Perth Freight Link on the ropes: Supreme Court legal action launched today

source: the greens

Perth Freight Link on the ropes: Supreme Court legal action launched today

Thursday, Sep 10th, 2015

The Australian Greens have welcomed a new legal challenge to the Freight Link project in the Western Australian Supreme Court, predicting that the action could be the final blow to the doomed project.

"The WA Environmental Defender's Office has applied for the Supreme Court to set aside the WA Government's approval of the Roe 8 extension, citing serious bias and conflicts of interest on the part of EPA board members," Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam said today.

"The project should never have been given the green light by the EPA, and now that desperately flawed decision is going to have a legal blowtorch put to it.

"This is Premier Barnett's moment of opportunity: to work with the Greens, the Opposition and local residents to resolve Perth's growing freight challenges in a measured and strategic way."

"I am also calling on Greg Hunt to suspend his assessment of the Freight Link until this legal challenge is completed. There is no way that the Minister can reasonably assess this project when is it subject to such serious legal challenge. I'll be looking at options I can take in the Senate to ensure this happens.

this release can be seen on the Greens website HERE

Perth highway extension legally challenged

source: the west australian

Perth highway extension legally challenged

  Perth highway extension legally challenged

Western Australia's Environmental Defender's Office is challenging state environmental approval of the Roe 8 highway extension, which will cut through the Beeliar wetlands.

The office filed an application on Thursday with the Supreme Court of WA, asking it to set aside Environment Minister Albert Jacob's July approval, which came after the WA Environmental Protection Authority recommended he grant it.

The application was filed on behalf of the Save Beeliar Wetlands group, which has opposed the project since the state government first announced its commitment to build it during the 2008 state election, and on behalf of Carole de Barre, whose property adjoins the proposed extension.

Separately, the Greens say the Aboriginal heritage approval for the project should be deemed invalid.
It is a registered site under the Aboriginal Heritage Act for its ethnographic significance, but there has instead been a focus on its archaeological significance, Greens MP Lynne MacLaren said.

She said the site meant a lot to Nyoongar people as the birthplace of the Waugyl, a dreamtime serpent-like creature that was responsible for the creation of major waterways.

"Under the act, the presence or absence of archaeological evidence makes no difference to the protected status of a ethnographic site," Ms MacLaren said.

"You could send 200 archaeologists to the site and they still would not find a Waugyl."

The original article is viewed by clicking HERE

 

Perth highway extension legally challenged

source: perth now

Perth highway extension legally challenged

 Western Australia's Environmental Defender's Office is challenging state environmental approval of the Roe 8 highway extension, which will cut through the Beeliar wetlands.

The office filed an application on Thursday with the Supreme Court of WA, asking it to set aside Environment Minister Albert Jacob's July approval, which came after the WA Environmental Protection Authority recommended he grant it.

The application was filed on behalf of the Save Beeliar Wetlands group, which has opposed the project since the state government first announced its commitment to build it during the 2008 state election, and on behalf of Carole de Barre, whose property adjoins the proposed extension.

Separately, the Greens say the Aboriginal heritage approval for the project should be deemed invalid.
It is a registered site under the Aboriginal Heritage Act for its ethnographic significance, but there has instead been a focus on its archaeological significance, Greens MP Lynne MacLaren said.

She said the site meant a lot to Nyoongar people as the birthplace of the Waugyl, a dreamtime serpent-like creature that was responsible for the creation of major waterways.

"Under the act, the presence or absence of archaeological evidence makes no difference to the protected status of a ethnographic site," Ms MacLaren said.

"You could send 200 archaeologists to the site and they still would not find a Waugyl."


The article can be read HERE