As always, it has been a very busy and productive period for EDOWA and its clients. We completed a detailed submission to the Independent Scientific Inquiry into Fracking, outlining our concerns with the legal and regulatory mechanisms that would apply to fracking if the current moratorium was lifted. In doing so, we made over 40 recommendations for reform of the law as it would apply to fracking, but also made it clear that the State should focus on investing in renewable energy rather than an industry that will increase the State’s greenhouse gas emissions.

We hope that you had an restful festive season and managed to venture outside, recharge, and enjoy some of Western Australia’s amazing environment during the break.

We spent some time in our south-west forests, and in doing so was able to reflect on some of EDOWA’s achievements in 2017. This included acting for Tjiwarl Traditional Custodians in a Supreme Court challenge to protect their country from uranium mining and to uphold the State’s environmental laws; working with a community group in Esperance to protect Ramsar Wetlands, local farms and tourism businesses from the impacts of a proposed landfill facility; acting in the Mining Warden’s Court to protect the Helena and Aurora Range and Kimberley from iron ore and coal mining, and much more.

We are very excited to announce that the Minister for Environment will be helping to launch the first EDOWA online art auction at 6pm on 1 November 2017 at 6.30pm Gallery Central, Northbridge. The evening will also be filled with talks by several artists who will discuss their works, as well as refreshments and the opportunity to preview the art available for auction online.

September has been another busy and productive month at EDOWA.

As you may know, EDOWA has been representing the Conservation Council WA and Traditional Owners in an application to the Supreme Court for judicial review of the decision to approve the Yeelirrie Uranium Project.

In late August the Supreme Court decided that it would hear this application on 14 November.

Incidentally this was the day that Traditional Owners and other concerned community members ended their month long Walkatjurra Walkabout against uranium mining.

You can read more about the Walkabout and the court case here.

Welcome to the latest edition of the EDO WA news.

First I would like to thank everyone who attended the recent Innovations in Land Use seminar which we held in conjunction with the Piddington Society and with generous support from Curtin University, Castledine Gregory and Solomon Brothers.

In the EDOWA office we are working hard in preparation for a hearing in the Perth Warden’s Court in early August as we represent a number of conservation groups who are objecting to the grant of mining tenements in the Helena and Aurora Range, which is about 100km from Southern Cross in the Great Western Woodlands.

In this newsletter we also include some interesting events coming up, including the Social Impact Festival that has just commenced and will be running until 28 July.

Finally, I would like to remind you that memberships for the 2016/17 financial year are now due. The easiest way to become a new member or renew your existing membership is to visit our membership page on our website.

Please also consider donating to our current Access to Environmental Justice crowdfunding campaign, which only has a few weeks left to run. Thank you to a couple of very generous donations, our tally is sitting at just over $25,000. However we still hope to grow the tally before the campaign concludes! Support from the community is vital in ensuring we can continue to provide our services. We are very grateful to everyone who has donated to date.

—Declan Doherty