Documents Regarding The Review Of The Environmental Defenders Office Grant Program Funding.

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Following a Federal Court ruling that ordered the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) to pay Santos Ltd $9,042,093.05 in costs after the dismissal of a Tiwi Island traditional owners' challenge to the Barossa offshore gas project, DCCEEW reviewed whether the EDO's conduct breached its grant agreement terms. An independent external review completed in May 2024 found no breach of the funding agreement despite Justice Charlesworth's adverse findings against the EDO's conduct. The government confirmed that grant funding cannot be used to pay court-ordered costs, as such reimbursement falls outside permitted grant uses. DCCEEW maintained support for community legal services' right to access justice while clarifying that the EDO's legal action regarding the Barossa development did not constitute a breach of Commonwealth funding obligations.