<P> The Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol is a sector specific method for checking the quality of Environmental and Social assessments and management plans . </P> <P> The history of EIA in Australia could be linked to the enactment of the U.S. National Environment Policy Act (NEPA) in 1970, which made the preparation of environmental impact statements a requirement . In Australia, one might say that the EIA procedures were introduced at a State Level prior to that of the Commonwealth (Federal), with a majority of the states having divergent views to the Commonwealth . One of the pioneering states was New South Wales, whose State Pollution Control Commission issued EIA guidelines in 1974 . At a Commonwealth (i.e. Federal) level, this was followed by passing of the Environment Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act 1974 (Cth) in 1974 . The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act) superseded the Environment Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act 1974 (Cth) and is the current central piece for EIA in Australia on a Commonwealth (i.e. Federal) level . An important point to note is that this federal legislation does not override the validity of the States or Territories environmental and development assessments and approvals; rather the EPBC Act runs as a parallel to the State / Territory Systems . Overlap between federal and state requirements is addressed via bilateral agreements or one - off accreditation of state processes, as provided for in the EPBC Act . </P> <P> The EPBC Act provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places - defined in the EPBC Act as matters of' National Environmental Significance' . Following are the nine matters of' National Environmental Significance' to which the EPBC Act applies: </P> <Ul> <Li> World Heritage properties; </Li> <Li> National Heritage places; </Li> <Li> Wetlands of international importance (listed under the Ramsar Convention); </Li> <Li> Listed threatened species and ecological communities; </Li> <Li> Migratory species protected under international agreements; </Li> <Li> Commonwealth marine areas; </Li> <Li> the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park; </Li> <Li> Nuclear actions (including uranium mining); and </Li> <Li> Water resources, in relation with coal seam gas development and large coal mining development . </Li> </Ul>

Enactment provides what type of data for assessment