Barrington-Gloucester-Stroud Preservation Alliance Inc v Minister for Planning and Infrastructure

In this case the Barrington-Gloucester-Stroud Preservation Alliance sought judicial review against the Planning Assessment Commissions’ (PAC) decisions to approve parts of the Gloucester Gas Project. Due to uncertainty and a lack of data about the impact this project might have on the groundwater, the Alliance argued that the precautionary principle was not properly applied when approving the project. However, the judge dismissed this claim on the basis that the impacts of the project were not uncertain within the limits of Pt 3A of the EPA Act. He also held that the consideration to the precautionary principle given by the PAC was sufficient and thus upheld the validity of the project approval.