Upload
others
View
0
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Environmental Courts in the 21st Century Environment
The Honourable Justice Dennis A The Honourable Justice Dennis A CowdroyCowdroy OAMOAMLand and Environment CourtLand and Environment Court
New South WalesNew South Wales
Australia
Sydney Harbour
The natural and built environment of Sydney Harbour
The Legal System New South Wales
Supreme Courtof NSW
Land and EnvironmentCourt of NSW
Compensation Courtof NSW
Industrial RelationsCommission of NSW
Supreme Court of NSWCourt of Appeal
High Court of Australia
Sydney Harbour
The natural and built environment of Sydney Harbour
Composition of the Court
7 judges7 judges10 commissioners qualified as:10 commissioners qualified as:
Town plannersTown plannersEnvironmental scientistsEnvironmental scientistsLand valuersLand valuersArchitects or engineers, orArchitects or engineers, orNatural resource managersNatural resource managers
Jurisdiction of the Court
Classes 1Classes 1--3 involve merits review of 3 involve merits review of decisionsdecisionsClass 4 involves judicial review of Class 4 involves judicial review of government decisions, to make sure they government decisions, to make sure they have been made lawfullyhave been made lawfullyClasses 5Classes 5--7 involve criminal prosecution for 7 involve criminal prosecution for environmental offencesenvironmental offences
Jurisdiction of the Court
Over 50 enactments provide the Court with Over 50 enactments provide the Court with its subject matter jurisdictionits subject matter jurisdictionMajor areas of the Court’s work include:Major areas of the Court’s work include:
Development
Urban and rural planning
Pollution and other environmental offences
Heritage
Fauna
Flora
National Parks
Water resources
Development – Central Sydney planning
Sydney Central Business District
Development - coastline
Byron Bay, New South Wales
Environmental Offences
Oil discharge into the waters of Sydney Harbour by the Laura D’Amato
Environmental Offences
Unauthorised clearing of natural vegetation
Snowy Mountains, New South Wales
Heritage – Adaptive ReuseFormer General Post Office of Sydney
now the Westin Hotel
Heritage Protection …
Colonial farm house, Campbelltown near Sydney in 1995 before development of site
… and Development
The site after development following approval by a local authority
Protection of Australian Native fauna
Rainbow Lorikeet
Frilled neck lizard
Platypus
Protection of Australian Native flora
Banksia Gymea Lily
National Parks
The Three Sisters, Blue Mountains
World Heritage List
National Parks
Sawn Rocks
Mt Kaputar National Park, New South Wales
National Parks
Carrington Falls
National Parks
Innovative Court procedures
Open standingOpen standing
Expert evidenceExpert evidence
Concurrent evidenceConcurrent evidenceCourtCourt--appointed expertsappointed experts
OnOn--site hearingssite hearings
Remediation ordersRemediation orders
Case Study - Water
Comparative Rainfall
9309301,6301,630S AmericaS America340340660660N AmericaN America250250640640EuropeEurope5757465465AUSTRALIAAUSTRALIA290290600600AsiaAsia260260690690AfricaAfrica
Average Average runoff (mm)runoff (mm)
Average Average Rainfall Rainfall (mm)(mm)
ContinentContinent
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics
River systems of Australia
Rivers of Australia
Wetlands in New South Wales
Australian Water FundThree new programmes:Three new programmes:
Water Smart Australia Water Smart Australia –– grants for grants for technological investment to improve water technological investment to improve water usage efficiencyusage efficiencyImproved monitoring and measuring of water Improved monitoring and measuring of water usageusageWELS Scheme WELS Scheme –– water efficiency labelling water efficiency labelling on domestic applianceson domestic appliances
Lake Eyre
Lake Eyre salt lakearea 9,500 sq km
River systems in New South Wales
River systems in Australia
Wetlands in the Murray-Darling
New South Wales legislation
Water Management Acts 2000 and 2004Water Management Acts 2000 and 2004New water access licences issued which New water access licences issued which are separate from land rightsare separate from land rightsAllocations of water for the environmentAllocations of water for the environmentWater access licences can be tradedWater access licences can be tradedPreservation of catchmentsPreservation of catchments
Rivers of New South Wales
Rivers of New South Wales
The Clarence River in northern New South Wales
Rivers of New South Wales
Woodford DamBlue Mountains, west of Sydney
Environmental Courts for the 21st Century Environment
Environmental Courts in the 21st Century EnvironmentAustraliaSydney HarbourThe Legal System New South WalesSydney HarbourComposition of the CourtJurisdiction of the CourtJurisdiction of the CourtDevelopment – Central Sydney planningDevelopment - coastlineEnvironmental OffencesEnvironmental OffencesHeritage – Adaptive ReuseHeritage Protection …… and DevelopmentProtection of Australian Native faunaProtection of Australian Native floraNational ParksNational ParksNational ParksNational ParksInnovative Court proceduresCase Study - WaterComparative RainfallRiver systems of AustraliaRivers of AustraliaAustralian Water FundLake EyreRiver systems in New South WalesRiver systems in AustraliaNew South Wales legislationRivers of New South WalesRivers of New South WalesRivers of New South WalesEnvironmental Courts for the 21st Century Environment