Murray plan 100 years in the making

Tom Arup THE Environment Minister, Tony Burke, has declared an end to more than 100 years of fighting over the Murray-Darling Basin after signing into law a long-awaited plan to save the river system.

Murray-Darling plan is go, but facing opposition

Tom Arup Environment Minister declares end to more than 100 years of fighting after plan signed into law.

Historic conservation deal offers peace for Tasmania

Andrew Darby Federal and Tasmanian governments swing in behind state's landmark forests peace deal.

Parks become a haven for devils

Andrew Darby SOME of Tasmania's best known national parks are to be isolated as devil havens in an escalation of the battle to save the marsupial from extinction by a facial cancer.

World heritage goal for a wilderness wonderland

Tom Arup IT IS one of the world's largest remaining areas of pristine wilderness - refuge to endangered species and home to unspoilt rainforest, savannah and wetlands larger than Kakadu.

Tasmania mining talks collapse

David Wroe Tasmania's Tarkine wilderness is set for a Franklin Dam-style showdown after talks between green groups and unions over disputed mining projects collapsed yesterday.

Sea Shepherd's most wanted declares new whale war

Andrew Darby The wanted Sea Shepherd leader, Paul Watson, is marshalling resources for the biggest campaign yet against Japanese whaling.

The man who pulped the pulp mill

Lawrence Money When Bob McMahon saw the environmental havoc caused by a pulp mill in Chile he vowed it wouldn't happen in Tasmania.

Super trawler plans torpedoed by cabinet

Lenore Taylor THE Gillard government was poised last night to approve an 11th-hour plan to stop the controversial super trawler Abel Tasman taking its huge fish haul from Australian waters.

Super trawler caught in legal net

David Wroe The controversial Abel Tasman super trawler faces a two-year ban on fishing in Australian waters under planned changes to environmental law that have been hailed by recreational fishers but will cost...

Netherlands raises trawler ban with EU

David Wroe The Dutch government has raised its concerns about the last-minute ban on the controversial Abel Tasman supertrawler with the European Union, potentially inflaming the international backlash against...

Dutch super-trawler hits another snag in bid to fish

Richard Willingham Controversial super-trawler the MV Margiris may have to surf another hurdle before it can begin fishing after government backbencher Melissa Parke said she would introduce a bill to ban it.

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Trawler firm takes legal path, facing loss from ban

David Wroe, Lenore Taylor THE Australian operator of the controversial super trawler facing a two-year ban by the federal government has given the strongest indication yet it will take legal action, insisting it will not...

Risks of net gain

David Wroe, Nicky Phillips and Ben Cubby What makes the issue of a super trawler in our waters a powerful one is that - like coal-seam gas - it brings together groups that have traditionally been at odds with one another - in this case,...

Super trawler ban may go to court

David Wroe and Lenore Taylor The Australian operator of the controversial super trawler facing a two-year ban by the federal government has given the strongest indication yet that it will take legal action.

Fish authority admits it broke the rules

It was wrong to allow the director of a super-trawler operator to participate in fishing quota deliberations despite a declared conflict of interest, the Commonwealth ombudsman says.

Murray-Darling rescue not out of the water yet, says frustrated minister

David Wroe NSW has warned there are still major hurdles to be overcome before an agreement can be reached to save the ailing Murray-Darling river system, as the clock ticks down on finalising a deal this year.

Questions raised over super trawler's quota

Andrew Darby, Linton Besser THE federal Environment Minister, Tony Burke, is seeking urgent advice about whether he can try to stop the super trawler MV Margiris fishing off the Australian coast.

Gunns losing faith in pulp mill

Andrew Darby Tasmania's forest industry is in meltdown, with one-time timber giant Gunns Ltd admitting it lacks confidence its flagship $2.3 billion pulp mill will go ahead.