- general ideas taken from the readings:

  - EIA often done too late, so only options are mitigation or
    acceptance

  - economic benefits often outweigh environmental damages in
    decision-makers' eyes. This could be avoided with a limits-based
    approach / SEA.

  - councils may simply be too busy or understaffed to properly
    evaluate an application, especially when it is a complex
    application.

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- according to survey (section 2.8)\parencite{ME1069}, number of
  pre-hearing meetings (for notified applications) went down; also the
  number of successful pre-hearing meetings went down.

- upward trend: number of objections against consent decisions (see
  section 2.10)\parencite{ME1069}

- side agreements: applicants can buy consent by paying directly
  affected people, incurring poor environmental outcomes for the
  community or future generations. \parencite{PCE1998}

- wider example may be the golden link mine where the applicant
  promised to do unrelated work for the community to secure approval