LAW 2567 - Biodiversity, Planning and Regional Australia Study Tour

North Terrace Campus - Winter - 2019

This course takes students into regional Australia to examine the impact of federal and state laws on our diverse environments, towns and peoples in regional South Australian. The course will assist students to develop skills in biodiversity and planning law as well as enrich their Indigenous cultural awareness. It will focus on developing legal analysis skills within a practical and holistic context and it will also focus on legal research.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code LAW 2567
    Course Biodiversity, Planning and Regional Australia Study Tour
    Coordinating Unit Adelaide Law School
    Term Winter
    Level Undergraduate Law (LLB)
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Intensive
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Assumed Knowledge LAW 1501, LAW 1504
    Course Description This course takes students into regional Australia to examine the impact of federal and state laws on our diverse environments, towns and peoples in regional South Australian. The course will assist students to develop skills in biodiversity and planning law as well as enrich their Indigenous cultural awareness. It will focus on developing legal analysis skills within a practical and holistic context and it will also focus on legal research.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Mr Paul Leadbeter

    Telephone 8313 4441
    Email paul.leadbeter@adelaide.edu.au


    Margaret Castles
    Email: margaret.castles.adelaide.edu.au
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

    This course is a 7 day study tour. The final dates are yet to be set for the tour but it will be in either the first or second week of July 2019. It requires students to travel as a group in a small tour bus up to Port Augusta and from there across to Roxby Downs , the Vulkathana-Gammon Ranges and then the Ikara- Flinders Ranges National park before returning to Adelaide. There will be travel over almost 1800km in that one week period and approximately one third of that travel will be on dirt road, the bulk of it on the Borefield Track which runs across the top of Lake Torrens  to link up with the bottom part of the Oodnadatta track. Accomodation and facilities at most places are fairly basic although clean and comfortable. Depending on the number of students enrolled it may be necessary for some students ( and the Course Coordinator) to volunteer to camp in tents or swags at the Arid recovery reserve ( which of itself can be a quite magical experience as you sleep in the arid dunes and see the magnificent sunrise). The draft itinerary for the trip can be found under the Learning Activities Summary. The substance of that itinerary  is unlikely to change.




  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes

    On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

    1.Identify the operation of laws both past and present which have had an impact and continue to impact on indigenous people in South Australia, including native title and the impact of mining and pastoralism.
    2. Explain the key requirements of biodiversity law in Australia, the importance of policy and the practical difficulties associated with the implementation of such laws.
    3. Explain the importance of land use planning laws and the relationship between such laws and the processes associated with major projects and environmental impact assessment and the complexities of the range of laws impacting on rural areas.
    4. Evaluate, synthesise and critically analyse information from a wide variety of sources and experiences.
    5. Independently undertake self-directed legal research and analysis at a high level, including through the use of online technologies.
    6. Demonstrate good inter-personal and communication skills in both written and oral communication, working independently and as a member of a team.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1,2,3,4,
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    4,5,
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    6
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    5,6
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    6
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    6
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    There are no required resources for this course. There are many written and on line references that may be useful for students who wish to further explore matters dealt with in the course. There will be a document prepared by the Course Coordinator which provides information of a background nature on many of the places visited during the Study tour and explains how those places have a link to biodiversity and environmental law, or planning and regional development law , mining and land use tenure laws and laws affecting indigenous peoples and their culture and traditions. That document will also have website links to many government and NGO sites which much more detailed information will be available. The background explanatory document (which will also contain a list of other reading sources) will be available on MyUni.
    Recommended Resources
    There are a range of readings recommended to students who would like to pursue further some of the issues canvassed during the study tour. References to those readings will be provided via MyUni together with web links where appropriate and available.
    Online Learning
    The study tour is very much an experiential learning course. Students will learn from active engagement in the field and through meeting and observing various people actively engaged in their occupations. On line resources will be used to provide students with background information to enable them to understand much of the practical work and activities which they will observe and in some cases participate in during the study tour.In particular, prior to departing on the trip all students will be required to view some background video material on biodiversity and planning controls in order to provide them with a basic understanding of the key requirements of both areas. All assignments will be submitted online through MyUni and marked online with feedback in both written and verbal form through the MyUni portal.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This study tour is unusual in that there is little in the way of formal lectures or tutorials. Shortly prior to departure on the tour ( on a day to be fixed) there will be a 4 hour pre-departure briefing session. The purpose of the session is to provide students with an introduction to indigenous culture and heritage in readiness for the period to be spent at the Iga Warta Aboriginal Culture Interpretative centre and to provide some basic information on the South Australian land use planning system and the requirements of the Biodiversity Convention. We will also provide some background and logistical information to various aspects of the Tour. This will be reinforced by video presentations on both subjects which it will be compulsory for students to view pre-departure. There will also be a discussion about student expectations from the tour and confirmation of accomodation arrangements.
    During the Tour there will be presentations from a range of people at the various points we visit as well as an ongoing dialogue with the Tour leader highlighting points of interest and explaining their relevance.
    During the evenings we will conduct a regular debrief where students can comment on the day's events and share with the group their observations and thoughts on what has been seen and heard during the day. This is done in an informal and relaxed atmosphere.Students will find that very useful in terms of the subsequent preparation of their reflective journal entries.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    This is an 7 day study tour and as such there is 24 hour involvement although obviously there is sleeping time, travelling time and meal times which are part of the tour but not the educational requirements. The only required attendance outside of the 7 days is at the 1 day pre-departure briefing. Students will be expected to have read the compulsory reference material provided through MyUni prior to departure on the Study Tour and also have viewed the biodiversity and planning law videos.
    Learning Activities Summary
    The Course involves a 1 day pre- departure briefing in Adelaide( date to be determined) and the following itinerary on the Tour itself.

