Some Australian examples of the integration of environmental, economic and social considerations into decision making: the jurisprudence of facts and context

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the processes leading to State and federal laws requiring the sustainable development of natural resources. It does this through the lens of judicial interpretation in key cases of the multifaceted concept of sustainable development. In Australia, this very often goes by the name of "Ecologically Sustainable Development" or "ESD". In particular, the jurisprudence on ESD has developed in six specific contexts in Australia to date, namely the law relating to carbon emissions, tuna fisheries, land use planning in coastal areas subject to sea level rises, wind farms, mobile phone towers, and freshwater planning and allocation decisions.