If the Pope and Naomi Klein have finally got you worried about the international fossil-fuel industry, come to the next meeting of the 17 Group, which will be held onWednesday the 2nd of September at 7 pm in unit 6, at 20 Drury St, West End. Hear Jo-Anne Bragg, Environmental Defender’s Office CEO and lawyer, speak on the topic:
“Community groups challenge Controversial Galilee Basin Coal Mines”.
Summary of talk:
A feisty community group objected to this risky Adani Carmichael mine in the Queensland Land Court this year.
The potential impacts of this mine on climate change, economics, groundwater, the Great Barrier Reef and endangered species were debated in Court by expert witnesses.
If it goes ahead the Adani Carmichael Coal mine would be the biggest coal mine in Australia, with millions of tonnes of coal transported from the Galilee Basin by rail to Abbot Point then exported through the Great Barrier Reef.
And, as reported in recent media, community group Mackay Conservation Group overturned Federal Approval of this mine by legal action because Minister Hunt had not followed the law.
Hear about the litigation and the extreme response of the Federal government. The Federal government especially Attorney-General George Brandis wants to weaken community group rights and legal standing, rather than risk repetition of legal errors by Minister Hunt.
Short biographical notes on the speaker:
Jo-Anne Bragg
CEO, Solicitor of Environmental Defenders Office Qld who represents community groups challenging Adani in the Land Court.
Jo-Anne has provided invaluable legal advice and legal education to members of the public and community and environment groups, and has made critical contributions to reforming Queensland’s environmental laws, particularly in successful advocacy for expanded third party enforcement rights.
Jo has worked on many successful test cases concerning the Commonwealth and State environmental laws.
After working with law firm Minter Ellison in Sydney in company and commercial law, Jo moved to Brisbane in 1992 to take up the position of Solicitor at the EDO Qld, and is now the longest serving EDO solicitor in Australia.
Jo-Anne graduated from Sydney University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws.
The Pope and Naomi Klein have finally got Leon worried about the international fossil-fuel industry, to judge by the fact that Laudato Si’ and This Changes Everything (with heavily underscored passages and marginal notes) were the books on his desk when we went to issue our usual invitation.
Can this noted internationalist bring himself to attend, we wondered, a meeting about a mere coal mine ‘in one country’, nay, even worse, ‘in one province’, as we left in the middle of his long rave comparing former Stalinist narrow-mindedness to contemporary Corporatist short-sightedness.
The political conclusion was not due to come for an hour or so, and we had to send out these notices. If the inexorable issue of his brilliant cogitation has resulted in his presence, you will know only if you yourself attend.
Jo-Anne Bragg
CEO, Solicitor
30 Hardgrave Rd WEST END, QLD 4101
tel+61 7 3211 4466 fax+61 7 3211 4655
edoqld www.edo.org.au/edoqld
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If the Pope and Naomi Klein have finally got you worried about the international fossil-fuel industry, come to the next meeting of the 17 Group, which will be held on Wednesday the 2nd of September at 7 pm in unit 6, at 20 Drury St, West End.