Six protesters arrested at Lee Point fined $200 at the Darwin Local Court
Five men and two women arrested attempting to stop bulldozers moving in at Lee Point have faced court. Here’s what the judge decided.
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Six protesters arrested attempting to halt bulldozers clearing land at Lee Point have escaped conviction at the Darwin Local Court on Tuesday morning.
The group walked away each ordered to pay a $200 fine and a $100 victims levy after pleading guilty to trespassing on the controversial Defence Housing Australia development site.
Jaemie Francis Page, Peter Gresley Mathwin Robertson, Mitchell John Roy Rose, Phillip Stephen Scott, Julie Elise Fraser and Amanda Lilleyman were arrested on July 6, the day works began on Stage 2 of the development following the go-ahead from Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.
Speaking outside the courthouse they vowed to return to Lee Point and continue “peaceful protests” unless the development was scrapped or relocated.
“We sure will be back,” Ms Fraser said.
“We don’t want to see this development go ahead … it’s going to be a tragedy for the Northern Territory, for First Nations people, for us here in Darwin and for Australia.
“Once they started clearing they would just continue until it was all bulldozed and there was nothing left – and then there would be no argument would there? There would be no opportunity to speak out.
“That’s why we acted.”
Works were halted at Lee Point until August 11 after Traditional Owners this month lodged an emergency application to the federal government under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act to protect the area known as Binybara.
Mr Rose said it was “a great result”.
“It goes to show that what we – what everyone – has done out there at Lee Point has been really important and significant,” he said.
Defence lawyer Robert Welfare told the court his clients were “a great bunch of people that care about the environment”.
“Yes they did it, but they did it for good reason,” he said.
Prosecution did not argue for a conviction.
Originally Mr Page was the only one who planned to plea, however after indication from Judge Ben O’Loughlin “the principle of parity” would encourage him to make a “very, very similar” decision in the other cases, the other five followed suit.
Former Darwin City councillor Andrew John Arthur was another Lee Point protester who faced court on Tuesday. His matter was adjourned to August 1 with plans to plead not guilty.
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