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Issue_19_October_2016-69

Nature Nanotechnology develops a new water purifierThey produced a tiny tablet that can save many lives by purifying water in minutes, just by being exposed to the sun.

USA National Park growsYosemite National Park has just been enlarged by 400 acres of lush meadowlands edged with cedars and ponderosa pines that provide habitat for some of California’s most threatened wildlife.

Mining leases in TarkineThe Full Court of the Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed the Tasmanian Government’s appeal against an earlier ruling that the Tarkine National Coalition (TNC) was entitled to reasons for the Minister’s decision to grant mining leases for the Venture Minerals’ Mt Lindsay and Livingstone projects. In the lead judgment, his Honour Justice Estcourt found: “There is no merit in the Minister ’s appeal ... The present appeal is, in my view a shining example of an appeal failing to identify an error on the part of the primary judge. The State Government had argued that parliament intended to confine rights to reasons for decisions under the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 to those directly affected by the decisions landowners and mining companies.

However, the Full Court upheld her Honour Justice Wood’s decision that the TNC was a “person aggrieved” by the Minister’s decisions, and therefore entitled to understand the reasons the mining leases were granted. Justice Estcourt noted: ... her Honour found that there was ample evidence that the TNC had an interest greater than an ordinary member of the public, that its interest in the Tarkine was long-standing, and that its reason for existing was to protect the natural values of the Tarkine.”

Claire Bookless, EDO Tasmania’s litigation lawyer, said: “This decision is significant because it reaffirms that environmental groups, such as the TNC, also have a legitimate interest in mining decisions. These groups have a right to know why government decisions are made, and to challenge those decisions where the government has not complied with the law.”

For more details see the EDO information.

In the News

BWA October 2016 | 69



Volunteers to help repair tracks in South-West TasmaniaFor a number of years the track leading to Lake Judd, Schnells Ridge and Mount Sarah Jane area of the Anne Range has been both deteriorating and becoming overgrown. One of the culprit plants is Bauera and in typical fashion it's expanding over the track and becoming quite dense, forcing walkers to one side because it is hard to push through. The track is the Red Tape Track, although maps also show it as the Lake Judd Track.

The Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) which manages the area is starved of funds and the Ranger in Charge has approached the Friends of Mount Field (FMF) for assistance. The friends have worked with PWS at Mount Field for 15 years and a few locations outside Mount Field, but this will be one of the furthest from home base.

This is a joint project between the FMF and PWS and volunteers are being sought from people interested in looking after the area, such as bushwalkers. The track is the Tasmanian World Heritage Area is some 135 kilometres from Hobart and takes nearly three hours to get there by car. It's envisaged that the initial work will be one day and is planned when daylight is reasonably long and in the more settled summer months of early 2017, probably January. The work will mostly be on the eastern side of the Anne River, a 45 minute walk from the road.

Volunteers can sign up for the work at this web site.

In the News

BWA October 2016 | 71