Commonwealth v Tasmania (1983) 158 CLR 1, (popularly known as the Tasmanian Dam Case) was a significant Australian court case, decided in the High Court of Australia on July 1, 1983. The case was a landmark decision in Australian constitutional law, and was a significant moment in the history of conservation in Australia. The case centred around the proposed construction of a hydro-electric dam on the Gordon River in Tasmania, which was supported...
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Commonwealth v Tasmania (1983) 158 CLR 1, (popularly known as the Tasmanian Dam Case) was a significant Australian court case, decided in the High Court of Australia on July 1, 1983. The case was a landmark decision in Australian constitutional law, and was a significant moment in the history of conservation in Australia. The case centred around the proposed construction of a hydro-electric dam on the Gordon River in Tasmania, which was supported by the Tasmanian government, but opposed by the Australian federal government and environmentalist groups.
In 1978, the Hydro-Electric Commission, then a body owned by the Tasmanian government, proposed the construction of a hydro-electric dam on the Gordon River, in Tasmania's rugged south-west region. The dam would have flooded the Franklin River. In June 1981 the Labor state government created the Wild Rivers National Park in an attempt to protect the river.
In May 1982, a Liberal state government was elected which supported the dam. The...
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