Tobias Linz: Tarkine protester not punished for MMG disruption

A Tasmanian plant scientist who had previously lived a blemishless life pleaded guilty to charges relating to the obstruction of miner MMG’s takayna dam plan. Unusual sentence >>>

A young Tasmanian cannabis technician has escaped court with neither conviction nor penalty after being slapped with two charges relating to his obstruction of miner MMG’s takayna/Tarkine operations.

Reedy Marsh man Tobias Michael Linz, 29, who the court heard was a plant scientist with a bright future currently employed as a cannabis technician with Tasmanian Alkaloids t/a Extractas Bioscience, was charged with wilful obstruction of a road and failure to comply with the direction of a police officer.

Both charges occurred at Tullah on May 30 and involved Linz blockading a road MMG needed to access its controversial tailings dam site.

Linz, who had no previous criminal history, had placed a tripod polesit in the middle of the road, tethering it to a nearby unoccupied tree-sit, the court heard.

Police “observed a number of persons on-site representing the Bob Brown Foundation”, the court was told.

After Linz was initially discovered by MMG workers at 8am, police spoke with the defendant at 12.30pm, at which point they gave him a formal direction to leave the site and not return for 14 days.

He said he would not comply, the court heard.

Police search and rescue officers were subsequently required to climb the neighbouring tree to untether the polesit, at which point Linz decamped from the structure.

Linz’s defence lawyer told the court his client was representing himself – not the foundation – and he was motivated by “important ecological facts”, including that takayna/Tarkine was Australia’s “largest remaining tract of temperate rainforest”.

She cited a Federal Court decision in July, which set aside former Environment Minister Sussan Ley’s approval of the construction of a tailings dam for MMG’s Rosebery mine within takayna/Tarkine, as proof that Linz’s actions were justified.

It was submitted on behalf of Linz, a University of New England Plant Science graduate, that he had a “flourishing future” in the horticultural industry which may be impacted by the recording of a conviction.

Magistrate Sharon Cure said the court was “not able to make a political statement” as to whether Linz was justified in breaking the law in support of his strongly held environmental beliefs.

Nevertheless, she recorded no convictions and imposed no punishment, simply imposing costs and levies of $71.40.

She said she believed Linz had suffered “enough punishment” being hauled before the court.

Originally published as Tobias Linz: Tarkine protester not punished for MMG disruption