UN Human Rights Council Members Urge Australia to Adopt Stronger Climate Measures Now to Protect Human Rights San Francisco, USA / Sydney, Australia – All eyes were on Australia as…
Read More
Three US experts have slammed the Victorian EPA’s approach to the regulation of the Latrobe Valley coal-fired power stations. Modelling found emissions of sulfur dioxide from Victoria’s power stations were…
By Rebecca McDonald The state’s planning tribunal has rejected a push by Wyndham residents to stop a huge expansion of the notorious local tip. Wyndham City wants to increase the…
Read EJA’s submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission Inquiry into Class Action Proceedings and Third-party Litigation Funders (PDF, 209KB)
By Heidi Kraak A community advocate has welcomed the inclusion of a clause in an environmental protection bill before the Victorian Parliament that would allow the community to enforce pollution…
The Victorian government has released an Air Quality Statement, which ‘kicks off engagement with all Victorians about what our priorities for future air quality management should be’. Read EJA’s submission…
MEDIA RELEASE 21 June 2018 Environmental Justice Australia and Environment Victoria have welcomed the introduction to the Victorian Parliament of the Environment Protection Bill, in particular the inclusion of a legal right…
The Victorian Government has promised to develop a whole-of-government environmental justice strategy, as part of its response to recommendations from the recent EPA inquiry. The concept of ‘environmental justice’ is…
This report documents the experiences of western suburbs communities that are struggling for environmental justice while having huge rubbish tips and toxic waste dumps imposed on them. Raising a stink…
MEDIA RELEASE 26 March 2018 While Australia grapples with the flow-on effects of China’s ban on imported material for recycling, landfills in Melbourne’s west continue to grow and residents say…
By Benjamin Preiss A western suburbs council is warning of an environmental crisis over a rapidly-filling rubbish tip caught in a legal impasse over its expansion. The Wyndham City Council wants…
By Charlene Macaulay The fight to stop the expansion of Werribee tip will reach court in May, after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) dismissed a Wyndham council bid…
MEDIA RELEASE 6 February 2018 Western suburbs residents will take the expansion of the Werribee landfill to VCAT after the tribunal refused to uphold Wyndham City Council’s attempt to have…
IN A bizarre war over words, the Supreme Court has voted for plain speech in the case of a North Warrandyte couple, who complained about a proposed home that involved…
MEDIA RELEASE 2 November 2017 A decision of Victoria's Supreme Court today confirms the ability of concerned Victorians to object to inappropriate developments – and emphasises the importance of minimising…
This report, jointly released by the Australian Conservation Foundation and Environmental Justice Australia, identifies key ‘anti-corruption’ principles and sets out how these need to be applied to government decision-making on…
In this fact sheet: What are EPA licences for power stations and air quality control regions? What air monitoring is available for the Latrobe Valley and can you access it?…
Communities who live in close proximity to power stations in NSW have some rights to enforce licence conditions and seek remedy for pollution offences. There are ways that communities can…
Environmental Justice Australia welcomes the Victorian Government’s announcement today of major reforms to the EPA and Victoria’s environment protection laws. EJA has long been calling for an overhaul of the…
Monday 07/07/15 Ian Kirkwood, Newcastle Herald RIO Tinto, its employees and its supporters have urged the Planning Assessment Commission to approve its plans for the Mount Thorley Warkworth mine, saying…
Tuesday 09/09/15 ABC News The Planning Assessment Commission has been told millions of dollars in wages will be lost if the Mount Thorley Warkworth mine does not go ahead. A…
The Victorian Government is reviewing the Charter of Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (the Human Rights Charter). Envirojustice made a submission calling for environmental rights to be recognised in the…
The Federal Parliament is doing an inquiry into whether environment organisations should be able to receive donations from the public that are tax deductible. The Federal Coalition Government’s comments surrounding…
Environmental Justice Australia is representing Latrobe Valley community group Voices of the Valley to formally push for a coronial inquiry into February’s Hazelwood coal mine fire. “The recent Hazelwood Mine…
Who is Voices of the Valley? Voices of the Valley is an incorporated group of residents in the Latrobe Valley which formed in March 2014 during the mine fire due…
Wednesday 16/07/2014 Nicola Rivers, New Matilda A Victorian Government decision to fast track the approval of a major new Melbourne road has shredded the rule book on community consultation. Environmental…
Thursday 04/10/2012 The Herald Sun PLANNING Minister Matthew Guy has been accused of changing a planning scheme at the 11th hour to allow family homes to be built on coastline…
View ANEDO Submission to the National Human Rights Consultation (PDF 404KB)
View ANEDO Submission on review of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (DOCX 844KB)
View ANEDO Strategic Framework for Access to Justice in the Federal Civil System (PDF 117KB)
View ANEDO Submission to the Productivity Commission on Access to Justice Arrangements(PDF 597KB)
The EDO is embarking on a project to explore community participation in the governance and management of water resources in Victoria and how laws, regulatory systems and practices facilitate or…
The term 'environmental justice' has been very little used in Australia, and certainly not in the rich context that it has been in the United States. However there are signs…
Friday 16/5/14 Bill Meldrum, Portland Observer A MOVE to stop fracking is gaining momentum with more than 400 people turning up to two anti-fracking meetings in the region this week….
