Commonwealth v Tasmania

Commonwealth v The State of Tasmania
Court	High Court of Australia Canberra
Full case name	The Commonwealth of Australia v State of Tasmania
Decided	1 July 1983
Citations	[1983] HCA 21, (1983) 158 CLR 1
Case history
Prior action	none
Subsequent action	none
Court membership
Judges sitting	Gibbs CJ, Mason, Murphy, Wilson, Brennan, Deane & Dawson JJ
Case opinions
(4:3) the Commonwealth validly prohibited construction of the dam, by virtue of the World Heritage Act (per Mason, Murphy, Brennan & Deane JJ) (4:0) any Constitutional restriction preventing the Commonwealth from inhibiting the functions of the States did not apply (per Mason, Murphy, Brennan & Deane JJ)

Commonwealth v Tasmania (popularly known as the Tasmanian Dam Case)^[1] was a significant Australian court case, decided in the High Court of Australia on 1 July 1983. The case was a landmark decision in Australian constitutional law, and was a significant moment in the history of conservation in Australia. The case centred on the proposed construction of a hydro-electric dam on the Gordon River in Tasmania, which was supported by the Tasmanian government, but opposed by the Australian federal government and environmental groups.