Diversion for protest activists

ALL 12 Greenpeace activists arrested in July after a dairy expansion protest in the Mackenzie have been granted diversions, the group says.

A spokesman for Greenpeace said the 12 activists, dealt with at different courts, including Timaru, Dunedin and Christchurch, had escaped conviction this week after they were arrested at Simons Pass Station, south of Lake Pukaki following a day of protests on July 2 that began when 11 protesters locked themselves on to diggers and machinery to be used in the construction of an irrigation pipeline for a 4500ha dairy development.

Greenpeace Sustainable Agricultural spokeswoman Gen Toop said the activists, including a grandmother and an 89yearold man, had faced charges including trespass and unlawfully being on a vehicle, which carried a possible sentence of two years’ imprisonment.

‘‘It’s hard to put into words the depth of bravery and courage it takes to do something like that. To lock yourself to heavy machinery, risk your safety, risk a criminal record, hefty fines, or worse, jail time,’’ Miss Toop said.

In August, protesters left a petition calling on Dunedin businessman Murray Valentine to stop his plans for the dairy farm development.

Mr Valentine has 9600ha of land at Simon’s Pass and wants to irrigate 4500ha of that.

Mackenzie District Council regulations group manager Karina Morrow confirmed on Thursday the council had a resource consent application for irrigation and direct drilling under six of the planned centre pivot irrigators.

‘‘The consent is currently processing so no decision has been made at present,’’ she said.