Environmental activist Ben Pennings declares ‘massive victory’ after Adani drops its years-long legal pursuit | Carmichael coalmine

Indian mining company Adani has agreed to end its long legal pursuit of environmental activist Ben Pennings.

Pennings declared victory on Thursday after the Queensland supreme court signed off on rulings on Wednesday, ending a five-and-a-half-year court battle. The ruling requires Pennings not to obtain Adani’s confidential information or ask others to do so, but the company withdrew its initial claim for damages of $600 million.

The case started in 2020. Adani unsuccessfully applied for an unannounced search of Pennings’ family home in June 2020 for possible evidence that it had obtained confidential information regarding the Carmichael coal mine.

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Court documents in that case detailed that Adani hired a private investigator to spy on the activist and his family members, including taking photographs of him taking his then-nine-year-old daughter to school.

Adani later filed a civil lawsuit against Pennings, the national spokesman for the Galilee Blockade group, alleging that he was trying to disrupt the operations of the Carmichael coal mine, its suppliers and contractors.

In 2023, Adani retracted part of its claim that Pennings had illegally accessed confidential information.

The longtime activist has repeatedly described the company’s legal process as the Slapp case, a strategic lawsuit against public participation.

He said at a press conference on Thursday that his was the biggest, longest and most expensive Slapp suit in the country’s history. He accused the company of using him as an example to scare other competitors of his project.

“The corporate-run Slapp trials are, in my view, just an affront to democracy,” he said, calling on the government to ban them, as it has done in American states and Europe.

Adani said Pennings hurt its business. The company claimed that its behavior led to the walkout of several contractors, including drilling company Downer.

He claimed he “led a sustained campaign” against the Carmichael project, asking employees to leak confidential information to him and using it to harass contractors.

Pennings agreed not to receive or ask others to obtain Adani’s confidential information.

Mick Crowe, chief operating officer of Bravus Mining & Resources (Adani Group’s Australian subsidiary), said the business was delighted that Pennings had agreed to take on the venture.

“We have taken this legal action in the high court to stop Mr. Pennings from harassing and intimidating our employees and contractors,” he said.

“This compensation claim was never about money. All we wanted was for Mr. Pennings to stop trying to obtain our confidential information and use it to harass and intimidate our contractors and suppliers to pressure them to stop working with us.

“Over the years many high profile businesses have distanced themselves from us because of his campaign.

“Some of those who stayed with us had to spend money on security to protect themselves from protests, lockdowns and office raids.”

With the five-year injunction preventing him from campaigning against the company now lifted, Pennings said he intends to immediately return to direct action against the mine.