Western Australian Premier Roger Cook has denounced “extremist” protesters who descended on the home of Woodside chief executive Meg O’Neill and mounted a spirited defence of the natural gas industry, which he said was essential to the state’s energy transition.

A day after three people were arrested at the Perth beachside family home of Ms O’Neill, Mr Cook said he was appalled by their actions, and vowed to seek answers from the ABC as to how one of its camera crews became involved in filming the protest.