The WA premier has blasted three activists and will question the ABC over an alleged plan to protest outside the Woodside Energy boss’s home.

August 2, 2023

West Australian Premier Roger Cook has blasted three “extremist” climate activists over an alleged plan to protest outside the Woodside Energy boss’s family home.

Counter-terrorism police were waiting for Jesse Noakes, 34, Gerard Mazza, 31, and a 19-year-old woman when they allegedly arrived with an ABC camera crew at chief executive Meg O’Neill’s Perth property on Tuesday.

Mr Cook also said he will demand answers from the broadcaster about why it didn’t alert police the Disrupt Burrup Hub group’s alleged intention to carry out the action.

“I was absolutely appalled yesterday to hear about these extremists seeking to terrorise the (chief executive) of Woodside and her family in their home,” Mr Cook said on Wednesday.

“This activity, these actions are just unacceptable and not on, and they must stop.”

Mr Cook said he respected the public’s right to protest “but the idea that you can go and terrorise someone in their homes just because they are doing their job is absolutely unacceptable”.

The premier said he had communicated with Ms O’Neill to express his outrage and sympathy.

“It is simply not good enough that people would seek to terrorise someone in their own home and I am very pleased people have been taken into custody and arrests have been made,” he said.

Mr Cook said the ABC camera “clearly had prior notice and understood that these people were going to (Ms O’Neill’s) house, her personal home, to take this action”.

He said he would seek answers from the broadcaster’s management about what it knew and when, and ask why it hadn’t informed police.

He said it was “simply not good enough if what has taken place … is that there was a conspiracy to withhold details of this unlawful action from the police”.

Noakes, Mazza and a 19-year-old woman were arrested outside Ms O’Neill’s home about 6.45am before they were able to carry out their alleged plan to spray paint Ms O’Neill’s home and lock one of their party to the premises.

The trio and a 21-year-old man were later charged with one count of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.

Noakes and Mazza spent the night behind bars before appearing in Perth Magistrates on Wednesday.

A prosecutor detailed the allegations against the group that allegedly included detailed surveillance of Ms O’Neill in the days leading up to the attempted protest.

The pair were granted bail, with a $10,000 surety and strict conditions, including that they don’t attempt to go near Ms O’Neill.

The other two people charged were released on bail and are due to appear in the same court later in the month.

In a statement, the ABC said a Four Corners team attended the protest action to gather material for a potential report and had “no knowledge of what action was going to occur there”.

“Just prior to the action the team received a tip to go to an address, they had no knowledge what was at the address or that it was someone’s house,” a spokeswoman said.

It said the camera crew and reporter did not trespass onto Ms O’Neill’s property and the crew in “no way colluded with the activists”.

Woodside and Ms O’Neil previously said the activists were extremists and the incident was an unacceptable escalation of the group’s protesting that was designed to threaten and intimidate.