Carmel Flint from the Northern Inland Council for the Environment attached herself to the bulldozer with a piece of steel pipe, into which she inserted her arms at 5am last Wednesday in protest against three open cut coal mines in the district.

She spent more than seven hours attached to the machine before she was arrested by police at 12.30pm.

Ms Flint said her action was a last-resort measure to raise awareness of the issue and send a message to the State Government, who seemed to place the welfare of mining companies over that of the community.

“You can write really good submissions and do everything by the book and nothing really changes,” Ms Flint said.

“When a protester tries to do something, they’re immediately taken to court.”

Ms Flint said her arrest wouldn’t prevent her from participating in future protesting.

“If anything, it’s redoubled my resolve about putting the community and the environment before large corporations,” she said.

The Boggabri Coal and Tarrawonga coal mines in the district are set to be expanded, with the establishment of Maules Creek as a third mine.

Ms Flint said the mining projects would see 5000 hectares of bushland cleared to produce 21 million tonnes of coal each year, sending 18,000 tonnes of dust over local farmland.

“They’re going to do enormous damage to the environment,” she said

Ms Flint is set to appear in the Narrabri Local Court on May 29.