The federal government wants states to take responsibility for assessing the impact of coal and gas projects on water resources under its plan to cut green tape.
Australian government has duty to protect youth from climate crisis, court finds Eight teens and nun (86) sought injunction to Government’s approval of coalmine plan
about 4 hours ago Adam Morton
Climate activists protest in Sydney over Government inaction on climate change. Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
The federal court of Australia has found the environment minister, Sussan Ley, has a duty of care to protect young people from the climate crisis in a judgment hailed by lawyers and teenagers who brought the case as a world first.
Eight teenagers and an octogenarian nun had sought an injunction to prevent Ms Ley approving a proposal by Whitehaven Coal to expand the Vickery coalmine in northern New South Wales, arguing the minister had a common law duty of care to protect younger people against future harm from climate change.
First published on Wed 26 May 2021 21.50 EDT
The federal court of Australia has found the environment minister, Sussan Ley, has a duty of care to protect young people from the climate crisis in a judgment hailed by lawyers and teenagers who brought the case as a world first.
Eight teenagers and an octogenarian nun had sought an injunction to prevent Ley approving a proposal by Whitehaven Coal to expand the Vickery coalmine in northern New South Wales, arguing the minister had a common law duty of care to protect younger people against future harm from climate change.
Justice Mordecai Bromberg found the minister had a duty of care to not act in a way that would cause future harm to younger people. But he did not grant the injunction as he was not satisfied the minister would breach her duty of care.