A 40-YEAR-OLD woman has been charged following an unauthorised protest in the Hunter Valley on Sunday morning.
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The woman, by the name of Jasmine climbed high into a tree sit attached to a rail line heading to the Port of Newcastle where she soared for over two hours, part of a disruption by Blockade Australia.
Police were called to the rail corridor at Lochinvar around 7.30am on June 30, following reports a woman had allegedly entered the rail corridor and was causing an obstruction to trains.
Officers attached to Hunter Valley Police District, with assistance from Police Rescue, attended the site and arrested the woman.
She was taken to Cessnock Police Station where she was charged with causing obstruction to a railway locomotive or rolling stock, entering enclosed land not prescribed premises without lawful excuse and causing/attempting a train or tram in motion to be stopped.
The woman was charged with interfering with equipment without permission and destroying/damaging/obstructing a mine shaft.
She has been given conditional bail to appear at Cessnock Court on July 10.
Blockade Australia has staged a string of illegal protest actions on Hunter rail lines this week, including a 24-year-old woman erecting a bipod over a Hunter rail line.
On Friday night, June 28 police were called to Sandgate on reports several protestors had gone into the rail corridor and stopped an eastbound train.
Newcastle officers and Police Rescue arrived on the scene at about 6.45pm and arrested a 59-year-old man who they say had climbed into an open carriage.
The man was taken to Waratah Police Station, charged, refused bail, and faced Newcastle Local Court on Saturday.
Transport for NSW stopped all trains overnight to circumvent the action, saying that buses would replace overnight train services throughout the weekend.
"This will impact passengers travelling on all intercity services and some XPT services, which will still run but to reduced speeds through the impacted area," the state's transport department said.
"Passengers are advised to allow extra travel time and take alternative transport options where available."
"This decision is not taken lightly and is to ensure the safety of the travelling public, train crew, and emergency service workers that need to enter the rail corridor to conduct rescues."
From 7pm until 5am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, buses will replace passenger trains between Newcastle Interchange and Dungog and Newcastle Interchange and Scone.
In a statement on Thursday, the Australian Rail Track Corporation denounced the protestors' actions as "incredibly dangerous". It said the protests had placed "public, protestors, and emergency services and rail staff lives at risk".
Blockade Australia says it is protesting the country's extractive industries and "Australia's continued contribution to the climate crisis".
Alanna Tomazin
Alanna is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on education. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at alanna.tomazin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Alanna is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on education. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at alanna.tomazin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Simon McCarthy
Simon McCarthy is a journalist working at the Newcastle Herald in NSW. He writes news and features, and produces video and multimedia, for the Herald and Herald Weekender magazine. He contributes regularly to the Newcastle Herald’s daily Topics column, and is the co-creator and producer of the Toohey’s News podcast. McCarthy has worked as a journalist in regional NSW since 2013. He joined the newsroom of the Newcastle Herald in 2017 from the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he worked from 2015 to 2016.
Simon McCarthy is a journalist working at the Newcastle Herald in NSW. He writes news and features, and produces video and multimedia, for the Herald and Herald Weekender magazine. He contributes regularly to the Newcastle Herald’s daily Topics column, and is the co-creator and producer of the Toohey’s News podcast. McCarthy has worked as a journalist in regional NSW since 2013. He joined the newsroom of the Newcastle Herald in 2017 from the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he worked from 2015 to 2016.
