Police drop charges against ‘Gympie Pyramid’ protesters

The charges against eight people who clashed with police over the route of the Bruce Highway Bypass - which they claimed impacted a culturally significant site east of Gympie - have been dropped.

Queensland Police have withdrawn charges against eight people accused of trespassing at the site of Bruce Highway Bypass works near Gympie during a protest in October 2021.

The protesters were opposed to the route of the $1billion Gympie Bypass at Rocky Ridge - known as the Gympie Pyramid - and were arrested after clashing with police at the site.

Senior police, police negotiators and police liaison officers held negotiations with the protesters over several months in 2021, a Qld Police Service spokesperson said on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

On February 23, 2023, police withdrew all charges and four days later offered no evidence during a summary trial in Gympie Magistrates Court.

Police take action against protesters at the "Gympie Pyramid" site on October 30, 2021.

Gympie Patrol Inspector Brad Inskip said the decision “was not taken lightly” and came after “considered deliberations taking into account many factors”.

“Ultimately, we made the hard decision that this particular prosecution, for reasons such as the types of offences committed, the length of a trial and the tying up of court time, and the associated costs of the trial, did not make it in the ‘public interest’ to proceed,” Inspector Inskip said.

“Whenever Police proceed with a prosecution, factors such as these and the public interest test must be considered and reconsidered and that’s what we’ve done.”

The QPS spokesperson said police would “continue to work with stakeholders” to ensure anyone unauthorised would be restricted from the Bypass construction site to “ensure the safety of everyone and to ensure the project continues without delay”.

Dawn Myrtle Tomlinson, also known as Aunty Dawn Dee’rum Wan’dam Nir’ida, had one charge of trespass dropped, alongside Zachariah John Monaghan, Paul David Jukes, Gary Roy Tomlinson, also known as Wit’boooka, and Jason Edward Quick, also known as Dhakki.

Diane Patricia Redden-King, also known as Diane Djaki Widjung, had one charge of contravening a police direction dropped, alongside Lauren Jane Granger-Brown and Jeffrey Albert Lang Cranston.

Diane Redden-King outside Gympie Magistrates Court.

Cheryl May Tomlinson, also known as Aunty Bucky Dak’Khan Tuk’ku, is still listed for hearing on March 28, 2023, for two charges of contravening a police direction and one of obstructing a police officer. No pleas were entered.

A Facebook post on a Kabi Dreaming community page stated native title applications and Transport and Main Roads “cannot prove their false claims”.

“Governor-general and Governor of Queensland, when summoned, provided no evidence of lawful transfer of title to the Crown or State of Queensland,” the post stated.

“Kabi sovereignty never ceded.”

A Facebook post on community group Kabi Dreaming shows the group celebrating outside Gympie court when their charges were discontinued.

A Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said they were aware of the dropped charges. The active construction site remained closed to the public, they said.

“The Queensland Government is fully committed to preserving and promoting First Nations’ cultural heritage, land rights and native title, and to reconciliation,” the spokesperson said.

“It has been determined under federal legislation the site is not a significant Aboriginal area. The site is owned by the State of Queensland under freehold title, and was previously held by various other owners under freehold title.

“However, we honoured our commitment to the Kabi Kabi Traditional Owners group by using cultural heritage monitors during all clearing activities at the site.

“No items of cultural heritage were found at the site or surrounding land.”