A disappointing day for Silver Mines’ (ASX:SVL) shareholders was exemplified in a 10% sell off in afternoon trades as an environmental group’s challenge to its Bowdens Silver Project (BSP) gathers steam.
The Court of Appeal today upheld an appeal launched against Silver Mines by the Bingman Catchment Landcare Group (BCLG) relating to a prior dismissal.
The BCLG had formerly taken Silver Mines to court in the NSW land court; a judge there dismissed the former’s claim, but now BCLG’s challenge has been ratified by the Court of Appeal decision.
All in all, Silver Mines stated on Friday it was now talking to counsel and considering whether or not to start application documentation anew.
The BCLG’s claim focused heavily on the impacts a proposed transmission line to site would cause environmental assets in the area.
However, the group is really more worried about the threat of lead contamination, per former media outreach BCLG has conducted.
Much environmental law in Australia of this ‘activist’ type hinges on administrative law, which ultimately boils down to finding errors in paperwork and other technicalities.
That the NSW planning commission failed to consider the ramifications of a transmission line is a fairly good example of that type of strategy in action.
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