By NOEL MURPHY
Industry and government spies could be monitoring activists opposed to Anglesea’s coal-fuelled Alcoa power station, a university vice chancellor has warned.
Clive Hamilton, a public ethics professor at Charles Sturt University, told the Independent groups like Surf Coast Air Action were likely to be under secret surveillance.
The author, Greens member and climate change lobbyist has been outspoken about private and public-sector spying on environmental groups.
“It’s fair to assume that every substantial anti-coal activist group is being spied on, both by private companies and by state or federal agencies,” he told the Independent.
“Activities would include the placement of infiltrators and phone and email surveillance.”
Prof Hamilton last week said “savvy campaigners” assumed their communications were routinely monitored.
Writing at the academic website The Conversation, he said Greenpeace activists were in the habit of turning off their mobile phones when discussing campaigns.
“They leave them in another room under a pile of magazines, aware that they can be turned on remotely and used as listening devices,” he wrote.
“The video and audio facilities of their computers can also be used for snooping by outside forces. Putting masking tape over webcams is now a standard precaution.”
Alcoa declined to comment when the Independent asked whether the Anglesea acitivists should be concerned about Prof Hamilton’s warning.
“Alcoa has no comment on this,” spokesperson Nichola Holgate said.
But a State Government spokesperson rejected the surveillance suggestion.
“These are absurd allegations and won’t be dignified with a response,” he said.
Surf Coast Air Action said was unaware of any surveillance of its activities.
“SCAA has no evidence of this,” Dr Jacinta Morahan told the Independent.
“We are a small community-based group seeking to affect change in our coastal town.
“We maintain good relations with Alcoa, as witnessed by our regular attendance at their community consultation meetings.
“We make no secret of our campaign tactics and information about what we stand for is readily available on our website.”
