A NUMBER of Maules Creek residents are outraged over police road blocks that were set up to prevent ongoing protests targeting the controversial Maules Creek coal mine.
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Maules Creek resident and Boggabri parishioner Wilma Laird was on her way to the Good Friday Church service at Boggabri, but was told to go home or make the journey via Narrabri, increasing the round trip by 160 kilometres.
“If I went via Narrabri, there was no chance I could make the 11 o’clock service in time – I just had to go home,” Mrs Laird said.
“I have been attending Good Friday services in the Boggabri Parish for 77 years and I’ve never been stopped at a police road block before – it’s outrageous.
Nearby resident, Roselyn Druce was also turned away by the road block.
“Previously the police have stopped and searched my vehicle, carried out ID checks and prevented visitors from travelling to my property,” Ms Druce said.
“Today they prevented family from coming to my place on Good Friday.
“NSW is officially a police state, firmly in the grip of the mining companies. The rights of every day people at Maules Creek are being trumped by the interests of Whitehaven Coal.
“No one asked us if we wanted to live in a police state next to a coal mine. No one asked us if we wanted to have our groundwater, air quality and health affected.
“These people trample over anyone and everyone to make their profits. The state gets its cut and people don’t trust governments anymore. This isn’t a movie, this is real,” she said.