The Environmental Defenders Office Inc. was a non-profit, non-government Community Legal Centre which was established in 1989. and is one of nine independent Environmental Defenders Offices located across Australia which collaborated in a loose network known as the EDOs of Australia. In 2019 EDO Qld merged with other EDOs around the country to form a new national organisation Environmental Defenders Office.
Background
The EDO's lawyers provide access to justice for the Queensland community by offering legal advice and education and engaging in policy and law reform. The work done by community legal centres specialising in public interest environmental law such as EDO Qld has been acknowledged. In a 2012 report into access to justice, the Commonwealth Productivity Commission concluded that "there are strong grounds for the legal assistance sector to receive funding to undertake strategic advocacy, law reform and public interest litigation including in relation to environmental matters" given the important contribution the EDOs make to not only strengthening community rights but also the efficiency and effectiveness of Australia's environmental protection laws. This sentiment has been echoed members of the legal profession, including most notably the Honourable Judge Brian Preston, Chief Judge of the Planning and Environment Court of New South Wales, as well as Adrian Finanzio SC.
The EDO helps people understand their legal rights and explains how to exercise them in relation to environmental issues that affect the broader community. They also run .
Key cases
While Queensland has no legal aid for public interest environmental law, EDO Qld, with the pro bono assistance of members of the Queensland bar and private donations, has managed a number of cases in Queensland. These include:
'The Nathan Dams Case': Queensland Conservation Council Inc v Minister for Environment and Heritage,
'The Flying-Fox Case': Booth v Bosworth,]
Legal education
The EDO helps build the community's legal skills and knowledge, empowering them to facilitate public participation in environmental decision making. The organisation also runs workshops, and produce plain-English fact sheets, handbooks, and bulletins.
Law reform
Policy and law reform is an important part of the EDO's work. While the EDO does not campaign on particular environmental issues, the EDO frequently puts forward proposals suggesting ways that the law can be improved.
