Minister Administering the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 v Tarkine National Coalition Inc

The Minister administering the *Mineral Resources Development Act 1995* (Tas) appealed to the Full Court of the Supreme Court of Tasmania against a decision of a single judge. The appeal concerned whether the Tarkine National Coalition Inc. had standing to seek judicial review of the Minister's decisions to grant mining leases. The Coalition sought reasons for the Minister's decisions, which were refused, and subsequently sought judicial review of that refusal.

The central legal issue before the Full Court was whether the Tarkine National Coalition Inc. was an "affected person" for the purposes of the *Administrative Law Act 2001* (Tas) in relation to the Minister's decisions to grant mining leases. This required the Court to determine whether the Coalition's interests were "adversely affected" by the decisions, notwithstanding that further statutory approvals were required before any mining could commence.

The Full Court held that the Coalition had standing. It reasoned that the grant of a mining lease under the *Mineral Resources Development Act 1995* (Tas) conferred significant rights and interests upon the lessee, and that these rights and interests could adversely affect the interests of an environmental organisation like the Coalition, even if further approvals were necessary. The Court applied the principles of standing in administrative law, focusing on whether the applicant had a sufficient interest in the subject matter of the decision. The appeal was dismissed.