    DAY 1-

    Depart
    Adelaide ( from Uni of Adelaide Campus-Barr Smith lawns area) at 7.30am
    Travel to Port Augusta in 20 seater bus provided by Words on Wheels
    Comfort stops and morning tea on the way plus some possible sightseeing ( where appropriate
    and time permitting) Arrive Port Augusta around midday. Lunch at Port Augusta ( at student’s own cost)
    Afternoon in Port Augusta spent at  Aboriginal Legal rights Movement and Special Aboriginal Court at Port Augusta Magistrates Court( to be confirmed). Late afternoon travel to Woomera where we are accomodated in Woomera Cabin park.
    Dinner in Woomera.
    Accomodation in cabins.


    DAY 2-

    Travel to Arid Recovery Park via Woomera, Andamooka and Roxby Downs to arrive at Arid recovery around 3.30pm.There
    is an excellent museum at Woomera which outlines the area’s history and its development in conjunction with the British as a rocket testing range and satellite launch site). Lunch to be supplied at suitable place along the way.Andamooka and Roxby Downs are complete contrasts. Both are urban settlements created to service the mining industry. One is well planned and regulated, the other a mish mash of shacks, houses and huts originally built in no orderly fashion around each opal miner’s individual mineral claim. The benefits of regulating land use, particularly from an aesthetic and service provision perspective are readily apparent.
    3.30pm-6.00pm-Set up camp/accommodation options, familiarise ourselves with site, undergo induction program run by Arid Recovery staff.
    6.00pm onwards-Dinner Possible nocturnal walk in reserve to hopefully spot assortment of animals( Bilbies, bettongs, sticknest rats, spinifex hopping mice etc)

    DAY 3 – 

    Dawn-8.00am– Wake up, breakfast , view the glory of the arid environment on a (hopefully)
    sunny day
    8.00-8.45am– Travel to Olympic Dam mine site for tour of mine site and explanation of
    proposed expansion (at present deferred indefinitely)- Tour to be conducted by
    BHP
    12noon –Return to Arid Recovery for lunch
    1.00pm-5.00pm– Provide assistance to Arid Recovery staff with volunteer work- likely to be
    vegetation removal and fence maintenance
    5.00pm onwards- Dinner maybe another nocturnal walk, campfire.

    DAY 4 –

    Dawn—8.30am Wake up ,breakfast , and pack for departure by 8.30am.
    8.30am-Depart for Iga Warta, near Nepabunna on the edge of the Vulkathunha –Gammon Ranges
    National Park in the Northern Flinders ranges via the Borefield Road, (north of Lake Torrens),then onto part of the Oodnadatta Track via Marree,Farina,and Lyndhurst. Possible slight diversion to look at Leigh Creek mine site ( open cut coal mine)( providing public access allowed and also visit ruins of old township of Farina( State Heritage place).
    Arrive at Iga Warta late afternoon. Evening briefing by Iga Warta people lead by Mr Terrance Coulthard.

    DAY 5 –

    Dawn-8.00am Wake up ,breakfast.

    Program to be determined by Iga Warta Indigenous Cultural Centre. Likely to be along following lines:
    9am-12pm Contact history tour / Cultural Awareness workshop/Ochre painting ceremony
    12pm –lunch
    1pm – 3pm Malkii tour, visit a painting site that has been dated to be 35,000 years old and can still be interpreted through oral history that has been handed down from generation to generation.

    6:00 pm- campfire experience including story-telling, singing and the sharing of Adnyamathanha culture, as well as supper of damper (cooked in the fire in the traditional Adnyamathanha way), with urti (quandong) jam and billy tea.

