Case notes - Australian conservation foundation v commonwealth PDF

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Australian Conservation Foundation v Commonwealth Case Note...

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ACFvCommonweal t hCaseNot e  TheAus t r al i anConser v at i onFoundat i onsuedt heCommonweal t hand s omeofi t sMi ni s t er sf ordec l ar at i ons ,i nj unc t i onsandot heror der st o c hal l enget hev al i di t yofdec i s i onsconcer ni ngapr opos albyacompany t oest abl i shandoper at ear esor tandt our i star eai nc ent r al Queensl and andex c hangecont r ol t r ans act i onsconnect edwi t ht hepr oposal .  Appr ov al sf ort hedev el opmenthadbeengi v enundert heEnvi r onment Pr ot ec t i on( I mpactofPr opos al s)Act1974( Ct h)andadmi ni st r at i v e pr ocedur esunderi tandundert heBanki ng( For ei gnEx c hange) Regul at i ons .  TheConser v at i onCounci l asser t edt her i ghtt osuebecauseofi t swel l knowni nt er es ti nt hepr eser v at i onandconser v at i onoft heenvi r onment andbecaus ei thadl odgedasubmi s si onpur suantt ot headmi ni st r at i v e pr ocedur esundert heEnvi r on-mentPr ot ec t i on( I mpactofPr oposal s) Act . ACF  ACFwasani ncor por at edass oci at i ont hatwasest abl i shedt oadv ocat e onenv i r onment ali ss ues .  I tcl ai medt ohav ev ar i ousi nt er es ti nt hemat t ero i twasapeaknat i onaladv ocac ybodyonenvi r onment alcaus es; o i tr egul ar l ymadesubmi s si onst ot hegov er nment o i thadmadesubmi s si onst ot hegov er nmentont hi spr oj ect ;and o s omemember soft heACFwoul dbeadv er sel yaffect edby r educi ngaccesst ol andatt hi ss i t e. HELD  Themaj or i t yhel dt hatt heACFhadnost andi ngt omai nt ai nt heact i on andt hatt heact i onshoul dbedi s mi s sed.  Themaj or i t yhel dt hati ncas eswhi c hdonotconcer nconst i t ut i onal v al i di t yaper sonwhohasnospeci al i nt er esti nt hesubj ectmat t erofan act i onov erandabov et hatenj oy edbyt hepubl i cgener al l y ,hasno l ocusst andi t osuef orani nj unc t i onordecl ar at i ont opr ev entt he v i ol at i onofapubl i cr i ghtort oenf or cet heper f or manceofapubl i cdut y .

