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Former Labor minister Ian Macdonald âwas acting in the interests of the people of NSWâ and not the Obeid family when he opened up areas of the state for coal exploration, his barrister has told the NSW Supreme Court.
At the end of his long-running criminal trial, Macdonaldâs barrister Jonathan Martin told Justice Elizabeth Fullerton that the âthe inescapable conclusionâ was that his client was not part of any conspiracy with his former colleague Eddie Obeid and his son Moses and had no knowledge of the Obeidsâ property or commercial interests.
Former Labor minister Ian Macdonald arrives at the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney on 5th February, 2021.
5 February 2021
The NSW Independent Planning Commission has rejected a proposal to expand a coal mine into regions under a major drinking water catchment, saying the project represented an unacceptable risks to key drinking water supplies.
South32 had sought approval to undertake a $956 million expansion of the Dendrobium coal mine into regions under the Avon and Cordeaux Dams, to extract an additional 78 million tonnes of coal from the mine.
The proposal had received the endorsement of the NSW Department of Planning, but after reviewing the proposal, the NSW Independent Planning Commission decided to reject the mine expansion, citing unmitigated impacts on water supplies for Sydney and the Illawarra region.
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The more the evidence is scrutinised, the âmore compellingâ is the case against Ian Macdonald, Eddie Obeid and Moses Obeid, submitted the Crown prosecutor in the trioâs long-running criminal trial in the NSW Supreme Court.
It has been a year since the commencement of the case against former mining ministers Ian Macdonald, 71, and Eddie Obeid, 77, along with Obeidâs son Moses, 51. They have pleaded not guilty.
Former NSW minister Ian Macdonald (right) arriving at court with his barrister Jonathan Martin.
Credit:Kate Geraghty
In her closing submissions, prosecutor Sophie Callan, SC, said there was an âoverwhelming circumstantial caseâ that should satisfy Justice Elizabeth Fullerton beyond reasonable doubt that the three men were involved in a conspiracy.
Sydney news: NSW rolls out new restriction for Western Australia travellers after COVID-19 case
Posted
SunSunday 31
updated
SunSunday 31
All NSW arrivals from WA since January 25 are affected by the new restrictions.
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WA case brings new rules
Health authorities have ordered anyone who has been in WA since January 25 and subsequently travelled to NSW to isolate until 9.00pm EDT Friday, and get a COVID-19 test.
The new public health orders come after WA recorded its first locally acquired coronavirus infection in 10 months at the weekend.
Meanwhile, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania all reopened their borders to people from Greater Sydney today, though a COVID-19 test on arrival is required in some states.
Projects which would emit one billion tonnes of greenhouse gases have been approved in NSW following a landmark court case for the planning umpire to consider climate impacts.