NSW Premier Mike Baird faces a fierce backlash if he tries to crack down on otherwise law-abiding people driven to illegal protest action, according to local campaigners. Mr Baird flagged introducing tougher laws surrounding anti-mining protest activity during a visit to Whitehaven Coal’s protest-plagued Maules Creek project on Tuesday. “People have a right to protest, but they have a right to do it legally,” Mr Baird said in an address to Whitehaven Coal directors, staff, investors and invited dignitaries. “That is part of the frustration I have and it is something that we have to look at.” More than 300 people have been arrested after engaging in non-violent protests against the activities of Whitehaven Coal and Idemitsu Australia Resources in the past 12 months. The so-called “direct action” demonstrations most commonly involve people locking themselves to equipment in a bid to halt mining or construction at the sites. Fifth-generation farmer Rick Laird, whose property is seven kilometres from the Maules Creek site, was charged in November after locking on with Wallabies star David Pocock. The 49-year-old fronted Narrabri Local Court last month on three charges and kept his unblemished criminal record intact, after escaping conviction via a section 10 order. Mr Laird said many of the people arrested over the past year were from the North West region and were worried about the legacy mining would leave future generations. “I think the Premier is barking up the wrong tree if he wants to come out and wave a big stick over the protesters’ heads like that,” he said. “The professional protesters who’ve been arrested a few times find it harder to get off, but the judges recognise when it’s ordinary people protesting the turning of a forest into a coalmine.” Pat Schultz, who is standing for the Greens in the seat of Tamworth at the March election, was convicted and fined $1800 for protesting against coal seam gas development last year. But the Armidale grandmother had her conviction overturned on appeal to the district court in Sydney. “I think it’s ridiculous that we are being punished at all for trying to protect farmland and important ecological areas,” she said. “In my opinion, we’re not committing any crimes and we shouldn’t be going through the courts.”
NSW Premier Mike Baird faces a fierce backlash if he tries to crack down on otherwise law-abiding people driven to illegal protest action, according to local campaigners.
Mr Baird flagged introducing tougher laws surrounding anti-mining protest activity during a visit to Whitehaven Coal’s protest-plagued Maules Creek project on Tuesday.
“People have a right to protest, but they have a right to do it legally,” Mr Baird said in an address to Whitehaven Coal directors, staff, investors and invited dignitaries.
“That is part of the frustration I have and it is something that we have to look at.”
More than 300 people have been arrested after engaging in non-violent protests against the activities of Whitehaven Coal and Idemitsu Australia Resources in the past 12 months.
The so-called “direct action” demonstrations most commonly involve people locking themselves to equipment in a bid to halt mining or construction at the sites.
Fifth-generation farmer Rick Laird, whose property is seven kilometres from the Maules Creek site, was charged in November after locking on with Wallabies star David Pocock.
The 49-year-old fronted Narrabri Local Court last month on three charges and kept his unblemished criminal record intact, after escaping conviction via a section 10 order.
Mr Laird said many of the people arrested over the past year were from the North West region and were worried about the legacy mining would leave future generations.
“I think the Premier is barking up the wrong tree if he wants to come out and wave a big stick over the protesters’ heads like that,” he said.
“The professional protesters who’ve been arrested a few times find it harder to get off, but the judges recognise when it’s ordinary people protesting the turning of a forest into a coalmine.”
Pat Schultz, who is standing for the Greens in the seat of Tamworth at the March election, was convicted and fined $1800 for protesting against coal seam gas development last year.
But the Armidale grandmother had her conviction overturned on appeal to the district court in Sydney.
“I think it’s ridiculous that we are being punished at all for trying to protect farmland and important ecological areas,” she said.
“In my opinion, we’re not committing any crimes and we shouldn’t be going through the courts.”