GI BBSJ  Aper s onwhowi s hest ochal l engeadec i si onmusthav easpeci al i nt er esti nt hesubj ectmat t eroft hel i t i gat i on.  Mus tbemor et hananor di nar ymemberoft hepubl i cwhohasno i nt er estot hert hant hatwhi chanymemberoft hepubl i chasi n uphol di ngt hel aw.  Ani nt er estmustbemor et hanamer eemot i onalori nt el l ect ual concer n,t houghi tdoesn’ tneedt obeapec uni ar yorl egal r i ght .  Aper sonmustbeseeki ngt ogai nanadvant age( e. g.financi al ) , ot hert hant hesat i sf act i onofr i ght i ngawr ong,uphol di nga pr i nci pl eorwi nni ngacont est .  Nei t heranat ur alper sonnotabodycor por at eacqui r est andi ng si mpl ybyr easonoft hef actt hathol dscer t ai nbel i efandwi shes t ot r ansl at et hem i nt oact i on–t hi si ss oev eni ft heass oci at i onwas f or medt oadv ancet hebel i ef s.  Gi bbsnot est hatACFact i onwasnotbr oughtt oass er tapr i vat er i ght , butt opr ev entwhati sal l egedt obeapubl i cwr ong.  Thewr ongi snotonet hatcausesort hr eat enst ocausedamaget ot he ACToraffect si t si nt er est si nanymat er i alway .Seeki ngt oenf or cea publ i cl aw asamat t erofPRI NCI PLE,aspar tofanendeavourt o achi evei t sobj ect sandt ouphol dt heval ueswhi chi thasf or med t opr omot e.  Thewr i t t encomment swhi c hwer er equi r edt obet ak eni nt oaccountdo notgi v et heFoundat i ons t andi ng.Aper sonwhoi sconcer nedenough aboutpr oposedact i ont of ur ni shhi scomment soni tdoesnot necessar i l yhav eanyi nt er esti nt hepr opos edact i oni nt her el ev ant cas es.  TheFoundat i onswr i t t encomment sasi r r el evantt ot heques t i onof whet hert heyhav eas peci ali nt er estgi vi ngt hem st andi ng.  Theobj ect shel dbyt hef oundat i ondonots t r engt hent hei rcl ai mt o s t andi ng.Hol di ngcer t ai nbel i ef sandwi shi ngt ot r ans l at et hem i nt o act i ondoesnotmeans omeoneac qui r esst andi ng.  Abodycor por at ef or medt oadv anc et hesamebel i ef si si nnos t r onger pos i t i on.  Ev eni fsomemember soft heFoundat i onhav easpec i ali nt er est–i t woul dnotf ol l owt hatt heFoundat i onhasl ocusst andi ,f oracor por at i on doesnotacqui r es t andi ngbecausesomeofi t smember sposs esi t .  Thel awi ss et t l ed,cour thast oappl yi t ,notabr ogat ei t .I ti sf or par l i ament ,whos emember sar et heel ect edr epr esent at i v esoft he peopl e,t ochangeanest abl i shedr ul ei ft heyconsi deri tdes i r abl e,and notf orj udges,unel ect edandunr epr es ent at i v e,t odet er mi nenotwhat i s ,butwhatoughtt obe,t hel aw.

STEPHENJ  ACFhasnotsuffer ed,norcani tappr ehendanyl ossori nj ur yt o i t spr oper t y.( di si nt er est edbodyconcer nedt opr ot ectenv i r onment , doi ngsoi nwhati tr egar dsast hei nt er est soft hecommuni t yatl ar ge) .  Nopr i v at er i ghtoft heappel l anthasbeeni nt er f er edwi t h.  Adopt st het estof‘ speci aldamagepecul i art ohi msel f ’–sayst hat t her ehast obedamage.  I ndi vi dualdoesnots ufferdamageasgi v esr i set ost andi ngmer el yby v oi c i ngapar t i cul arconcer nandr egar dst heact i onsofot her san i nj ur i oust ot heobj ectoft hatconcer n.  Thef actt hati ti sabodycor por at er at hert hanani ndi vi dualwhose mai nobj ect i v ei st hev oi c i ngandencour agementi nt hecommuni t y doesnoti mpr ovei t sposi t i oni ns t andi ng.  Fai l st oest abl i shst andi ngont hebasi sofdamages uffer edt oi t sel f .For i tt osucc eedher et heyneedt obeaper s onwi t hgenui nel yhel d convi ct i onsuponat opi cofpubl i cconcer nt her ebyacqui r ess t andi ngt o enf or ceapubl i cr i ghtt obr eachofwhi c hi tt ak esex cept i on. o Tohol dot her wi sewoul dbet or adi cal l yal t ert heexi st i ngl aw.  Out l i nessomeUScas es–t hosecaseshavehel dt hatmor et hana genui neconcer nf ort heenvi r onmenti snecessar y.Ther emustbe I nj ur yi nf actt oani nt er est‘ ar guabl ywi t hi nt hez oneofi nt er est st obe pr ot ect edorr egul at edbyt hes t at ut esbr each.  Theappr ehendedhar m mustbeper cept i bl eandmustbehar m whi chwi l lbesuffer edbyt hepl ai nt i ffst hemsel ves.Ot her wi set he j udi ci alpr ocessbecomes‘ nomor et hanavehi cl ef ort he vi ndi cat i onoft heval uei nt er est sofconcer nedbyst ander s. ’  Thesubj ectmat t eroft hePr ocedur esi ssuc hast osuggestt hatt he appel l anthasnost andi ngt oenf or cecompl i ancewi t ht hem.Theyar e notacodeofpr ocedur e,des i gnedt oensur et hatt hosewhoar el i k el y t obeaffect edbyt hegr antofsomeper mi tort her ez oni ngofsomel and ar egi v enar i ghtt oobj ectandhav et hei robj ect i onhear dand det er mi ned.  I ft hepr esents t at eoft hel awi nAus t r al i ai st obechangedi ti sacas e f orl egi sl at i onandpar l i amentnotf ort hecour t s.

