PROTEST: Anti-coal activists fight Premier's lock-on laws

Protester locked to machinery at Adani's Carmichael mine site

A protester locked to a drill rig at Adani's Carmichael mine site. Picture: Frontline Action on Coal

AN ANTI-COAL activist has locked himself to machinery at Adani's Carmichael mine site this morning in protest over the State Government's crackdown on lock-on devices.

The protester locked to a drill rig using a 'dragon sleeve' device is reported to be Emu Park-based father John Williams.

A Frontline Action on Coal spokesperson said the use of lock-on devices had a "long and vital history of driving positive social change in Australia".

"If Premier Palaszczuk and Resources Council CEO Ian (Macfarlane) are concerned about safety, they should consider the health impacts of continued inaction in the face of climate emergency," the spokesperson said.

Police are on the way to the site and may be forced to use an angle grinder to remove the device.

An Adani spokesperson said it supported the State Government's move to outlaw the devices.

"People are free to express their opinions but this is not a safe, peaceful or legal way to express them," the Adani spokesperson said.

Under tough new laws proposed by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday, protesters who use the lock-on devices face up to two years in prison or a maximum $6527 fine.

Originally published as PROTEST: Anti-coal activists fight Premier's lock-on laws