Attorney-General Mark
Dreyfus QC will appear in Australia's whaling
case against Japan which has now been set
down for a three week hearing in the International
Court of Justice in the Hague from 26 June,
2013.
"I welcome the
announcement of the ICJ hearing date. Australia
wants this slaughter to end. We will now
have our day in court to establish, once
and for all, that Japan's whaling hunt is
not for scientific purposes and is against
international law," said Mr Dreyfus.
"The fixing of
the date sets up the final stage in this
case brought by the Australian Government.
The oral hearings are the last phase of
legal proceedings before the Court makes
its decision."
Australia commenced
the proceedings against Japan on 31 May
2010. The International Court of Justice
has received written submissions from both
Parties.
"Australia's views
on whaling are well known •we condemn all
commercial whaling, including Japan's so-called
'scientific' whaling," said Minister
for Environment Tony Burke.
"The Australian
Government's decision to bring this legal
action demonstrates our determination to
end commercial whaling."
Minister for Foreign
Affairs Bob Carr said Australia's whaling
case did not undermine the relationship
between Australia and Japan.
"Australia and
Japan have agreed that our differences over
whaling will not affect the strong bilateral
relationship we share," said Mr Carr.
"The International
Court of Justice is the appropriate forum
to resolve these differences in a calm and
measured way."
Counsel appearing in
the case with the Attorney-General will
include Solicitor-General Justin Gleeson
SC, Bill Campbell QC, Professor James Crawford
SC, Professor Philippe Sands QC and Professor
Laurence Boisson de Chazournes.
"We hope the Court
will deliver its decision on the legality
of Japan's whaling before the start of the
next whaling season," Mr Dreyfus said.
+ More
Successful Indigenous
Carbon Farming Fund projects announced
Joint media release
- 24 April 2013 - Environment Minister Tony
Burke and Parliamentary Secretary for Climate
Change, Industry and Innovation Yvette D'Ath
today announced the 44 successful applications
under the Australian Government's Indigenous
Carbon Farming Fund Capacity Building and
Business Support stream.
Mr Burke said through
this program, the Australian Government
is helping Indigenous Australians access
carbon farming specialists, business development
expertise and legal advice for their carbon
farming projects.
“These projects are
spread across Australia and range from undertaking
feasibility assessments to developing carbon
farming project ideas and existing carbon
farming businesses,” Mr Burke said.
“This program will not
only provide benefits for our environment
but also provide employment opportunities
in indigenous communities.”
Other successful proposals
include feasibility assessment of carbon
projects, community education, and the development
of businesses to provide services or undertake
carbon abatement and sequestration activities
under the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI).
Mrs D'Ath said the projects
have received funding to assist Indigenous
communities to benefit from the Carbon Farming
Initiative.
“The Research and Development
stream of this initiative provides funding
to underpin CFI methodologies and the development
of tools for estimating and reporting on
emissions,” Mrs D'Ath said.
“Up on Cape York Peninsula,
where the project area covers an area of
up to 2,300,000 ha in Aurukun, one group
aims to avoid emissions of approximately
30,000 tonnes CO2 per year.”
The Fund will provide
$22.3m over five years to assist Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people to participate
in the CFI. The CFI enables Indigenous landholders
and land managers to earn carbon credits
by undertaking projects to reduce emissions
or store carbon. Types of projects include
early season savannah burning and environmental
plantings.
