Anti-fire ant eradication activist convicted after using legal arguments ‘similar to sovereign citizens’
Summary
A Queensland magistrate convicted anti-fire-ant program opponent Trevor Hold of obstructing government officers after he tried to prevent them from treating his property. Hold was fined A$1,500, with no conviction recorded, and has appealed to the district court.Key Facts
- Hold was convicted of two counts of obstruction over an incident at his property in Adare, west of Brisbane.
- The property was in the fire-ant treatment zone and scheduled for its annual treatment.
- Queensland’s Biosecurity Act requires landholders to let program officers onto their properties to treat declared priority pests.
- Hold argued that he had a reasonable excuse to refuse entry and challenged the program’s legal authority.
- Magistrate Leanne Scoines rejected Hold’s arguments and found the officers could exercise powers under the Biosecurity Act.
- Scoines found that Hold was not a credible or reliable witness on key disputed issues.
- Hold’s group had advised residents about ways to refuse or prevent program access.
- Hold has appealed the decision and is seeking donations for his defence.
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