Environment

The Environmental Defenders Office has replaced its chair and appointed a former judge to its board as it undergoes a review of its processes in the wake of an unsuccessful case against Santos over the oil and gas company’s $5.6 billion Barossa pipeline.

An energy company has taken the minister for climate change and energy to court for refusing to greenlight its Seadragon wind farm project, which would have placed up to 150 wind turbines in waters off the coast of Gippsland, Victoria. 

Trial has been set for next May in a case by Australian parents that accuses EnergyAustralia of engaging in misleading conduct in promoting a “carbon neutral” program, a case that puts carbon offset credits under scrutiny.

An environment advocacy group is seeking special leave from the High Court to appeal a decision that allowed the extension of two Mach Energy and Whitehaven Coal mega coal mines in NSW, saying courts have “enfeebled” environmental legislation.

Santos is seeking to wrangle further documents from the Environmental Defenders Office to support its bid for costs orders against the law firm, telling a court there must have been “glaring deficiencies” in the standard of its services in running its challenge to construction of a pipeline for the energy company’s $5.6 billion Barossa gas project.

A law firm that has gone after major banks and the federal government over their climate exposure has trained its sight on the National Australia Bank.

A Larrakia Danggalaba man has sought access to documents for a possible lawsuit over the federal government’s decision to greenlight the destruction of an Aboriginal cultural site to develop Defence housing. 

An appeals court has dismissed an environmental advocacy group’s challenge to the extension of two Mach Energy and Whitehaven Coal mega coal mines in NSW, saying the current environmental laws are “ill-suited” to dealing with the global threat of climate change. 

Activist organisations are seeking to challenge orders to hand up communications with the Environmental Defenders Office in its failed case against Santos over the $5.6 billion Barossa gas project, arguing there was no legitimate forensic purpose for the material sought. 

Several activist organisations will have to hand up communications with the Environmental Defenders Office over its unsuccessful challenge to the construction of a pipeline for Santos’ $5.6 billion Barossa gas project, as the energy giant mulls third-party costs orders against them.