Fifteen Greenpeace activists have been fined over a protest that brought one of Australia's busiest coal export terminals to a standstill.
Greenpeace activists climbed a 50-metre-high coal loader at the Hay Point coal terminal, south of Mackay, on August 5 in a protest over pollution caused by the expansion of the Australian coal industry.
At the end of the action, a Greenpeace boat, the Esperanza, moved in and blockaded the port, which is owned by BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance.
Operations at Hay Point were stopped for 36 hours during the protest, with the Queensland Resources Council saying it cost state taxpayers about $1 million a day in royalties, and BHP about $13 million a day.
Guilty pleas were entered for 15 activists in the Mackay Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning.
No conviction was recorded in the majority of the cases.
The charges ranged from trespass to unregulated high risk activity, and fines from $300 to $750 were handed down by magistrate Damien Dwyer.
Captain of the Esperanza, Vladimir Votiacov, still faces charges over the incident, with his case due to be heard next month.
Greenpeace CEO Linda Selvey said in a statement the organisation would continue to campaign against coal interests, which were putting short-term profit ahead of the environment.
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