Adjudication No. 129 (April 1982) [1982] APC 9

ADJUDICATION No. 129 (April 1982)

A Mr Nigel Davies and the research officer of the Tasmanian Wilderness Society, Mr Lincoln Siliakus, have complained to the Australian Press Council of an article in The Australian newspaper of February 5, 1982, which dealt inter alia with an act of vandalism committed by some person or persons at the Hydro Electric Commission's headquarters in Hobart and at a power station.

The article stated that "In a frenzy of spite which cost the Tasmanian taxpayers about $500,000, a radical faction within the conservation movement broke into the HEC's modern 12-storey administration centre in Hobart and turned on all the fire hoses. And at the remote Waddamana power station they made an abortive arson attempt on more HEC property."

The paper in answer to the complaint has maintained that "there is a strong chain of circumstances suggestive of the likelihood of radical conservationists being responsible", but that is as far as it is able to go in defence of its positive assertion that a radical faction within the conservation movement had been responsible for the two acts of sabotage. It elaborated upon its reasons for the view that radical conservationists were likely to have been responsible, but the reasons advanced carried the matter no further.

Members of the conservation movement were naturally incensed at the paper's assumption that the culprits were members of their movement and were justified in complaining of it. The complaint is upheld and The Australian is urged to take greater care to distinguish likelihood from fact in reporting criminal activities.