Lock the Gate Alliance is disappointed that the Government appears to be pressing ahead with its agenda to take away access to the courts for farmers whose livelihoods depend on a healthy environment, with the handing down today of a committee report recommending the parliament take away broad access to judicial review of decisions to approve actions under the country's national environmental law.
Spokesperson Carmel Flint questioned why Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull was pursuing an anti-democratic removal of checks and balances for damaging mining projects.
She said, "Is the Prime Minister seriously pursuing a crack down on basic legal rights for farming communities that have their water resources affected by large scale coal mining projects.
"Does he not believe that access to the courts to test Ministerial decisions is a fundamental check and balance to prevent misuse of the law by Ministers that are a little too eager to wave mining projects through the approval process, regardless of the impact on the land and precious water resources?"