As Adani launches legal action against activist Ben Pennings for his organisation of anti-Adani campaigning traditional owners of the mine’s access route are restricting access to the mine site.
Harassment and intimidation
According to Adani they have ‘launched civil legal proceedings against anti-fossil fuel activist Ben Pennings to protect our rights, as well as those of our employees and contractors, to carry out legal and legitimate business activities free from intimidation and harassment.
Adani is claiming that Mr Pennings has orchestrated a sustained campaign of harassment and intimidation against Adani’s business, employees, contractors and potential business partners spanning almost a decade.
According to their press release ‘The civil legal action seeks to limit the campaign of alleged harassment and intimidation orchestrated by Mr Pennings against our business that aims to prevent us from legally and legitimately pursuing our commercial interests.’
Mr Pennings is currently seeking legal advice prior to commenting to the media.
Traditional owners evict Adani
In the mean time traditional owners of the Wangan and Jagalingou country leading to the Adani Carmichael Coal Mine are attempting to evict Adani from using their homelands.
They say they issued ‘Adani Australia with an eviction notice at the company’s offices in Brisbane, Townsville and at the Carmichael mine site, last Thursday’.
‘Starting today, Traditional Owners will restrict Adani, and their contractors, movement to and from the mine site.
Re-establishing tribal control
Representing the traditional owners Adrian Burragubba said that ‘Today we are re-establishing tribal control of our home lands.
‘Adani are operating without authorisation within our boundaries.
‘Adani have cleared land which is home to many sacred totemic animals.
‘It is our duty as Wangan and Jagalingou people to act against Adani’s Carmichael project that interferes with our ancient law and custom.
Illegal land grab
They say they do not accept the Queensland governments extinguishment of their native title on the lands and its provision to Adani for mining.
‘We do not acknowledge the Queensland government’s illegal land grab. We do not acknowledge any sham Adani agreements that were created without free, prior and informed consent of the Wangan and Jagalingou people,’ said Mr Burragubba.
‘We demand an end to the destruction of our unceded territory. We demand Adani Australia abandon their Carmichael mine project immediately. We want them out, we want them to pack up and leave our tribal lands.
‘We, the original Wangan and Jagalingou people, believe that it is our inalienable right given to us by our ancestors, to oppose the compulsory acquisition of all our lands and waters within our borders,’ he says.
‘As tribal warriors we will fight to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity.
‘We have been fighting colonisation in Wangan and Jagalingou territory since 1860. We have been fighting against Adani’s mine for 10 years, and we will continue to do so.
‘As the tribal warriors of the Wangan and Jagalingou people we will stand our ground.’
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