Concordia Pacific is very pleased to introduce our new environmental law blog, the Daily Planet. We began to publish the blog in early June 2011.
The blog will cover issues of interest to professionals working in the fields of environmental protection and local government.
We will be focusing particularly on noteworthy decisions of the Land and Environment Court, as well as on other news items that may inform and guide the activities of environmental managers, consultants, lawyers, town planners and others who may be involved with compliance issues.
Our initial posts discuss:
* A contempt proceeding brought by Sydney Council against an owners' corporation for failure to comply with consent orders requiring fire safety upgrades.
* A Land and Environment Court prosecution against a chemical company where orders were made requiring the company to fund the costs of an environmental improvement project.
* A prosecution against the NSW Forestry Commission for destroying habitat of a threatened species, the Smoky Mouse.
* A contempt proceeding brought by Sydney Council against an owners' corporation for failure to comply with consent orders requiring fire safety upgrades.
* A Land and Environment Court prosecution against a chemical company where orders were made requiring the company to fund the costs of an environmental improvement project.
* A prosecution against the NSW Forestry Commission for destroying habitat of a threatened species, the Smoky Mouse.
* A Trees Act case where costs were awarded against an applicant who did not have "reasonable prospects of success".
* A pollution case where fines were imposed on a plant operator even though the spill was caused by the deliberate misconduct of an employee.
* A judgement of the District Court of New South Wales that found a council negligent for failing to issue a dangerous dog declaration.
* Two judgements of the Land and Environment Court stating "general principles" that are likely to be applied in future Trees Act litigation.
* Another Trees Act case where the Land and Environment Court declared its expectations concerning the content of arborists' report.
We look forward to your comments and suggestions concerning the blog, and hope that you will find it to be helpful, informative and engaging!
We would also like you to know that we are running a companion blog on planning law issues here in NSW, which can be accessed at concordiapacificdailyplanner.blogspot.com.
You can also follow us on Twitter at @Concordialaw!
