Australia's Port Melville challenged in court by environmental body

AusGroup

25/02/2016 08:25

SYDNEY, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Australia's Port Melville on the 
Tiwi Islands, off the country's north coast, is facing a legal 
challenge in a federal court brought on by an environmental body 
concerned the project was approved by the government and built 
without proper assessment.  
    The A$130 million ($93 million) facility, developed by a 
unit of Singapore-based AusGroup  AUSG.SI , includes a 
30-million-litre oil depot on Melville Island, 120 km (74.56 
miles) north of Darwin, the capital of Australia's Northern 
Territory.  
    Developer Ezion Offshore Logistics Hub (Tiwi) Pty Ltd did 
not file an environmental impact statement at the time of 
construction. Australia's Federal Department of the Environment 
had later ruled that no such statement was necessary. 
    But the Environment Centre Northern Territory, a non-profit 
environmental body, is challenging the government's decision. 
    Ian Harris, director of the Environment Centre, told Reuters 
the case was not about shutting down the port, but rather about 
ensuring due process was followed.  
    "We have to get these major projects right," Harris said in 
a separate statement. 
    "To do that requires proper assessment and planning and we 
don't believe the government's decision has achieved that." 
    A spokesman for Australian environment minister Greg Hunt 
said the project was assessed in accordance with the national 
environment law, but declined to give any further comments as 
the matter is currently in court. 
    The matter was heard in Australia's Federal Court in Darwin 
on Thursday, and adjourned until April 14. 
    Calls to AusGroup in Australia and Singapore were not 
returned. 
    ($1 = 1.3926 Australian dollars) 
 
 (Reporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Himani Sarkar) 
 ((tom.westbrook@thomsonreuters.com; +61293218233;)) 
 
Keywords: AUSTRALIA TIWI/PORTS