WA government claims Queensland Supreme Court decision invalid
The Western Australian government will again find itself before the courts in an attempt to prevent mining magnate Clive Palmer from claiming $30 billion in damages.

Only recently, the Western Australian government succeeded in introducing, debating and passing legislation in just two days to prevent billionaire Mr Palmer from seeking $30 billion in damages over a 2012 decision to not assess an iron ore mine in Pilbara.
Mr Palmer is claiming that the arbitration awards registration meant that the legislation would now be invalid under the constitution. Both Mr Palmer and the WA government will return to the Supreme Court next week to determine if the claim will proceed.
In conversation with media not long after passing the Iron Ore Processing (Mineralogy Pty Ltd) Agreement Amendment Bill, Premier Mark McGowan said there was “no time to wait” to prevent Mr Palmer from proceeding with his legal action.
“Can I thank the Parliament of Western Australia for passing this very, very important legislation,” Mr McGowan said. “The government has done what we can to protect the [taxpayers] from Clive Palmer’s $30 billion claim which would have bankrupted our state.”

Naomi Neilson
Naomi Neilson is a senior journalist with a focus on court reporting for Lawyers Weekly.
You can email Naomi at: