The company behind a $1.4 billion bid to build a major commercial project in a protected wetland has withdrawn its application after the federal environment minister indicated she would knock it back.
She also found it would affect threatened and migratory animals, including loggerhead and green turtles, dugongs and dolphins.In a statement today, the company said the decision to withdraw the application would give it time to consider the government's report, and the viability of an alternate proposal.
But she said it "should never have got this far", and could have been stopped by then-environment minister Josh Frydenberg when it was referred to him in 2018.