A federal court has overturned a heritage protection order made by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek that had halted a gold mine in New South Wales valued at $1 billion, according to ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The ruling clears the way for the project near Blayney, which had been paused by the minister's decision. The court's move was reported by several Australian outlets, including The Australian, The Guardian, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian Financial Review, which described the order as a block on the mine.
The case centred on the minister's use of cultural heritage powers to protect the site, a step that stopped development. The court has now set that decision aside.
The mine's reported value is $1 billion, per the same coverage. Beyond that figure and the location, the reporting available does not detail the grounds the court relied on or the specific heritage findings involved.
The decision is significant because it tests how federal heritage protections can be applied to major resources projects. The order at issue was made by Plibersek in her capacity as environment minister, and the challenge to it succeeded in the Federal Court.
What to watch next: whether the mine's developer moves to restart work at Blayney, and whether the minister or other parties seek to appeal the ruling.
