Norman Wayne Gardner, Director of Western Desert Resources Limited (WDR), was convicted and fined $7500 for illegal land clearing in Lorella Springs, NT, following a Department of the Environment investigation. Gardner pleaded guilty to offences under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The Department’s investigation revealed that WDR knowingly cleared land and began road construction associated with a mining venture prior to the approval being granted. Unregulated actions like this can put the flora and fauna protected under national environment law at great risk. Between July and December of 2012 WDR illegally cleared approximately 80 km of vegetation to build a haul road between a planned iron ore mine in the Roper Bar region and Bing Bong Point port.
WDR Price at posting:
14.5¢ Sentiment: None Disclosure: Not Held
