‘The whales are in trouble:’ Traditional Custodian files legal challenge to Woodside’s seismic blasting approval  

A Traditional Custodian will ask the Federal Court to find that approval for Woodside Energy to carry out seismic blasting in her Sea Country was unlawful.  Gas giant Woodside said last week it was ready to begin seismic blasting for its Scarborough Gas Project, despite objections from Custodians who say they still have not been […]

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Murray-Darling Basin Plan: Implementation Review 2023 (Productivity Commission)

The Productivity Commission is required to undertake an inquiry every 5 years into the effectiveness of the implementation of the Basin Plan and water resource plans. This is the second such inquiry. The terms of reference are broad; EDO’s submission identifies several key issues for attention and anticipates making further contributions in response to the […]

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Delivering the Murray-Darling Basin Plan – Ideas on how water recovery and efficiency use goals in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan can be met (Submission to the DCCEEW)

EDO welcomes the opportunity to participate in the Australian Government’s consultation about how to deliver the Basin Plan 2012 in full. We emphasise the importance of delivering on water recovery, in full, as a matter of priority, and recommend the Australian Government prioritise and support the recovery of actual flows and deprioritise mechanisms that remain […]

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WA’s Aboriginal Cultural Heritage laws must be improved and co-designed with First Nations peoples 

Joint statement by Slim Parker, Kado Muir, Dr Anne Poelina, Clayton Lewis and Dr Hannah McGlade on the potential repeal of the Western Australian Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021.  The WA Government/Premier has indicated that the Western Australian Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021 (ACH Act) may be repealed due to private landholder concerns.  From a […]

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Vale Wendy Bowman: farmer and environmentalist

The Environmental Defenders Office pays tribute to farmer and stalwart environmentalist Wendy Bowman, who passed away last week aged 89. [1]  EDO had the privilege of representing Mrs Bowman in her David-and-Goliath struggle to save her farm and local water supplies from a planned open-cut coal mine in the Upper Hunter region of NSW.  Thanks […]

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Urgency and ambition more important than ever for national nature law reform

By Frances Medlock, Solicitor, Commonwealth & Government Liaison, and Rachel Walmsley, Head of Policy & Law Reform   It has been well over six months since the Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek released the Nature Positive Plan, setting out the Australian Government’s priorities for long-overdue national nature law reform. But what has happened since the plan was released, […]

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