EDO Victoria welcomes the Productivity Commission’s recommendations for Protective Costs Orders in today’s draft report on Access to Justice. “It’s great to see the Productivity Commission supporting the availability of…
Thursday 09/01/2014 Tom Warne, The Drum Under the secretive Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, Australia could be forced to pay foreign corporations not to dig up or destroy its coastline or…
Thursday 19/12/2013 Alexander White, The Guardian Stay with me on this one. The joke started something like this: a cockatoo, a potoroo, a skink and a brown tree frog go…
By Reissa Su, International Business Times Australia’s network of legal centres is not happy with the Coalition government and Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s decision to cut funding for the Environmental Defenders…
Wednesday 18/12/2013 Sally Rawsthorne, The New Daily Not-for-profit lawyers who represent small communities in environment disputes have had their funding withdrawn by the federal government, and they’re not happy about…
MEDIA RELEASE 17 December 2013 ‘This afternoon I was advised by the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s department that funding for Environment Defenders Offices around the country is to be terminated.’ said Brendan…
Tuesday 17/12/2013 Tom Arup, The Age Australia’s environmental legal centres have lost their federal funding in a move that could see the closure of some of the nine offices around…
Wednesday 17/12/2013 ABC News A nationwide network of legal centres providing representation for environment-related cases deemed to be in the public interest have had their funding cut by the Federal…
Monday 09/09/2013 Nicola Rivers, newmatilda.com The Napthine Government has passed laws to speed up major infrastructure projects, aimed at bypassing opposition to the controversial East-West toll road, writes Nicola Rivers…
Tuesday 3/09/13 Keith Platt, Western Port News THE new federal government will be pressured to undertake an environmental assessment of Western Port before any expansion of the Port of Hastings….
