A council that unsuccessfully challenged a BHP coal mine rehabilitation plan faces a hefty legal bill after it failed to convince a court that the matter was in the public interest.
A high-profile court decision has set out a detailed framework for assessing social impacts that proponents of many types of projects should consider using, says leading law firm Clayton Utz.
In a court ruling that focussed on buffer requirements and the status of large-scale storage batteries, a judge has rejected a bid by neighbours of a proposed wind farm to change its assessment category.
NSW Environment Court Chief Judge Brian Preston today refused consent for a mine, saying the greenhouse gas emissions from extracting and burning its coal are unacceptable.