29 arrests at Bayswater power station

Around thirty protesters from climate action group Rising Tide walked onto the site of the Bayswater power station yesterday, preventing the delivery of coal to the station for six hours.

Bayswater power station is New South Wales' equal biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions, along with Eraring power station.

29 people were arrested on the coal piles while four were arrested inside the power station. The group inside had chained themselves to both conveyors with a lock-on pipe and had to be cut off.

Spokesperson for the group, Georgina Woods said that Australia's greenhouse gas emissions were continuing to increase as a result of Australia's dependence on coal-fired power, leading to the slow death of the Great Barrier Reef.

“Where is the plan to phase out facilities like these? Why are we twiddling our thumbs?” Ms Wood asked.

“The nation and the world are watching and we will not get another chance. The people that are here today are parents and grandparents, professionals and tradespeople. We are demanding a commitment from the Government today: Australia’s greenhouse emissions must start dropping from 2010, we must do whatever it takes to save the Barrier Reef from wipe-out and the world from devastating runaway climate change.”

Workers onsite reacted in an overall positive manner to the protest, with some taking photographs and thanking the activists.

The large group had offered to leave the site without fuss once they had made their point, but police insisted upon processing all of them for trespass. A recent report has suggested that the effects of climate change will lead to an increase in crimes such as carbon accounting fraud and domestic violence, tying up resources for police.

The group inside have been charged with both entering enclosed lands and refusing to leave enclosed lands.

Ms. Woods said that more and more people would take action if the Government continued to allow greenhouse gas emissions to increase.
Photos by Conor Ashleigh (top) and Damien Baker (bottom)

Crowd occupies coal loader

The "clean coal" agenda of the 2020 summit was jeapordised yesterday when about 50 people put themselves at risk of arrest by walking into the construction site of the No. 3 coal loader on Kooragang Island, in Newcastle.

Sixteen people of all ages were arrested and charged with trespass, and have been bailed to appear in Newcastle Local Court on 13 May.

The construction of the loader is planned to result in the doubling of Newcastle's coal export capacity, already the largest in the world.

Georgina Woods, spokesperson for Rising Tide Newcastle said that she was very proud of what the community had done. "We are willing to put ourselves at risk of arrest, if it will help convince the Governments of Australia that expanding the export coal industry is putting everyone’s future in jeopardy. We may not get another chance."

The group entered the site at 8am, halting all work on the site and remaining there until 9:15am. According to NSW Police, the walk-in cost the construction company $50-60 000.

"The people arrested today are courageous," said NSW Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon. "Future generations will thank them for taking a stand and alerting Australians and indeed the world to the irresponsible actions of coal companies and sympathetic governments."

Solar researcher David Mills' application for the 2020 summit was knocked back. Mills emigrated to the United States early last year, frustrated at the lack of funding for solar thermal power. The work which Mills has since done in the United States would be able to supply over 90% of Australia's baseload power.

Meanwhile, former Xstrata CEO Peter Coates, who was invited, told the summit that Australia's 2020 renewable energy target should be scrapped and replaced with a "clean coal" target.

Yesterday's protesters were reasonably well treated by police, although several protesters were allegedly denied food because they were vegetarian.

The non-violent campaign against the port expansion will continue with Climate Camp, to take place in Newcastle on July 10-15.