‘ Vile’ mine protesters fail in toots poll

DEVELOPMENT leaders and Adani say most people are in favour of coal mining and have accused anti- coal protesters of being “vile” and using “bot” tactics to skew social media.

Protesters campaigned outside a mining forum in Townsville yesterday and at Adani’s office opening, also in Townsville, on Tuesday.

Townsville Enterprise CEO Patricia O’Callaghan said the community supported the Carmichael project, coal mining and opening the Galilee Basin.

“I think this is a message to the activists that no matter how hard they lobby against it, when you have projects going through regulations and process and ticking all the boxes … you cannot stop them,” Ms O’Callaghan said. “The broad community support is there for the Adani project, it is there for coal and it is there for the Galilee Basin.”

Ms O’Callaghan said the way protesters were behaving, with one sign threatening that Adani supporters would be “targeted”, was unacceptable.

“It has become quite vile and really it is not representative of North Queensland as a whole,” she said.

When asked for examples, Ms O’Callaghan said protesters were heckling business and political leaders, the Adani team and mining and resource firms around the country.

“It’s important for regional communities like ours to stand up for ourselves and to say resources and mining has been a core part of our DNA, it underpins the social fabric of our community and we are proud of the industry,” she said.

Adani Australia projects director Peter Thomas said he wondered which “bots” protesters were using after a TV news Facebook poll suggested more people opposed Adani than supported it.

Protesters outside yesterday’s forum held up signs asking passing motorists to “toot” their car horn if they were against Adani and it was this poll Mr Thomas said was more telling.

“I counted 100 cars and came up with 11 toots so I think 89 per cent of Townsville is in favour of the project. I feel very happy about that,” he said. “I don’t really think the popular support is there for them.” Firms excited for Adani, p8- 9