Friends of Leadbeater's Possum Inc v VicForests [2018] FCA 178

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Friends of Leadbeater's Possum Inc v VicForests [2018] FCA 178 File number: VID 1228 of 2017

Judge: MORTIMER J

Date of judgment: 2 March 2018

Catchwords: ENVIRONMENT LAW – statutory interpretation of regulatory scheme established under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) and related legislation –non-compliance with a certain clause of a regional forest agreement – whether exemption in s 38(1) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) engaged – nature of the compliance with regional forest agreement required to engage exemption – applicant's construction rejected

Legislation: Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth), s 15AB Australia Heritage Commissions Act 1975 (Cth) Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (Cth), s 4 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), ss 3, 18, 19, 25, 29, 32, 33, 34, 34A, 34D, 37, 37B, 37G, 37M, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46, 39, 53, 70, 73, 74, 74A, 74AA, 139, 176, 178, 179, 184, 188, 189, 194, 196, 197, 304, 305, 475, 487, 502, 517A, 523, 524, 525 Environmental Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act 1974 (Cth) Environmental Reform (Consequential Provisions) Act 1999 (Cth) Evidence Act 1995 (Cth), s 191 Export Control Act 1982 (Cth) Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), ss 501, 502 Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth), rr 9.12, 30.01 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Cth) Regional Forest Agreements Act 1999 (Cth), ss 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, Schedule 1 Regional Forest Agreements Bill 2002 (Cth), cl 6 Regional Forest Agreements Bill 1998 (Cth), cl 3 Industrial Relations Regulations 1989 (Cth), reg 98 Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (Vic) Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987 (Vic) Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (Vic) Forests Act 1958 (Vic) State Owned Enterprises Act 1992 (Vic), s 14