Environmental Defenders Office
EDO finds and represents members of the public and environmental groups in legal action which seeks to protect biodiversity, local communities and Australia's unique landscapes.EDO lawyers have been involved in some of Australia's biggest climate change and environmental legal battles, from the Adani mine and drilling in the Great Australian Bight, to protecting whales in the Antarctic.EDO lawyers regularly make submissions on aspects of environmental law reform and participate in Federal and State Government inquiries and consultation processes.The EDO represented the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) in the case against Woodside Energy, which was initiated on June 21, 2022, and aimed to prevent the Scarborough gas project due to its potential climate impacts on the Great Barrier Reef.The Environmental Defenders' Offices (EDOs) of Australia is a registered charity and has an annual revenue of $13.3 Million Australian in 2022/23 financial year, sourced primarily from donations and bequests, and grants.The EDO also receives some funding from various state and territory governments for work providing access to justice and legal services to people in the broad Australian community.The funding of the EDO has been a highly politicised issue in Australia, with conservative governments often viewing environmental advocacy groups as obstacles to economic growth and industry interests.On 24 November 2024 the EDO was ordered to pay $9 Million AUD to Santos because the judge ruled the that they had not been impartial and had engaged in "a form of subtle coaching", and effectively became a party to the case.While a departmental review cleared the group of any breaches of its government funding arrangements, both the federal and West Australian oppositions have pledged to de-fund the EDO if elected.