Protesters Halt Dredging in Gladstone Harbour
9th of Nov, 2011
Protesters halted dredging in Gladstone harbour today, when Friends of the Earth campaigner Derec Davies locked on to a Gladstone port corporation dredge.
All photos credit: Chris Niblett
image 6 - Derec Davies Headshot - full size
Media Release 4:00pm 09/11/11
Update #2: Protester released from custody over Gladstone harbour protest.
Friends of the Earth protester Derec Davies was released from custody at 3:40pm today with three charges under the Transport Operations and Maritime Safety act.
The charges carry a total maximum penalty of $74000 or one years imprisonment.
"The Great Barrier Reef is worth a lot more than $74 000, so I think that it was worthwhile," said Mr Davies. "We shouldn't have to take action like this, but our Environment ministers Vicky Darling and Tony Burke are letting us all down.
"Hopefully the judge will see that people need to have the right to protest, otherwise this destruction of the reef will go unchallenged." said Mr Davies.
Protesters halted dredging in Gladstone harbour for 2 hours today, when Friends of the Earth campaigner Derec Davies hung a banner and locked himself to a Gladstone port corporation dredge.
The protest was supported by a small group of local fishing boats and one kayaker.
Derec was locked to the dredge from 9:30 am until 11:45 am, when he was cut off and arrested by Gladstone Police.
Friends of the Earth Spokesperson Drew Hutton said that the purpose of the protest was to call for a halt to all dredging in the harbour until a genuine independent enquiry was held into the causes of the apparent ecosystem collapse in the harbour.
Media Release 10:30 am 9/11/11
Protesters halt dredging in Gladstone harbour.
For immediate release
Protesters halted dredging in Gladstone harbour today, when Friends of the Earth campaigner Derec Davies locked on to a Gladstone port corporation dredge.
Mr Davies was part of a protest organised by Friends of the Earth with the support of local people.
He unfurlled a banner on the dredge, which read "Save the reef, halt dredging" and chained himself to the dredge at approximately 9:30am this morning, after being ferried in by a fast-travelling Zodiac inflatable speed-boat.
Friends of the Earth Spokesperson Drew Hutton said that the purpose of the protest was to call for a halt to all dredging in the harbour until a genuine independent enquiry was held into the causes of the apparent ecosystem collapse in the harbour.
Mr Hutton said the disproportionate number of marine animal deaths and diseased fish in Gladstone harbour reflected an ecosystem under extreme stress and his organisation had no faith in the Queensland Government's preparedness to look seriously for the causes.
Friends of the Earth is also calling for the current enquiry announced by Federal and State Governments to widen its terms of reference to include all aspects of industrial development in the region.
He also called for the State Government to pay compensation to the local fishing industry, which has collapsed because of this crisis.
"This is an issue of concern to all Australians who believe the Great Barrier reef should not be sacrificed for fleeting economic development.
"The coal seam gas industry, once again, has demonstrated what a detrimental impact it is having on rural and regional Queensland."
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