McArthur River Supreme Court judgment
Posted by mcarthurriver on April 28, 2007
The McArthur River Supreme Court judgment is to be handed down at 2pm on Monday 30th April 2007.
Unfortunately the case did not hear the merits of the proposal, only whether the decision to approve the mine was done legally. It is a shame that the NT Government’s processes forced the Traditional Owners to rely on the courts to protect environment and culture.
A little bit of justice will see the NT government forced to properly assess the proposal to mine and divert the McArthur River. They could then apologise to the Traditional Owners for ignoring and disrespecting their culture and for shamelessly promoting an inappropriate mine whilst failing in their duties to protect the environment.
A win will mean a victory for the people.
A loss will reward the efforts of Xstrata, who persuaded Prime Minister John Howard and Chief Minister Clare Martin to support a mine that has never made a profit or paid royalties.
In any event the next legal challenge, in the Federal Court (Darwin) is scheduled for the 3rd and 4th of May 2007.
Posted in Legal challenge, McArthur River, NT Government, Xstrata | No Comments »