    DAY 6 –  

    Dawn-8.00am Wake up, breakfast, pack up
    Departure at 9.00am for Flinders Ranges National park. Depending on road and weather conditions travel through Vulkathunha –Gammon Ranges National Park to Balcanoona then down to Blinman ( where if possible we do a guided tour of the old underground Blinman Mine) Wilpena and Rawnsley Park where we spend 2 nights.

    DAY 7 – 

    Dawn-8.00am Wake up,breakfast , pack up.

    8.30am-Trvel to Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park.

    Options of climbing Mt Ohlsson Bagge  to get magnificent views of Wilpena Pound and to the east of the Ranges.
    Also possible walk along Wilpena Creek into the Pound.Return to Wipena rangers Station by 1pm  and then
    Return to Adelaide viewing aboriginal cave paintings at Yourambulla Caves on the way, Goyder’s line and various rural towns and
    settlements.
    Specific Course Requirements
    It is a requirement that students attend  the 4 hour pre-departure briefing to give themselves the best opportunity to fully engage with the various matters to be dealt with on the study tour. Attendance on the Tour itself is obviously compulsory.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Weighting Due Task Type Length Redeemable Learning Outcome
    Attendance and Course Participation 10%

    N/A

    Individual N/A No 6
    3x Reflective Journal Entries 30% 5pm on Friday 19 July 2019 Individual 500-600 words each No 1,2,3
    Research Assignment 60% 5pm on Friday 9 August 2019 Individual 4,000 words No 1-5
    *On-line Quiz 0% Prior to Tour departure date Individual No 4-5
    *Must get a score of 70% in this quiz to go on Study Tour prior to departure
    Assessment Related Requirements
    It is compulsory to attend the 4 hour pre-departure briefing session as explained above.

    It is obviously compulsory to attend on the Tour itself.
    Assessment Detail
    1. Attendance and course participation. This requires students to not only attend the pre-departure briefing and on the Tour but also actively participate in the evening 'roundup' sessions each day on the Tour and in the question and answer sessions with the various presenters. The participation mark is worth 10% of the final grade and is non redeemable. Failure to attend either or both the pre-departure briefing and on the tour itself means a student cannot pass the course.
    2. Satisfactory completion of an online quiz on biodiversity law and planning controls ( relating to matters discussed in video presentations which students are required to view pre-departure). The quiz must be completed prior to departure on the tour. Students may have unlimited attempts of the quiz. A result with 70% or more correct answers to the quiz will be deemed 'satisfactory completion'.This quiz does not count towards a student's final grade in the subject.

    3. The completion of 3 Reflective Journal entries, each of a maximum of 500-600 words in length on the following matters is required:
    a. The concept of biodiversity conservation and how international law influences both national and state laws on this topic.
    b. The impacts of European settlement on indigenous laws and customs.
    c. On a matter of the student's own choosing.
    The reflective journals are worth 30% of the final grade and are all non redeemable.They must be submitted online through MyUni by 5pm on Friday 19 July 2019.

    4. A Research assignment of a maximum of 4,000 words on one of a number of allocated topics ( or with the Course Coordinator's approval on a topic of the student's own choice). The research paper is worth 60% of a student's final grade. It must be submitted through MyUni on or before 5pm Friday 9 August 2019.
    Submission
    PRESENTATION OF ASSIGNMENTS

    1. Students must retain a copy of all assignments submitted.

    2.Both the Reflective Journal and Research assignments must be submitted electronically through the Turnitin portal. Details of the process for electronic submission( through MyUni ) will be provided during the early part of the semester.
    3. The on-line quiz will be available on MyUni through Turnitin.

    MyUni

    Consistent with Law School policy, the primary communication mechanism for this course will be through placing announcements on MyUni. It is essential that students regularly check the announcements page for information. It is your responsibility to check MyUni regularly to ensure you have the most recent information. Any urgent information will be sent to you by email as well as placed on MyUni.

    RETURN OF ASSIGNMENTS AND FEEDBACK

    Assignments will be returned to students via the Turnitin portal within 4 weeks of the due date with feedback. The Relective Journal and Research assignment are both to be marked on an iPad.Feedback will include a mixture of written and verbal comments which will be able to be retrieved through the Turnitin portal. Students will be notified by email when assignments can be retrieved from the Turnitin portal.

    Late Submission: 5% of the total mark possible will be deducted for every 24 hours or part thereof that it is late, including each day on a weekend. For example, an essay that is submitted after the due date and time but within the first 24 hour period, and that has been graded at 63%, will have 5% deducted, for a final grade of 58%. An essay that is more than 24 hours late will lose 10%, etc. 

