Indigenous Australians win legal battle, get planned drilling project in Timor Sea stalled

A group of Indigenous Australians hasbeen able to successfully put a spanner in plans to develop a huge gas field off country's northern coast. The group won an appeal in court on Friday (December 2).Dennis Tipakalippa, an Indigenous elder from the remote Tiwi Islands, has been fighting a legal battle against Santos -- one of the country's largest oil and gas producers -- which wants to begin a drilling project in the Timor Sea.

Tipakalippa along with the Munupi clan raised concerns that the Santos project can have effect on important food sources. This, they said, would blight their connection to a spiritually significant area.

In September, a court essentially revoked environmental approval for the gas company's project, saying Indigenous communities had not been properly consulted.

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Australia's federal court dismissed an appeal by Santos on Friday, finding the company was obliged to "consult Mr Tipakalippa and the Munupi clan because they had interests that may be affected".

Tipakalippa, in a statement released by the Environmental Defenders Office, said "Santos and every other gas company must take note".

"We have fought to protect our sea country from the beginning to the end and we will never stop fighting," he said.

While Santos will need to seek new approvals before drilling, it was not clear if the court ruling would be enough to permanently derail the Aus$3.6 billion (US$2.5 billion) project.

(With inputs from agencies)

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