Westpac’s 200th anniversary celebrations marred by coal protests

Westpac’s 200th anniversary celebrations in Sydney were marred by protests against the proposed Adani coal mine.

Guests mingle below while police use a hoist to talk to coal mining protester chained to scaffolding above the stage.

Westpac’s 200th anniversary celebrations in Sydney were marred by protests against the proposed Adani coal mine in Queensland on Saturday night.

The celebrations at the event in Carriageworks near Redfern were halted for about 90 minutes while police rescue workers talked to a male protester with a backpack who climbed up to scaffolding above the stage and had chained himself to a metal post.

Protesters calling for the Adani mine to be stopped had earlier greeted guests as the arriving at the event waving signs, blowing whistles and banging on the window of some taxis and cars going into the area.

I just crashed Westpac's 200th Birthday ball with @shaunmurray76. @Westpac, rule out financing Adani's Carmichael coal mine now. #StopAdani pic.twitter.com/bk55dq8BhC

— Marco (@marcoorca) April 8, 2017

There appeared to be minimal security at the event which had more than 800 guests including Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison, NSW Governor David Hurley, Westpac chairman Lindsay Maxsted and chief executive Brian Hartzer, former Westpac chief executive Gail Kelly, former Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and string of other executives of major companies including Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce.

Protesters at the entrance to the celebration.

One report said the protester, wearing a black shirt and pants, had followed members of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra who had taken a break as they walked back on stage.

He then climbed up to the scaffolding above and chained himself, apparently by the neck, to a post. Guests who had just finished their main course were told that the events would be suspended because of security concerns for the man given where he was seated.

Police spent some time talking to him before bringing in a hoist in front of the stage to help him down.

Another report said several activists had tried to get into the event through side doors although it appeared that only one made it inside.

Questions were being asked by some guests about security at the event given that the bank has been increasingly targeted by anti-coal activists recently calling on it to refuse to fund the mine.

Westpac chief executive Brian Hartzer told the guests at the black tie event, as they watched as police talked to the man and tried to bring him down, that the bank had not even been approached to help fund the mine.

But other banks have specifically ruled out funding for the controversial coal project.

“The Westpac group has not been approached to fund Adani,” Hartzer told the guests at the black tie event as they watched police negotiate with the protester as the evening’s events were suspended.

“The suggestion, as many people believe, that we are funding Adani is fake news,” he said.

“We are not funding Adani and we have not been asked to fund Adani.

“But we do have a very simple principle which is very important that we do not speak about individual customers.

“And all of you as customers would be pleased to know that we do not speak about individual customers.”

As the protester began shouting, Hartzer said Westpac had a series of environmental principles which say that “if we get a proposal, we run them through some screenings. If it doesn’t pass the screenings, we wont proceed.”

“We think the responsible thing to do is to talk about our principles and our screenings is to talk about individual customers.

“You can all know that you are dealing with company that has very high standards around climate as well as all other aspects of sustainability — we are very proud of that but we do sometimes feel it is important to stick with the principles and not talk about individual customers, particularly for thing we haven’t even been asked to fund.”

He was cheered by the crowd. But the event’s formal festivities, which had included a performance by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and New Zealand born former Split Enz singer Neil Finn, were closed down soon after, at around 11.15pm, with guests left to mingle or leave.

Westpac has prided itself on winning awards for sustainability but its refusal to specifically rule out funding the Adani project has made it a target for activists.