Updates
United Nations investigating toxic coal pollution in NSW and Victoria
Chronic illnesses and contaminated land and waterways: these are the serious health and environmental impacts of coal pollution. For years, the Central Coast and Latrobe Valley communities have been speaking out - and the United Nations has taken note. In August 2023,...
The Save Lee Point – Binybara campaign has united people right across Australia
LONG-TERM PAUSE ON WORKS AT LEE POINT - BINYBARA! In a landmark victory, Larrakia Danggalaba leaders have won a long-term pause on works that could have destroyed Aboriginal cultural heritage at Lee Point – Binybara in Darwin. Defence Housing Australia has announced...
Delta Electricity prosecuted over fish kill
Did you know that last year in September, out of the blue, more than 15,000 fish and rays washed up dead on the shores of Lake Macquarie? Residents were seriously concerned that Deta Electricity’s nearby coal fired power station, Vales Point, was to blame – and it...
Commonwealth Parliament Inquiry into Australia’s human rights framework
Do you know Australian law is lagging behind its international counterparts in protecting human rights? And that your right to live in a healthy environment is not protected at all in Australia?Different states and territories have different approaches and regimes,...
What will changes to Victorian mining laws mean for communities?
The Victorian Government has passed a Bill to gut Victoria’s mining laws – and literally take the word ‘sustainable’ out of mining regulation. De-regulating the mining industry is the last thing our government should be doing as Victoria prepares for a surge in mining...
Living Wonders climate litigation update
The Living Wonders climate cases are due to be considered by the Federal Court in Melbourne next month. The cases have generated a lot of public interest, so the purpose of these updates is to provide factual information about the proceedings and where they are up...
Concern for Murray river floodplains
It's incredibly disappointing that plans to artificially engineer floodplains on the Murray River are going ahead, so that even more water can be provided to irrigators from this iconic river system. The Victorian Murray Floodplain Restoration Projects include plans...
ACCC greenwash complaint against VicForests
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has been asked to investigate whether a Victorian government agency, VicForests, is deliberately misleading the public about the true cost of its industrial logging operations.Who filed the greenwashing...
New legislation set to allow Australian companies to dump carbon emissions overseas
On 22 June, Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek introduced new laws that would allow companies to transport carbon emissions beyond Australian borders for the purpose of undersea ‘carbon capture and storage’ (‘CCS’).The proposed ‘Environment Protection (Sea...
EJA Statement on the Referendum on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice
As environmental lawyers, we know the extraordinary power of the law. The power to grant rights, justice and a legal voice. Or to silence and dispossess. We see the consequences of this every day in our work. That’s why we believe it’s an important time for EJA to...
Community legal guide for forest protectors in Victoria
In the face of catastrophic bushfires and as our climate and ecosystems collapse before our eyes, the right to protest native forest logging is more important than ever. Across the continent, we are seeing an alarming trend of state governments moving to impose...
Watershed court victory against VicForests
There were emotional scenes inside the Victorian Supreme Court of Appeal this week as environment groups gathered to hear the judgement in their latest legal fight against VicForests. In November 2022, VicForests was found to have been logging in breach of...