Australia’s largest climate-focused legal service, the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO), has paid out over $9 million to oil and gas company Santos. This settlement comes after a court rejected the EDO's attempt to block an offshore pipeline near the Tiwi Islands and found the EDO had coached Indigenous witnesses. The EDO had previously won an emergency injunction to suspend Santos's plans to lay a 262-kilometre pipeline, citing risks to underwater cultural heritage and the travels of creatures from Dreaming stories. However, Federal Court judge Natalie Charlesworth lifted the injunction in January and criticized some evidence put forth by the EDO.
Australia’s biggest climate-focused legal service will pay more than $9 million to oil and gas giant Santos after a court rejected its attempt to block an offshore pipeline near the Tiwi Islands and found it had coached Indigenous witnesses.
In one instance, the judgment criticised evidence based on a “cultural mapping” exercise as “so lacking in integrity that no weight can be placed” on it.The court’s ruling on Thursday for the EDO to pay all of Santos’ legal costs in the failed case – $9,042,093 – on an indemnity basis and without any discount will come as a significant financial blow to the group, which is jointly funded by philanthropists and state and federal governments.
“It is unacceptable that the EDO continues to receive $2 million a year in taxpayer funds from the federal government to disrupt and delay critical energy projects and put Australia’s economic and energy security at risk,” Australian Energy Producers chief executive Samantha McCulloch said. “We look forward to continuing to provide public interest legal support to communities fighting to keep the climate safe, defend cultural heritage and protect the species and places they love,” he said.
Documents released by the court in October this year outline a range of conversations between O’Leary, the EDO and some of the people involved in the anti-Santos campaign.
Environmental Defenders Office Santos Tiwi Islands Pipeline Indigenous Heritage Dreaming Stories
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