An ABC camera crew was pictured on the driveway of a CEO’s home documenting an environmental protest – despite the broadcaster initially claiming that none of its journalists stood on private property.
Journalists from the flagship Four Corners program controversially filmed protesters demonstrating outside Woodside Energy CEO Meg O’Neill’s Perth home at 6.45am last Tuesday.
Ms O’Neill told a business function in Perth that what happened had left her ‘shaken, fearful and distressed’ and Climate Minister Chris Bowen said there was ‘zero place or tolerance for attacks on private homes and families’.
Amid the furore, the ABC issued a statement claiming its journalists ‘remained on public land observing what was happening and getting some vision, as journalists do’.
‘They at no time went on to private property or had any involvement in what was happening,’ the statement added.
Sky News obtained a picture of ABC journalists standing on the driveway of Woodside Energy’s CEO Meg O’Neill’s home – appearing to contradict the broadcaster’s claim that none of its journalists stood on private property
Journalists from the flagship Four Corners program controversially filmed protesters demonstrating outside Woodside Energy CEO Meg O’Neill’s Perth home at 6.45am last Tuesday
‘The ABC team in no way colluded with the activists,’
But Sky News obtained a picture showing the crew standing on the driveway of Ms O’Neill’s home.
Since the emergence of the photograph, the ABC has said it is ‘conducting a detailed examination of the circumstances surrounding this matter’.
ABC Managing Director David Anderson reportedly sent a letter expressing regret – but not an apology – to Ms O’Neill.
Last week, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland told federal parliament she is awaiting ABC briefings on their involvement.
At least five people from a group called Disrupt Burrup Hub were at Ms O’Neill’s home last Tuesday.
They were protesting against mining and development of the Burrup peninsula in northern Western Australia.
Two of the protesters have appeared in a Perth court charged with conspiring to commit an indictable offence.
Woodside Energy has reportedly lodged an official complaint with the ABC, alleging it breached its own editorial policies by being at the protest.
Western Australian Premier Roger Cook wrote to the broadcaster’s chairwoman, Ita Buttrose, to express his concern.
‘Wittingly or unwittingly, the ABC was complicit,’ he said, according to the Financial Review.
Disrupt Burrup Hub said on Twitter it was ‘very public in our non-violent approach to defending and protecting life’.
‘There was no intention of entering O’Neill’s house, no one’s safety was under threat, and the only source of intimidation was the counter-terror police ambush,’ they said.
Daily Mail Australia contacted the ABC for comment.
Woodside Energy has reportedly lodged an official complaint with the ABC, alleging it breached its own editorial policies by being at the protest
The ABC has previously denied ‘colluding’ with the activists as the broadcaster came under fire immediately after the protest.
A TV crew filmed the protest for a story,’ the ABC said in a statement.
‘Any notion that the TV crew was colluding with the protesters is false.’
The Burrup Peninsula, located in Western Australia’s Pilbara region and known as Murujuga to traditional owners, contains the world’s largest and oldest collection of petroglyphs.
Disrupt Burrup Hub claims Woodside’s operations in the area and its proposed expansion are the biggest new fossil fuel project in the country and could produce billion of tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2070.
It has carried out a series of actions against Woodside this year, including releasing stench gas at its Perth headquarter in June, forcing the evacuation of about 2000 staff members.
Woodside responded last week through its lawyers, who sent a letter to a Disrupt Burrup Hub campaigner and said the company wants to start civil court action against members of the group.
