Grandmother arrested in Glencore office protest over HVO coal expansion

newy.com.au – A Newcastle grandmother has been arrested during a Rising Tide protest at Glencore’s Newcastle office against the proposed Hunter Valley Operations coal mine expansion.

Twenty-four supporters entered the office on Friday morning carrying a banner reading “Say no to HVO Hunter Valley Operations” as they objected to the HVO Continuation Project, proposed by Glencore and Yancoal. The project is before the Independent Planning Commission, which is considering the North and South open cut coal continuation plans.

The protesters sang, chanted and spoke about their experiences of climate impacts and their opposition to further fossil fuel extraction. They also completed submissions to the IPC’s public consultation process during the protest.

Police ordered the group to leave or face arrest. Linda Alcorn remained inside and was arrested while the others left the building. As she was escorted to a custody van, she said: “I’m doing this for my grandchildren”.

Alcorn was taken to Newcastle police station, charged with section s4b1 (g) “Trespass on enclosed lands” and later released. Outside the building, other protesters continued singing and holding signs reading “Stop the Biggest Coal Project in NSW History”, “Climate Crisis No New Coal” and “Fund New Jobs”.

The HVO expansion, if approved, would allow coal exports from the Hunter Valley operation until 2045. Opponents say the project would become the largest coal mine in NSW history and produce 800 million tonnes of lifecycle emissions.

“I’m protesting the HVO expansion for my grandchildren and future generations. I have asthma and have been personally affected by living in the coal mining region of the Hunter. I voted for clean energy and therefore clean health, and I think this project is horrific and completely counter to what we should be doing in this country,” Alcorn said.

ICU nurse Edie Griffin, who also attended the protest, said she viewed climate action as preventative healthcare.

“I’m at Glencore’s office today because, as a registered nurse, I see climate action as a crucial form of primary preventative healthcare. As a child I saw a decade of drought devastate my hometown. As an ICU nurse, I’ve seen how heat causes illness and death. In January I treated a patient whose cardiac arrest was caused by this extreme heat, and I am here today for her,” she said.

The IPC is accepting submissions on the project until 26 July, with registration to speak at the public hearing closing at noon on 8 July.