04 Apr 2024
Electric scooter trials in regional centres in NSW
The electric scooter is growing in popularity in Europe as a means of urban transport, and there has been pressure in Australia to allow them to be used on cycleways and selected public roads. In many European cities, a person can rent an e-scooter on the spot, ride it wherever they want to go, and […]
Read the full story01 Feb 2024
Success in class action for business disruption due to Sydney light rail roadworks
A recent Supreme Court judgment may open the way for businesses to claim damages from the government if they lose income due to business disruption as a result of major road works. Construction of light rail causes significant business disruption Two Sydney small business owners took Transport for NSW to court after they lost income […]
Read the full story24 Jan 2024
“Is it legal for me to pump water from the river?” – laws governing water use in NSW
Water security challenges loom as groundwater and river systems under threat Australia is a dry continent, and it is only getting drier. The country’s largest river and groundwater systems are under threat. As competing interests assert their right to water access, it is important to understand the laws governing water use. Regional towns and industries […]
Read the full story10 Jan 2024
Can you make a public liability claim for gym injuries?
Regular physical exercise is an important part of maintaining health and fitness. People exercise in various locations, such as their local park, running along coastal tracks, or training at home or at a commercial gym. But with exercise comes the risk of sports-related or gym injuries. Gyms often unstaffed and unsupervised As the Covid pandemic […]
Read the full story11 Oct 2023
Court rejects nuclear waste dump after challenge by traditional owners
Coalition government claimed dump site had support of local community When the previous coalition government announced a national nuclear waste dump would be built on a 211-hectare farm near Kimba in South Australia, it proclaimed it had the support of local people. The dump would take low-level radioactive medical waste and temporarily store intermediate-level nuclear […]
Read the full story12 Sep 2023
Traditional Aboriginal fishing in NSW: end to prosecutions long overdue
Indigenous people in New South Wales continue to be targeted and prosecuted under the Fisheries Management Act for participating in traditional Aboriginal fishing practices, leading to disconnection from Country, loss of intergenerational knowledge and adverse health outcomes. Indigenous environmental management practices and cultural traditions Indigenous Australians have managed their lands and waters for millennia, ensuring […]
Read the full story30 Mar 2023
“Rights of nature” redefining humanity’s place in the natural world
The looming climate catastrophe has engendered the “Rights of Nature” movement, which strives to redefine the relationship between humanity and the world we inhabit. The natural world is arguably recognised as a living entity with legal “personhood” and the same rights as humans to be protected, survive and thrive. Climate change and ecological deterioration Chances […]
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