Adani slams lack of deterrent to activist attacks

An Adani business has fired up after the latest anti-coal action to disrupt the company's Queensland operations, saying governments were failing to enact adequate deterrents and penalties. Police were called early today (Dec 1) after an activist suspended himself from a stacker reclaimer at the Abbot Point coal export terminal near Bowen in North Queensland. It came just a day after anti-coal activists locked on to train lines and rolling stock in multiple incidents designed to prevent coal being railed from the new Carmichael coal mine. An Abbot Point Operations spokesman said governments were not making sure there were sufficient deterrents and penalties to stop the activists who put their own lives at risk by locking onto conveyors, coal trains and railway lines. "Activists get nothing but a slap on the wrists in Queensland and are back within weeks, as we have seen today, causing a nuisance and wasting police time and taking officers away from other important work protecting our local community," the company statement read. "We respect that people have differing opinions but these protests are not a safe or appropriate way to express those opinions." Resources Minister Scott Stewart said it was not acceptable for anybody to put the lives of other people at risk regardless of what views they had. "As a government we expect any person to be held to account if they break the law," he said. "The Palaszczuk Government introduced new laws in 2019 to make it an offence to use Dangerous Attachment Devices." The Abbot Point Operations spokesman said this morning an anti-fossil fuel activist put his life at risk and wasted police time when he suspended himself from a stacker reclaimer at the Abbot Point coal export terminal. "Port operations were temporarily halted to ensure the safety of all on site and recommenced at 7.30am when both shiploading and unloading operations resumed," he said. In a social media post on the action, Frontline Action on Coal stated: "We take safety very seriously when doing these kind of actions, and wish that there was something less dramatic we could to get the voices of ordinary people who care for our planet into the public discourse on climate change. "But it takes courage and creativity to do that, and fortunately it's something the climate movement of Australia has plenty of." This was among the images of yesterday's protests shared by Frontline Action on Coal. The incident at the port follows a string of rail disruptions yesterday (Nov 30). While activists celebrated 'blocking Adani's first trainload of coal' from the Carmichael site, Adani's local mining arm Bravus Mining and Resources said testing and commissioning on the trains had been underway for several weeks, including transporting coal. “As is the usual process for new pieces of equipment and infrastructure, this is expected to take a period of time as the new machines and infrastructure are tested. The Carmichael mine is on track to export coal in 2021,” Bravus said. The Abbot Point Operations spokesman highlighted this example, saying Ms Lamont had a history of putting herself and others in danger by trespassing and illegally locking onto port conveyors and trains. Yesterday's protest saw activist Julie Lamont arrested when she allegedly locked on to a Bowen Rail Company train with other people. "In recent weeks she locked onto conveyors at the Abbot Point terminal and at Hay Point terminal," he said. "In 2018 she was charged after locking onto live conveyors in the dead of night with three other people at the Abbot Point terminal." The company said that incident left port staff traumatised as had conveyors been activated Ms Lamont and her friends could have been seriously injured or even killed. Bravus Mining and Resources has also shared footage on social media in recent days highlighting aggressive activist interactions at its Carmichael site. (View HERE and HERE) Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane said any individual who chose to obstruct a company’s ability to operate and threatened the jobs and incomes of honest, hardworking Queensland men and women should face the full force of the law. “People have the right to go to work without facing harassment or having their livelihood or personal safety threatened by people with a political agenda,” he said Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane.

Adani slams lack of deterrent to activist attacks

Industry Queensland

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