Australian Aboriginal activist Neil McKenzie and his allies won a significant court ruling today that will delay and perhaps derail the Kimberley Browse Basin natural gas development near Broome in Western Australia. Neil visited us in May 2010 and SeaTurtles.org presented him with a Global Statement in Support of Protecting the Kimberley a year ago in December 2010. At right: Neil McKenzie at Chevron shareholder meeting in Houston, Texas, May 2010. Photo by Teri Shore/Seaturtles.org
Court quashes Kimberley gas hub land grab
Updated December 06, 2011 14:25:19
Western Australia’s Supreme Court has ruled invalid the State Government’s move to compulsorily acquire land for a gas hub in the Kimberley.
Chief Justice Wayne Martin ruled three notices of intention to acquire the land at James Price Point were invalid because they did not contain a description of the land. Read more.
Gas hub land acquisition ‘invalid’
AMANDA BANKS LEGAL AFFAIRS EDITOR, The West Australian
December 6, 2011, 10:49 am
The compulsory land acquisition process launched by the State Government, which underpins controversial plans for a $30 billion gas hub at James Price Point, has been declared invalid by the Supreme Court.
In a decision handed down this morning, Chief Justice Wayne Martin found that three notices of intention issued by Lands Minister Brendon Grylls to take the land to establish the gas precinct are invalid.
Ruling on a challenge by Goolarabooloo man Phillip Roe and Jabbir Jabbir descendent Neil McKenzie, Justice Martin found that the notices had failed to provide a description of the land as required under the legislation.
However, Justice Martin said the declaration that the notices issued last year were invalid would not prevent Mr Grylls from issuing further notices of intention to compulsorily acquire the land.Read more.
Traditional land owners claim gas hub court victory
December 6, 2011 – 11:05AM
Compulsory land acquisition notices issued by the West Australian government for Woodside Petroleum’s proposed Browse gas hub at James Price Point were unlawful, a court has found.
Traditional land owners, the Jabbir Jabbir people represented by Neil Patrick McKenzie, and the Goolarabooloo people represented by Phillip James Roe, had a victory on Tuesday when chief Justice Wayne Martin declared three notices of land acquisition as invalid.
Read more:
Court finds State Government’s compulsory Kimberley land grab invalid
• by:Rebecca Lawson
• From:PerthNow
• December 06, 2011 10:48am
THE WA Supreme Court has ruled “invalid” the State Government’s moves to compulsorily acquire land for the multi-billion dollar Kimberley gas hub.
Justice Wayne Martin this morning handed down his decision over the James Price Point land needed for the hub, which will be underpinned by Woodside Petroleum’s $30 billion Browse project.
Read more: http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/local-business/court-finds-state-governments-compulsory-kimberley-land-grab-invalid/story-e6frg2s3-1226215144473
