Qld: Greenpeace ends coal protest, vows to continue campaign

AAP General News (Australia)
08-07-2009
Qld: Greenpeace ends coal protest, vows to continue campaign

By Jessica Marszalek

BRISBANE, Aug 7 AAP - Greenpeace activists have ended a protest blocking a major Queensland
coal port, but say they'll be back again and again until the federal government adopts
greater emissions targets.

Protesters stopped production at the BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance's (BMA) Hay Point
Export Coal Terminal at Mackay for 36 hours when they chained themselves to the top of
the terminal.

They voluntarily returned to the ground on Thursday afternoon, but Greenpeace's largest
ship, the 72-metre Esperanza, was still obstructing the loading point.

Greenpeace climate campaigner Julien Vincent said the ship was moved on Thursday night
after the 36-hour blockage that coincided with the Pacific Islands Forum in Cairns.

But he promised campaigners would be back in an escalating campaign.

"We're not going anywhere, we're only going to continue this campaign and we're going
to be involving more people as we go," he said.

"The prime minister is going to have to justify throughout the rest of this year why
he is setting greenhouse pollution targets that are so low, that are so weak, they essentially
lock in the worst impact of climate change."

Mr Vincent said Australia's Pacific Island neighbours would especially feel the impact.

He said the Esperanza would dock at Cairns for the weekend, hopefully to recruit more
sympathisers.

The Queensland Resources Council has estimated the stunts had cost Queensland taxpayers
about $1 million a day in royalties, and BHP about $13 million a day.

Greenpeace staged a similar protest at the Xstrata Coal-operated Abbot Point terminal,
25km north of Bowen in north Queensland, on Tuesday.

Fourteen people have been charged over the protests this week.

Federal Climate Change Minister Penny Wong has said climate change will not be fixed
by stunts or slogans and that coal will remain a significant part of the world's energy
mix in one form or another.

AAP jmm/srp

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