EDO Awards – 2011 recipients
Pro bono contribution award
Adrian Finanzio and Rupert Watters
Adrian Finanzio (left) and Rupert Watters (right) are the legal team acting pro bono for Environment Victoria and LIVE in the 4-week court challenge to the granting of a permit for a new brown coal-fired power station in Victoria.
We believe that this case and cases like it are important. The ability to facilitate the pursuit of such things is the one that more than anything else distinguishes what the EDO can do from the great and varied work done by the environment NGO community. But also, more fundamentally, we believe that it is critical to our democratic system that in appropriate circumstances citizens and NGOs ought to be able take important matters before courts and tribunals. One of the values of our adversarial system is that it can permit in appropriate circumstances the thrashing out, in a civilised way, of important questions fundamental to ecological sustainability, and to government and corporate accountability.
The practicalities confronted by anyone engaging in such processes are notorious. Matching the intellectual fire power of opposing legal teams lead by Simon Molesworth QC and Stuart Morris QC is no easy thing. Which is why the combination of EDO and pro bono contributions by barristers such as Adrian and Rupert are so important.
See the Victorian Bar website for full details on the backgrounds of Adrian and Rupert.
19 April 2012 - GOOD NEWS on HRL
Click on the image above to see an ABC report on this GOOD NEWS
Click here to read more about the GOOD NEWS.
Environment Victoria and LIVE have decided not to appeal the VCAT decision approving the Dual Gas Power Station.
This now brings these legal proceedings relating to the Dual Gas facility to an end. We would again like to thank the EDO, Adrian Finanzio (our barrister), Adrian's staff, and the experts who helped present the case.
29 March 2012 - VCAT announces decision on HRL Powerstation
In case you haven't heard yet, we thought you would appreciate learning about VCAT's HRL decision asap.
As we aim to unite community voices as quickly and effectively as we can, we encourage you to post your thoughts on Environment Victoria's HRL decision response page http://www.facebook.com/environmentvictoria
In terms of where to now, all objectors are considering their options and we will keep you posted. READ MORE
Media Release
29 March 2012
This is just one battle in our fight against coal
LIVE is deeply disappointed with VCAT’s ruling in favour of HRL’s proposed new 600MW coal fired electricity generator in Victoria’s La Trobe Valley.
“As every legitimate science agency in the world is calling for drastic cuts to greenhouse gas pollution, we are devastated that a project that would add hundreds of millions of tonnes of global warming gases to our atmosphere over decades to come could win legal support in a so called advanced state like Victoria” said Deborah Hart, Founder and Safe Climate campaigner for LIVE*.
During the VCAT hearing evidence was presented to demonstrate that HRL’s plant would not be ‘best practice’ electricity generation and that a myriad of safer, cleaner energy solutions are available and affordable.
“By every measure, whether it be human health, a safe environment or new, sustainable jobs, HRL’s project will fail Victorians.”
In making its decision VCAT overturned the Environment Protection Authority’s approval of a permit for only half of the plant’s capacity (300MW), along with what meagre environment restrictions had been applied to the project.
Big questions remain around the social and economic viability of HRL’s unpopular project, and who will ultimately bear the costs of the new coal plant.
“Having sat through 22 hearing days and read the transcripts, we can tell you that there was evidence presented that HRL’s project is not economically feasible, even with the $150 million of taxpayers money promised by the state and federal governments. Yet, as we all know, according to mainstream science, the real damage from this plant will be borne by the community now and in the future as we experience further extreme weather events.”
“If this project goes ahead, the community’s interests will be sacrificed in favour of a corporation seeking to profit from a project that will have enormous short and long term impacts on all of us.”
LIVE acknowledges Environment Victoria and our highly dedicated legal team for their extraordinary support throughout this long and complicated legal challenge.
Deborah Hart, Founder, LIVE,
