Dominic Perrottet slams protesters blocking trains to Newcastle coal port

Anti-coal activists have drawn a fierce rebuke from Dominic Perrottet after a series of stunts including dangling from ropes to block freight trains.

Anti-coal activists are costing the economy millions of dollars by crippling the Hunter’s rail network with a series of stunts, including dangling themselves from ropes across the tracks and even parking a car in the way of freight trains.

Activist group Blockade Australia has claimed responsibility for at least eight closures of train tracks in the Hunter since Friday, with the group posting extensively about their actions on their Facebook page.

“Zelda” on top of a coal train in a hazmat suit. Picture: Facebook/Blockade Australia

The stunt shut down the coal port. Picture: Facebook/Blockade Australia

The actions of the group have drawn a fierce rebuke from Premier Dominic Perrottet, who said there were “many ordinary people who are just trying to earn a living who have been disrupted by this behaviour”.

“When protesters use disruptive tactics they put themselves at risk of harm and also put the police and emergency personnel responding to these incident in danger as well,” he said.

A car, fitted with metal bar, is parked across the rail line for more than two hours. Picture: Blockade Australia/Facebook

Jarrah Em Kay was arrested after barricading himself in a car parked on tracks at Sandgate. Picture: Blockade Australia/Facebook

Paul Scurrah, chief executive officer of rail freight operator Pacific ­National, said the protests had caused the cancellation of 20 of their services laden with coal and grain, with each service worth about $1 million in ­export value to the country.

“At a time when Australia needs to recover from the economic shocks of the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdowns, one of the most critical rail freight networks in this country – the Hunter Valley system – has been brought to a complete standstill because of dangerous protests from environmental extremists,” he said.

“These radicals not only put the safety of our train crews in great peril but their actions in the last 48 hours have led to 20 cancelled Pacific ­National rail services (notably coal and grain) to the Port of Newcastle.”

Monday’s post of protester climbing a tripod on a train line into and out of Newcastle coal port. Picture: Blockade Australia/Facebook

Deputy Premier Paul Toole said it was “disgraceful” and a “a kick in the guts to the farming and mining industries who put food on their table and keep the lights on”.

“Just when there was hope on the horizon as (producers) rip in to bring in what’s shaping up to be a record grain crop of 16 million tonnes, these protesters have selfishly thrown ­another unnecessary challenge their way,” he said.

Tuesday’s post of an activist suspended 20m up an electrical pylon, blocking access to Newcastle coal port. Picture: Blockade Australia/Facebook

In a series of videos and pictures posted on the Blockade Australia Facebook page, the group has promoted their dangerous stunts, including suspending themselves from ropes — tied to trees and scaffolding — above the train lines.

And while the activists, whose website claims “Australia is driving the climate crisis … threatening all life on Earth”, have targeted the world’s largest coal port at New­castle, their actions have also hobbled freight trains laden with farmer’s produce from getting to other ports across the state.

Wednesday’s post of activist on to of a 100,000T coal train, stopping the Newcastle coal rail network from operating for four hours until they were arrested. Picture: Blockade Australia/Facebook

Late Thursday an activist climbed aboard a coal train and live streamed herself shovelling coal from a wagon onto the ground below, forcing the cancellation of multiple freight and passenger trains.

“I’m just returning the coal to the earth where it came from,” she said, saying she was taking the action against a “f … ked up system of exploitation and murder”.

“That’s a few shovel-fulls of toxic … coal that won’t be exported ­because I have put it back in the earth,” she said.

Images of the vehicle posted on the Blockade Australia Facebook page showed steel barricades crudely fastened to the ­inside of the car with a man inside.

Police confirmed a 24-year-old man, who goes by the moniker Jarrah Em Kay, was charged over the incident, one of seven arrests made by Newcastle City Police over the week.

In an alarming incident on Tuesday, a car was parked across tracks at Sandgate, north of Newcastle.

Thursday’s post of an activist who shut down the rail network to Newcastle coal port. Picture: Blockade Australia/Facebook

Police were also forced to call in rescue crews on Tuesday when Brisbane woman Zoe Hulme-Peake, 20, suspended herself above the tracks from a rope tied to a power pole at Ash Island, near Hexham.

She was charged with cause ­obstruction to railway locomotive or rolling stock and enter enclosed land not prescribed premises without lawful excuse.

Meanwhile a 34-year-old man was also charged on Monday after allegedly suspending himself from scaffolding over tracks at Sandgate.

Detective Superintendent Wayne Humphrey said police had arrested five men and two women since Monday, with all those charged with various trespass and rail disruption offences.

He said additional security, surveillance and lighting had been ­installed at high-risk access points.

Owner and director of freight company Southern Shorthaul Railroad, Jason Ferguson, said the stoppages had cost his business more than $300,000 this week, with protesters forcing the cancellation shipments of cotton, grain and coal.

“They think they’re targeting coal but they’re shutting down the whole network — grain, cotton, passengers — it’s having a devastating effect,” he said.
“This is bringing our whole supply chain to its knees.”