Kristina Seibold, 50, faces court charged contravening a police direction over fire ant treatment plans

A woman charged over an alleged “belligerent, hostile” confrontation with fire ant treatment officers and police at her South East Queensland acreage property has faced court.

Kristina Seibold, 50, is believed to be the first person charged for resisting fire ant treatment amid community concerns about the safety of the eradication program. Picture Instagram

A woman charged over an alleged “belligerent and hostile” confrontation with fire ant treatment officers and police at her South East Queensland acreage property has faced court for the first time.

Kristina Boulter, also known as Kristina Seibold, appeared in Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on Monday charged with contravening a police direction.

The 50-year-old was arrested at her Highvale property near Samford last month after an alleged clash with biosecurity officers and police which was filmed by supporters and posted to social media.

Her appearance came on the same day the Crisafulli government announced a $24m boost to its fire ant eradication program, allowing increased aerial bombardment of the potentially deadly pests using drones and helicopters.

Court documents say police will allege Ms Boulter obstructed officers in their duties as part of the National Fire Ant Eradication Program.

The documents allege she became “belligerent and hostile” when officers entered her 4.3ha Highvale property on February 27 with police.

She allegedly made comments about Covid-19 restrictions and intimated that previous fire ant treatments had killed one of her cows ‘however could not produce any evidence to support this assertion’, according to a police statement of facts.

When told that biosecurity officers had a legal right to enter her property and carry out treatment, police allege she “continued to be argumentative” and began “yelling aggressively” at them as they spread the fire ant baits around her property.

Police allege she was joined by other associates who also yelled at the officers, “causing them reasonable apprehension and fear of being attacked”.

Kristina Seibold, 50, was detained by police at the property.

Ms Boulter was then arrested and detained in a police vehicle until the fire ant treatment was finished, before being given a notice to appear in Pine Rivers Magistrates Court.

Police have accused her of obstructing biosecurity officers in their duties with the National Fire Ant Eradication Program.

They allege she was “noted to be a member of a local area group of anti-fire ant treatment activists” and had marked the property with “trespasser-type signage”.

No-one else was charged.

Ms Boulter’s case was adjourned to May 12, with police ordered to provide a brief of evidence by April 30.

Defence lawyer Ron Behlau, of Gold Coast firm Behlau Murakami Grant, said his client planned to vigorously defend the charge.

“Ms Seibold is entitled, like all Queenslanders who might find themselves in this situation, to the presumption of innocence, and we have been entrusted to defend her ability as a Queensland property owner to lawfully object to the use of state force where fire ant baiting is concerned,” he said.

“When Sir Edward Coke said ‘every man’s home is his castle’, he meant private individuals have a right to repel intrusion from the state in our homes unless there is very good reason.

“There are very real questions about the reason here and whether, in this case, her detainment and arrest was warranted.”

Ms Behlau’s lawyer wife Mia is representing a group of other South East Queensland residents who are considering a class action against what they claim is the state’s “aggressive and assertive” fire ant eradication program.

Ms Behlau told The Courier-Mail in January that the Biosecurity Act had far-reaching powers and the Department of Environment was refusing to consider the concerns of residents with chemical sensitivities and medical issues.

“The department has said they may be able to work around these issues but at the same time they’re treating 100 per cent of properties that are affected, or may be affected, by fire ants,” she said.

“They’re not accepting our submissions in relation to individuals’ medical or health related issues so there might need to be some judicial intervention to restrain the department from trespassing on people’s properties.”

According to the National Fire Ant Eradication Program, almost 14,000 fire ant infestation sites have been identified across southeast Queensland in the last 12 months.