ABSTRACT
There is a real danger in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that involvement of the public is one of informing rather than truly engaging in public participation. This can continue into the follow-up stages. As noted in Chapter 3, the minimum position should be one of reporting and informing stakeholders of EIA follow-up outcomes. This minimum position is not sufficient. There is a well-established social impact assessment literature, including best practice principles (Vanclay, 2003), which advocate a fully participative involvement of the public in all aspects of EIA planning, investigation, decision-making and follow-up.