    Word Length: Assignments which exceed the allocated length (word length or page limit) will be subject to a penalty of 5% of total marks possible per 100 words or part thereof (ie with a word limit of 4,000, an essay graded 63% will have 5% deducted if it is 4001 words long, for a final grade of 58%, 10% if it is 4101 words long, etc). Words are calculated including all footnotes and headings within the text but excluding cover page information. Quotations and all referencing information are included in the word count.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Courses for which a result of conceded pass has been obtained may not be presented towards the degree requirements for the Bachelor of Laws or the Honours Degree of Bachelor of Laws programs, or any postgraduate law program, nor to satisfy prerequisite requirements within any law course.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

    Finality of Assessment Grades

    Students are advised that Course Coordinators will not enter into negotiations of any kind with any student regarding changes to their grades. It is irrelevant, in any given circumstance, that only a minimal number of additional marks are required to inflate a student’s grade for any individual assessment item or course as a whole. Pursuant to the University’s Assessment for Coursework Programs Policyand the Adelaide Law School Assessment Policies and Procedures, grades may only be varied through the appropriate channels for academic review (such as an official re-mark).

    Moderation
    In accordance with the University’s Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy, course coordinators ‘ensure that appropriate marking guidelines and cross-marking moderation processes across markers are in place’ in each course. Procedures adopted by Adelaide Law School to ensure consistency of marking in courses with multiple markers include:
    • assurance of the qualifications of markers, and their knowledge of the content covered in each course;
    • detailed marking guidelines and assessment rubrics to assist in the marking of items of assessment;
    • sharing of example marked assessments at various grade bands across markers;
    • reviewing of selected marked assessments from each marker by the course coordinator;
    • comparison of the marks and their distribution across markers;
    • automatic double-marking of all interim assessment receiving a fail grade, and of final assessments where a student’s overall result is a fail grade;
    • the availability of re-marking of assessments in accordance with Adelaide Law School’s Assessment Policies and Procedures.

    Approval of Results by Board of Examiners
    Students are reminded that all assessment results are subject to approval (and possible moderation/change) by the Law School’s Board of Examiners. Assessment results at the University are not scaled. Under the Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy, students are assessed ‘by reference to their performance against pre-determined criteria and standards … and not by ranking against the performance of the student cohort in the course’. However, under that same policy, the Board of Examiners (as the relevant Assessment Review Committee for courses at Adelaide Law School) is required to ‘ensure comparability of standards and consistency’ in assessment. On occasions, the Board of Examiners will form the view that some moderation is required to ensure the comparability of standards and consistency across courses and years, and accordingly provide fairness to all law students. All assessment results are therefore subject to approval (and possible change) until confirmed by the Board of Examiners and posted on Access Adelaide at the end of each semester.
  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
    The University Writing Centre provides academic learning and language development services and resources for local, international, undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students enrolled at the University of Adelaide.

    The centre offers practical advice and strategies for students to master reading, writing, note-taking, time management, oral presentation skills, referencing techniques and exam preparation for success at university through seminars, workshops and individual consultations.

    Lex Salus Program
    Lex Salus (law and wellbeing) is an initiative of the Adelaide Law School aimed at destigmatising mental health issues; promoting physical, mental and emotional wellness; building a strong community of staff and students; and celebrating diversity within the school. It also seeks to promote wellness within the legal profession, through the involvement of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia, the Honourable Chris Kourakis, as the official Patron of the program.

    Students can participate in the Lex Salus program by attending barbecue lunches, pancake breakfasts, knitting and crochet circles, seminars, guest speakers, conferences and other activities. Our Facebook page, website and regular all-student emails promote upcoming events, and have tips and information on wellness.

    Our Lex Salus YouTube channel also includes videos on topics like managing stress, and interviews with LGBTQ lawyers and their supporters which celebrate diversity and individuality. Students who commit to 10 hours of volunteering with Lex Salus in one year can have their service recognised on their academic transcript and through a thank you morning tea with the Chief Justice and law school staff.

    Student Life Counselling Support
    The University’s Student Life Counselling Support service provides free and confidential service to all enrolled students. We encourage you to contact the Student Life Counselling Support service on 8313 5663 to make an appointment to deal with any issues that may be affecting your study and life.
  • Policies & Guidelines

    This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.

    Academic Honesty
    Academic dishonesty is a serious act of academic misconduct. All students must be familiar with the University’s Academic Honesty Policy.

    Academic dishonesty is a serious matter and is treated as such by the Law School and the University. Academic dishonesty (which goes beyond plagiarism) can be a ground for a refusal by the Supreme Court of South Australia to admit a person to practice as a legal practitioner in South Australia.

    Academic honesty is an essential aspect of ethical and honest behaviour, which is central to the practice of the law and an understanding of what it is to be a lawyer.
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.