Ambushes, arrests in battle for Tara

Residents of Queensland’s Western Downs and their supporters have witnessed arrests, police harassment and some exciting victories over the past week in their fight to prevent coal seam gas expansion on the Tara estate, near Chinchilla.

During a protest organised by Lock the Gate Alliance on March 29 Friends of the Earth campaigner and Queensland Greens co-founder Drew Hutton was arrested and charged with impeding the construction of a coal seam gas pipeline.

Mr Hutton refused bail conditions and faced 30 days prison, but was soon released on unconditional bail.

He now faces fines of up to $50,000 under Section 804 of Queensland’s Petroleum and Gas Act.

In a statement released after his arrest, Hutton said he was prepared to be arrested in order to challenge this completely unjust act.

"What this act does is to give inordinate power to these mining companies to intrude upon landholders’ properties and to devastate those properties."

Hutton was part of a protest blockading the construction of a gas pipeline that would link to a gas well on a private property. Up to 20 activists were present with the landholder’s permission.

About 40 police ambushed the protest camp on Tuesday after activists discovered them hiding in the bushes, presumably for some time.

Protesters reported that the ambush included Forensics, Stock Squad, Tactical Response Unit, Mounted Police and other high ranking officers in a special operation that one protester said was named “Juliet Quetch”.

Another locked onto a bulldozer for around two hours before unlocking herself on the condition that she would not be arrested.

All protesters were ejected from the property but were later allowed back on leading them to claim victory.

The activists have reported a growing pattern of police harassment of those opposing the operations of companies such as Queensland Gas Corporation (QGC).

Activists and residents have been repeatedly pulled over by the police and subjected to ID checks on all vehicle occupants and contents as well as roadworthy inspections.

Brisbane’s Westender community magazine reported a statement from the Lock the Gate Alliance:

“The Queensland Police Service is required to act on directives from the state government. Lock the Gate organisers are highly concerned that the Service may be acting on orders directly from Queensland Gas Company, and that it may be applying double standards to intimidate protesters.

“Queensland Police Service should not be used as a private army for hire as they are there to serve the community, not corporate bullies. This is a waste of taxpayers’ money and of vital community resources.”

These latest incidents follow the arrest on March 15 of Brisbane grandmother June Norman who was later fined $200 for refusing a police direction at an earlier blockade.

[The Lock the Gate Alliance is an alliance of community, industry and environmental groups and individuals concerned about the damage caused by coal seam gas mining and other fossil fuel extraction industries. For more information visit www.lockthegate.org.au .]