Australian Border Force officers have removed two environmental activists from an offshore drilling rig.
The activists from Greenpeace were taken into police custody on Sunday after scaling a massive floating platform at Woodside’s Scarborough gas site, 375km off the coast of Karratha in Western Australia.
The pair spent the night on the 70,000-tonne floating platform after gaining access at around 5:45am on Saturday, in protest of what they say are environmental threats to the nearby Scott Reef.
Woodside and Western Australia Police directed inquiries to Australian Border Force as having led the operation to remove the protesters.
According to Greenpeace, a police helicopter landed on the rig and the activists removed themselves from their equipment before being taken into custody.
As of Sunday afternoon no charges had been laid, Greenpeace said.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific chief executive David Ritter said the protesters’ ‘brave’ actions helped expose an unacceptable risk to Scott Reef.
‘Our activists are highly trained and experienced in these activities,’ he said.
Greenpeace protesters scaled an oil rig nearly 400km off the Australian coast on Sunday
Border authorities took to protesters into custody on a helicopter sent to the rig
A spokesperson from the Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior said it was ‘unacceptable to have any infrastructure like this anywhere near a coral reef that is home to endangered species.’
‘We’ve seen [the activists] put into handcuffs and taken away… we are so proud of the actions that these brave volunteers have undertaken to put this level of dedication into sending a message to Woodside and the Australian government that they cannot go ahead to drill for gas at Scott Reef.’
In a statement, Woodside denied the protest was peaceful, saying it not only endangered the activists’ safety, but Woodside staff, contractors and law enforcement responders, as well as risking the facility and surrounding environment.
‘The activists’ conduct is not peaceful. It is dangerous, reckless and illegal,’ a spokesperson for the company said.
The Scarborough Energy Project is 98 per cent complete and set to produce its first liquid natural gas by the end of 2026. The initial stage includes eight wells with 13 to be drilled over the life of the field.
The massive floating production unit arrived at the site in mid-January after being slowly towed from China.
The protesters were transported to the site on board Greenpeace’s flagship vessel.
Rainbow Warrior Captain Hettie Geenen described it as ‘powerful’ watching from the ship as the activists scaled Woodside’s structure.
Greenpeace issued a statement congratulating the protesters on their bravery
‘Just before this peaceful protest, the Rainbow Warrior sailed to Scott Reef, where our whole crew got to witness the magic of an untouched, healthy reef ecosystem full of marine life,’ she said.
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