Franklin Dam controversy
The iconic campaign sticker "No Dams In S-W Tasmania · World Heritage ·" was used to show opposition to the Franklin Dam in the early 1980s
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| Date | circa 1978-1983 |
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| Location | Tasmania, Australia |
| Type | |
| Theme | Environmental debate |
| Participants | |
| Outcome | The High Court ruled that the World Heritage (Western Tasmania Wilderness) Regulations (Cth) and the World Heritage Properties Conservation Act, 1983 (Cth) were within constitutional powers, rendering it unlawful for the Hydro-Electric Commission of Tasmania to construct the dam, except with the consent of a Commonwealth Minister. |
| Arrest(s) | 1,217 |
| Litigation | Commonwealth v Tasmania aka "The Tasmanian Dam Case" |
The Franklin Dam or Gordon-below-Franklin Dam project was a proposed dam on the Gordon River in Tasmania, Australia, that was never constructed. The movement that eventually led to the project's cancellation became one of the most significant environmental campaigns in Australian history.
The dam was proposed for the purpose of generating hydroelectricity. The resulting new electricity generation capacity would have been 180 megawatts (240,000 hp). The proposed construction would have subsequently impacted upon the environmentally sensitive Franklin River, which joins the Gordon nearby. During the campaign against the dam, both areas were listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Area register.
The campaign that followed led to the consolidation of the small green movement that had been born out of the non-violent protest campaign against the building of three dams on Lake Pedder in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Over the five years between the announcement of the dam proposal in 1978 and the axing of the plans in 1983, there was vigorous debate between the pro- and anti-dam lobbies, with large protests from both sides.
In December 1982, the dam site was occupied by protesters, leading to widespread arrests and greater publicity. The dispute became a federal issue the following March, when a campaign in the national print media, assisted by the pictures of photographer Peter Dombrovskis, helped bring down the government of Malcolm Fraser at the 1983 election. The new government, under Bob Hawke, had promised to stop the dam from being built. A legal battle between the federal government and Tasmanian Government followed, resulting in a landmark High Court ruling in the federal government's favour.
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