it as an Appendix.
- Discuss how you would escalate the action should the offender fail to comply with this requisition.
- Is there evidence that an offence has been committed? If so, describe the evidence and how it constitutes an offence under the provisions of the legislation. In particular, identify the elements of the offence.
- Describe the evidence relating to each element and how it could be collected if you were to prosecute the case in Court.
- Develop a series of questions that you would ask in a formal interview, which would form the framework for a legal statement presented as evidence in Court. Include these questions as an Appendix.
- Can action be taken under common law? If so, briefly describe what action that would be.
- What is the expected outcome? Consider best, worst and most likely scenarios.
Review/Exam Week Monday (9 June 2025) 9:00 am AEST
Prior to certification of grades.
This assessment task will be graded according to the following criteria:
- Demonstrated knowledge and application of relevant statute law, as presented in the unit content (25%)
- Competent analysis and evaluation of the facts as presented in relation to legal frameworks, including statutory and common law, as presented in the unit content (20%)
- Appropriate recommendations for legal action (20%)
- Appropriate legal documentation, including notices, orders, statements, etc provided (15%)
- Structure and written expression (10%)
- Legal referencing (10%)
- Interpret and apply the provisions of key public health legislation related to environmental health practice
- Identify and manage public health issues using legal frameworks within relevant environmental and public health legislation
- Apply legal procedures relevant to the administration of environmental and public health legislation
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
