Professor Colin Butler is thought to be the first current contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to have engaged in civil disobedience. 

Professor Butler, a Buddhist, doctor and epidemiologist – is one of a number of religious protestors who were involved in the action.

The processing plant serves a number of coal mines in the area, including Whitehaven Coal.

Truck access was blocked to the plant.

Professor Butler was taken to the Gunnedah Police Station.

“Australia is in a frenzy with its expansion of coal mining and export,” he said.

“Primarily, I am going to fulfil what I see as my responsibility as a professor of public health in Australia, an incredibly fortunate nation that should not be so wedded to coal.

“It is immoral that we are profiting from something that, in the huge dose we are administering to the planet, is so obviously toxic to the future.”  

Whitehaven Coal chairman Mark Vaile told the annual general meeting recently it had been a challenging year for 

Whitehaven and the coal industry in general.

“The environment for coal companies has been tough with coal prices for all coal types declining during the year while the Australian dollar remained strong despite falls in commodity prices,” he said.

“These tough market conditions have resulted in Whitehaven reporting a full year loss in  financial year 2014.

“Notwithstanding these challenging market conditions, Whitehaven has delivered significant operational achievements and remains focused on our strategy to become the leading independent, listed coal business in Australia.

“Despite the difficult conditions at present, shareholders have reason to be upbeat about Whitehaven’s prospects over the long term.

“Maules Creek is only months away from generating significant cash, and within a few years, Whitehaven will be one of Australia’s largest, and lowest-cost, producers of high-quality coal.”

The Maules Creek project has been plagued by protests across a number of the Whitehaven sites.

Despite the protests, Whitehaven expects to rail its first coal ahead of schedule in January next year.