It's been over a year since community tip-offs sparked an ABC investigation that uncovered unpermitted land clearing on cotton farms in the Northern Territory.
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00:00 It's been years since Rangers uncovered this land clearing with no permit, sparking
00:07 multiple complaints and a major investigation involving environment groups and the ABC.
00:13 Now the government is taking action.
00:16 In a letter leaked to the ABC, the Planning Minister says he's determined to prosecute
00:22 Clarivelle Station in relation to the alleged unpermitted clearing, saying criminal charges
00:28 were filed in the local court in November.
00:31 This is the very first time we believe that there has been any prosecution in court for
00:38 unlawful land clearing in the Northern Territory.
00:41 In a statement to the ABC, Joel Bowden says the seriousness of the allegations warranted
00:47 pursuing a prosecution and that court action would send a strong message.
00:52 A welcome decision, but one that comes with concerns.
00:56 Unfortunately what we've seen here is a government not doing its job in the first place and the
01:03 community being forced into the role of watchdog.
01:05 I think there's a community expectation that the environment will be protected through
01:10 appropriate laws and then that the penalties for breaching those laws will be appropriate
01:15 to former deterrence.
01:18 At some points, clearing was within a matter of metres from the Daly River, closer than
01:23 permitted.
01:24 Despite the government's steps, critics say more needs to be done.
01:29 It shouldn't be taking the community to stand up and bravely speak out to stop this.
01:34 Particularly illegal land clearing is a massive problem.
01:37 Uniting calls for stronger environment laws.
01:40 We actually need the federal government to be stepping up and taking action as well.
01:44 The ABC reached out to the owners of Clarivelle who declined to comment.
01:49 They'll be facing the Darwin local court for the first time at the end of February.
01:54 [BLANK_AUDIO]