It’s because of people like you that we continue to employ our unique combination of litigation, law reform, science and legal education in the defence of Australia’s exceptional biodiversity. 

You can help EDO stand up in Court for people and natural icons like the Bight by making a tax-deductible donation to our Environmental Defence Fund, using the form on this page, or donate via Paypal here. Details for other ways to donate are below.

On December 18 2019, NOPSEMA announced conditional approval for Norwegian multinational Equinor to commence drilling in the Bight, despite widespread public concern about the dangers this presents to these pristine waters and the precious whales, dolphins, sea lions and many other marine creatures that live there. As our 2018 report on Biodiversity Laws, prepared for the Humane Society International, outlined, Australia has lost so many of its unique species – we can’t risk endangering more.

Ultra-deepwater oil drilling is a high-risk operation that caused the world’s biggest oil spill accident: 2010’s Deepwater Horizon tragedy, when 800 million litres of oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days, killing thousands of birds, mammals and sea turtles and contaminating the area to this day. Closer to home, the Montara Oil Spill Disaster which occurred in 2009 in the Timor Sea (off the coast of the Northern Territory) provides its own cautionary tale. Equinor’s own modelling revealed that an oil spill from an uncontained blowout was guaranteed to impact the South Australian coast, and could affect much of southern Australia’s coast, from Western Australia right across to Tasmania and as far as the East coast and Sydney.

The Great Australian Bight is an extraordinarily vital environment, with 85% of its marine species found only in these waters. It is a haven for 36 species of whales and dolphins, including the world’s most important nursery for the endangered Southern Right whale. It’s the most important nursery for the endangered Australian sea lion and also supports Australia’s biggest fishing industry.

We’ve commenced proceedings on the basis that there is a clear legal requirement under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 for consultation with concerned organisations. This consultation process is vital to ensure that all risks are identified and properly assessed. We’re arguing on behalf of our client that NOPSEMA made a legal error by approving the exploration, in circumstances where consultation from Equinor did not meet the basic regulatory requirements in deciding to approve the drilling.

This deepwater oil well threatens to damage one of our most important marine ecosystems, as well as local tourism and fishing industries, yet Equinor refused to formally consult key stakeholders in the process. Our client is confident that if they, and other relevant groups, had been formally consulted, this could have resulted in a very different decision-making process, leading NOPSEMA to impose stricter conditions relating to environmental protection, or perhaps even to reject the project outright.

With your support, the Environmental Defenders Office will continue to act in the public interest, on behalf of everyone from large conservation organisations to small communities on the frontline of dangerous developments threatening our already suffering wildlife.

Thank you for your generous support and for standing with us as we stand up for people and nature.

Please help us help the community by making a donation to our Environmental Defence Fund using the form on this page, or donate via Paypal here.  

If you’d prefer to donate offline, you can post a cheque to the Environmental Defenders Office c/o Level 5, 263 Clarence Street Sydney NSW 2000 or email us for our EFT details.