Third party rights in the Nature Conservation Act

In 1989 an environment group tried to stop a cement company destroying caves in which rare (now threatened) ghost bats roosted.

Yesterday’s announcement that Minister for Heritage Protection Andrew Powell had asked expert members of the Queensland Heritage Council to resign and reapply for their jobs had set alarm bells ringing.

As you may have heard on ABC radio, the State Attorney-General has refused to restore our State funding. He however acknowledged that EDOs are the only places where Queensland communities can obtain professional legal advice free of charge when faced with public interest environmental, planning and health concerns from proposed developments.

EDO Qld has had to suspend our general legal advice service.

EDO Qld were advised by email on 4 July 2012, that the State government has ceased all State funding to EDO Qld and EDO-NQ without notice on 30 June 2012. This is half of our recurrent funding.

The Queensland Coordinator General has recommended conditional approval for the Alpha Coal project in central Queensland. 

The Council of Australian Governments meeting in April this year agreed to major reforms of environmental laws. 

EDO’s Jo Bragg spoke on this Bill to the Qld Agricultural, Resources and Environment Committee on June 6. 

Gold Coast environmentalists represented by EDO Qld protected a rainforest site teeming with rare and threatened wildlife by challenging a proposed development. Sometimes, the environment wins even when a court case is lost.