Santos says the Environmental Defenders Office was “so far on the wrong side of the acceptable line” in its failed court case to block the energy giant’s Barossa gas project that it should have to pay for the “massive impost” the matter caused.

Legal costs would usually be paid by one of the parties involved in a case, but Santos told the Federal Court the EDO’s behaviour was so bad there should be “cost consequences” for the lawyers rather than their clients, who are a group of Tiwi Islanders.