MASONJ  Agr eedwi t hGi bbst hatnost andi ngi fnospec i ali nt er esti nt hesubj ect mat t erbey ondt hatofamemberoft hepubl i c .  Agr eedwi t hGi bbst hatamer ebel i eforconcer nhowev ergenui nedoes notgi ver i set ost andi ng.  Dependi ngont henat ur eoft her el i efwhi c hheseeks ,apl ai nt i ffwi l li n gener alhaveal ocusst andiwhenhecanshow act ualor appr ehendedi nj ur yordamaget ohi spr oper t yorpr opr i et ar y r i ght s,t ohi sbusi nessoreconomi ci nt er est s andper hapst ohi s soci alorpol i t i cali nt er est s  Nost andi ng.

MURPHYJ–DI SSENT  Hi ghl i ght st hatt heFoundat i onwaswel l est abl i shedl ongbef or et he pr oceedi ngscommenced.Thati ti sawel l knownandr eput abl e cons er v at i onor gani sat i oni ncor por at edundert hel awsoft heAust r al i an Capi t alTer r i t or y .Has6, 500member si nAust r al i a.Hasmade s ubmi ss i onst ogov er nmentandpubl i caut hor i t i esi nr espectof envi r onment al mat t er s.Beenpai dannualgr ant sbyt he Commonweal t h.  Ev enwher ei ti sneces sar yt oshowt hatapar t i cul ari nt er estoft he pl ai nt i ffi si nv ol ved,t hei nt er estneednotbepec ul i art ot hepl ai nt i ff.  Thef actt hatsomeofACF’ smember swoul dbeaffect edi nt hei r act i vi t i esandpas t i mesbyt hepr oj ect eddev el opmentcanl eadt o s t andi ng. o Thei deat hatcor por at i onscanr epr esenti nt er es tofmember si s f ami l i ari nAust r al i a.  TheActdi scl osesal egi sl at i vei nt entt ogi ver i set ost andi ngt o per sonsandgr oupsi nt er est edi nt heenvi r onmentwhoal l eget hat f act or saffect i ngi tar enotpr oper l ycons i der edbyt hos ewi t haut hor i t yt o mak edeci s i onsaffect edt heenv i r onment .  I famemberoft hepubl i chasar i ghtt obehear d( ort omak ea s ubmi ss i onort ocommenti noppos i t i ont oaadmi ni st r at i v edeci s i onor pr oposal )hei sent i t l edt obehear dorhav ehi ds ubmi ss i onorcomment deal twi t haccor di ngt ol egalpr i nc i pl es .  I ti snotsensi bl et odenyst andi ngt omember soft hepubl i ct oenf or ce r ul esundert heActbywhi chPar l i amenthaspr ovi dedt heys hal lbe cons ul t ed.  Ev eni fi ti snecessar yt os howt hatt hepl ai nt i ffi s‘ mor epar t i cul ar l y affec t edt hanot herpeopl e’her et hepl ai nt i ffi smor epar t i c ul ar l y affec t edasi thasgonet ot het r oubl eofsubmi t t i ngc omment s .  Ar guednoi ss uewi t hfloodgat esbecaus et hi shadn’ thappenedi nt he US....