For Immediate Release 12
September 2014
David Vs Goliath
Ever heard the
parable of the little shepherd boy who knocked down a giant with one slingshot?
Watch
this space, because a legal story is unfolding where the giant in this case is
the Copping Refuse Disposal Site Joint Authority (the Joint Authority), and the
little shepherd is the community group Southern Beaches Conservation Society
(SBCS).
Let’s
go back to the start of this story. You may recall that around 2 years ago the
Joint Authority did not adequately consult the community about placing a
hazardous waste C cell within the proximity of
the southern beaches river catchment. The Joint Authority’s
“owners”,
four Councils, pushed through the development application and failed to
adequately discuss the matter with concerned locals. These same locals then
formed a community group called the SBCS who researched and promoted best
practice waste management techniques rather than what they claimed to be the
out-dated, option being pursued.
Fast
forward to the present day and our giant, the Joint Authority, is suing the
shepherd SBCS for writing to their potential customers and suggesting they
undertake their own due diligence.
It
doesn’t sound like reason for a lawsuit and the
Joint Authority themselves are not alleging they have suffered any loss or
damage as a result. So why are they bothering?
It’s
a question that remains to be answered, but a possibility hard to go past is
that they are trying to stifle public discussion and questioning by a community
group.
