* On the Precautionary Principle:

- A standard reference to the Precautionary Principle, which includes the concept of public participation and public views should not be adopted by the RPDC panel assessing the development because, “in our submission, it is the wrong approach to the Precautionary Principle”!  [we wonder why that might be??]

- “There are no environmental risks which invoke the Precautionary Principle in this case.”


* On the impacts of developments on wildlife species in general:

- “A decision maker may still legitimately form the view that cataclysmic consequences to a species [as a whole] is an acceptable risk given benefits to be delivered by the particular action.”


* On impacts to birds at Lauderdale:

- Impacts to species should not be considered at the location where they actually take place:  in the case of the Pied Oystercatcher, impacts at Lauderdale should be ignored, and the panel should only consider, “serious, irreversible effects Australia-wide or you might come down to the level of south-east Tasmania.”

- “It is a dangerous path to look too closely at localised impacts to decide whether or not a project should proceed.”


* On the Red-Necked Stint, a federally listed tiny migratory bird which flies annually between Lauderdale and Siberia:

- “It is difficult to conceive that the loss of 1% of a population of 325 000 [Red-Necked Stints] would constitute a significant impact on the species as a whole.”

- “If construction starts when the Red-Necked Stints are at Lauderdale, either they’re not disturbed, or they move away.  Then, [the site will be] in constant disturbance - they won’t come back.  [There will be] continual disturbance [so they’ll] move elsewhere.  [It will be a] one-off disturbance, on the assumption they are disturbed.  They may, in fact, be quite happy to live alongside a dredge.”

“If we start looking at individual species, only around the development footprint, no development would be allowed to proceed.”

“If Lauderdale [is] of key importance to the Red-Necked Stint to prepare for migration, [you] would expect [the] entire population to come to Lauderdale, pre-migration.” (interesting logic!)

“Even if 400 died, it still would not constitute an impact on the species as a whole.”


* On the impacts of the development on the community:

- The only adverse effects on communities that should be evaluated are the “adverse effects that can be objectively assessed.” Subjective or emotive responses should be ignored.


* Perhaps the pick of the bunch?

- “Once you get all the islands constructed, the issue of adverse environmental consequences disappears.” !