Saturday, 23/08/13 Nicola Rivers, The Age Letters The question Victorians should be asking about the Ventnor saga is how could the Planning Minister get into this mess in the first…
Monday 17/06/2013 Jason Dowling, The Age Residents and environment advocates fear price rises introduced at Victoria's planning tribunal will lead to far less scrutiny of the planning system. Victorian Civil…
Thursday 16/05/13 Kate Dowler, The Weekly Times VICTORIA urgently needs to tighten its mining laws before signing up to national guidelines for coal seam gas extraction. That's according to the…
Friday 05/04/2013 ABC News The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is cutting the time it spends to approve projects that could pose a risk to the environment. Under the changes, the…
Friday 11/01/13 Tom Arup, The Age MELBOURNE Water has stepped in to ensure greater protection of a waterway in a mining area in the Wombat Forest, near Daylesford, after the…
Thursday 20/12/12 Stephen Drill, Peter Rolfe, Herald Sun A DAVID-and-Goliath legal battle is set to erupt over the lease of the land under Victoria's controversial desalination plant. Environmentalist Maurice Schinkel…
Monday 26/11/12 Jason Byrne, The Conversation Ever heard of “environmental justice”? No? It links social and environmental discrimination. Still doesn’t sound familiar? Well if you’ve seen the movie Erin Brockovich…
Friday 23/11/12 Bruce Lindsay, New Matilda Ted Baillieu wants to partner up with community groups to help protect the environment. But his government continues to take power out of the…
Tuesday 16/10/12 Felicity Millner, Herald Sun Law Blog Opinion: Good planning should be based on community consultation, expert advice, accountability and transparency. Last Thursday, Minister for Planning, Matthew Guy MP,…
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has handed down its decision in Lisa Caripis v Victoria Police, an important case about protesters and their rights to privacy. The EDO…
Thursday 04/10/2012 Frances Bell, ABC News Victoria's Planning Minister Matthew Guy has been accused of undermining the planning appeals process by approving coastal housing near Portland. Mr Guy stripped the…
Thursday 04/10/2012 Jane Lee, The Age PLANNING Minister Matthew Guy has hatched a plan to avoid a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing days before it is due to start…
Land owners at Narrawong, east of Portland, finally have some certainty on if they are allowed to build on their land. It's been an issue for more than four years…
Tuesday 4/09/2012 Rhiana Whitson, ABC Gippsland About 100 people attended a public meeting on coal seam gas on Monday, organised by the newly-formed Wellington Coal Seam Gas Wellington Awareness Group…
Thursday 2/08/2012 Nicholas Croggon, Herald Sun Law Blog OPINION: Environmental lawyer and activist Nicholas Croggon argues protesters have a right to privacy after police refused to destroy video footage from…
The EDO is acting for Lisa Caripis, who attended a protest at the Hazelwood Power Station in 2010, where she experienced being filmed by the Victoria Police. The Victoria Police…
By Ami Humpage, Melton Leader MOORABOOL Environment Group wants the State Government to investigate possible health risks linked to Bacchus Marsh coal exploration. Along with other groups that have mining exploration…
Fri 08/06/12 Mark Wakeham, campaigns director at Environment Victoria, Crikey Environment Victoria made a freedom of information request on December 15 last year. We sought documents relating to the state…
Thurs 17/05/2012 Hamish Fitzsimmons, Lateline Transcript: TONY JONES, PRESENTER: Lawyers and human rights advocates in Victoria have mounted a legal challenge to police surveillance of protestors. The civil case is…
MEDIA RELEASE 18 April 2012 Federation of Community Legal Centres – Victoria Community legal centres around Victoria welcomed today’s Auditor-General report on Freedom of Information in Victoria. The Auditor-General’s findings…
We have released a submission in response to the National Human Rights Action Plan. The Action Plan forms part of a suite of human rights policy documents developed by the…
Fri 27/01/2012 Tom Arup, The Age A CLIMATE change activist has launched legal action against Victoria Police after they refused to destroy footage of the activist at a rally at…
Tues 18/10/2011 Nick Toscano, Melton Weekly and Moorabool Weekly A MELBOURNE environmental lawyer will meet with worried Moorabool residents tonight to help them thwart plans to start open-cut coal mining…
Tues 30/08/2011 Kath Gannaway, Mountain Views Mail ANTI-PIPELINE campaigner Jan Beer said last week she had been vindicated over claims Melbourne Water spied on her as she campaigned against the…
Wed 24/08/2011 Melissa Fyfe, The Age MELBOURNE Water has conceded it collected ''a large amount'' of personal information about one of its most vocal critics and will make a public…
Sun 03/10/2010 Melissa Fyfe, The Age ONE of the Brumby government's most vocal critics is taking it to court over what has been described as an ''astounding'' breach of her…
Mon 10/05/2010 Helen Pitt, The Age A BREAKWATER that threatens a popular surf break will be the centre of a historic legal action taken by residents of an East Gippsland…
Thurs 11/06/2009 Brendan Sydes and Lucy McKernan, The Age Opinion Let's protect the people who take on the powerful for our benefit. IMAGINE devoting years to a cause you believe…
Mon 18/08/2008 Zoe Lyon, Lawyers Weekly THE RISKS for coastal properties arising from climate change are firmly in the spotlight, following a recent decision by the Victorian Civil and Administrative…
