Explore what we've achieved together

Your impact in 2024

You've been the driving force behind landmark court cases, bold investigations and powerful advocacy for a radically better world.

Despite the challenges facing our environment and communities, your commitment has ensured we can keep fighting – and winning.

Thank you for standing with us. We couldn't do any of this without you.

With your help, we've used the law to:

  • Protect precious ecosystems – defending irreplaceable habitats and wildlife
  • Hold polluters to account – setting powerful precedents for our climate and frontline communities
  • Support First Nations justice – backing communities fighting to care for Country and Culture
  • Make our air cleaner and rivers more swimmable in places harmed by waste and pollution.

And there's so much more.

Scroll down to explore some of the landmark cases, investigations and advocacy campaigns you've made possible.

You backed traditional owners to protect Country at Lee Point

You helped keep most of the extraordinary savanna woodlands at Lee Point standing after bulldozers rolled in for a controversial housing development by Defence Housing Australia (DHA).

On behalf of our clients, Larrakia Danggalaba Traditional Owner Tibby Quall and the Environment Centre NT, Environmental Justice Australia (EJA) lawyers raised the alarm on unlawful land clearing, lodged urgent cultural heritage applications, filed court cases and challenged permits for breaching federal environmental approval conditions.

For many thousands of years, Larrakia Danggalaba people have cared for this special forested peninsula north of Darwin. Its woodlands are home to tangible and intangible cultural heritage as well as endangered Gouldian Finches, black-footed tree rats, and some 270 bird species.

Now, Environmental Justice Australia lawyers have filed a legal challenge on behalf of Mr Quall, a Danggalaba Kulumbirigin elder, against the Northern Territory Government’s Heritage Council.

Mr Quall claims he was not consulted before the Heritage Council approved removal of significant Aboriginal heritage items at the contentious Binybara/Lee Point housing development site.

We are protecting water from fracking in the Northern Territory

EJA lawyers filed a landmark legal case on behalf of our client Lock the Gate Alliance to protect water in the Northern Territory from the impacts of fracking.

This is the first legal challenge to fracking under the water trigger in Australia’s national environment laws.

This Federal Court challenge is against Tamboran B2 Pty Ltd’s proposed Shenandoah South Exploration and Appraisal project, which plans to frack fifteen gas wells in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin, near the town of Daly Waters.

In court, Lock the Gate Alliance will argue the fracking project is likely to have a significant impact on groundwater resources and should therefore be caught by the water trigger in national environment laws. 

So far, Tamboran has not referred its project to the federal Minister for the Environment under water trigger provisions, and the minister has not “called in” the project for assessment under water trigger provisions.  

Meanwhile, Tamboran has already begun early work on the project. 

We expect 2025 to be a turbulent year, with aggressive political and media tactics targeting public interest litigation, community groups, expert witnesses, environmental lawyers and protesters.

These attacks are on the rise around the world and sadly, in Australia too.

These combative tactics are designed not only to intimidate environmental advocates and activists, but to limit democratic rights to access justice more broadly by those who do not believe citizens deserve the right to access the courts to ask for scrutiny of environmentally damaging projects.

But we are steadfast in our belief that access to justice is a critically important function of a healthy democracy, and we will not be intimidated.

You backed frontline coal communities fight for justice

Thanks to your support, Lake Macquarie coal-fired power station operators Delta Electricity Origin, AGL and Energy Australia will now have to report greenhouse gas emissions annually.

Often your impact doesn't make front-page news – but tighter reporting requirements and stronger licensing frameworks mean more accountability, fewer loopholes and better protection for our lungs, hearts, climate and communities.

Wins like these are critical levers for driving industry-wide system change and ensuring long-term environmental and public health protection from coal pollution.

Together we went all the way to the High Court for our living wonders

In August 2024, our client’s application to take the Living Wonders climate cases to the High Court was refused.

This loss was a setback, but we agree with Federal Court Chief Justice Mortimer's decision on court costs: ‘…the environment cannot speak for itself; someone must speak for it.’

Public interest litigation like this is vital for a healthy democracy.

ECoCeQ is so grateful for the support of thousands of people like you across the continent – for writing dozens of submissions, joining us at webinars, generously donating to their legal costs, following their cases and cheering them on.

You ramped up the pressure for new environment laws that actually protect nature

One thing is clear: Australia's devastating environment problems are not going away, and neither is the urgent need for law reform.

That's why it's so incredible to see the surge of people power across the country. It shows the demand for stronger laws is louder than ever.

EJA supporters like you wrote hundreds of lengthy submissions – plus thousands more rang and emailed key decision makers and signed petitions.

Three years on, the Albanese government has nothing to show for its 2022 election commitment to establish a national environment protection agency.

Reform of Australia’s failed nature protection laws remains unfinished business for this government.

Together we exposed heat stress in social housing

As temperatures rise and heatwaves become more frequent, social housing can become a ‘hotbed’ of complex and intertwining issues for tenants and their communities.

Extreme heat events cause more deaths in Victoria than any other climate-related disaster and social housing tenants – including people with disabilities, First Nations people, women, children, and older adults – are especially at risk of experiencing injustice and harm.

Too often, social housing is not built to withstand the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves and many homes lack basic cooling infrastructure. When air conditioning is available, high energy costs can make it unaffordable for residents to use.

That's why EJA's climate justice lawyer made a submission in the Victorian Parliamentary inquiry calling for reforms so that people’s experiences of heat vulnerability are heard and that they are safe and supported in a changing climate.

You supported First Nations people using the law for water justice

You did this, and so much more

We've got big plans for this year

Landmark court cases

Let's set game-changing precedents and disrupt the systems that are fuelling destruction and injustice.

Strategic legal interventions

Together we can run powerful legal campaigns to investigate, expose and demand action and accountability.

Advocate for better laws

It's time to fix flaws in our legal system, push for better policies and improve the way our laws and made and enforced.

Help people have a say

With your support, we can empower communities to access information, challenge decisions and participate in the legal system.

Thanks again for making all this possible.