Ngaarda Media boss ‘concerned’ over WA police raid of journalist’s home

The employer of a journalist whose home was raided in Western Australia after photographing the relocation of sacred rock art from a gas-fed fertiliser plant in the Pilbara is “concerned” about the distress caused by a police search on her home, conducted hours later. 

Ngaarda Media journalist Eliza Kloser was reportedly stopped by two police patrols as she was leaving the site last Friday morning, before she was met by WA police, who arrived at her home with a search warrant later that afternoon.

“Her home was searched extensively by police and an SD card was removed from a camera,” Ngaarda Media CEO Tangiora Hinaki told Crikey in a statement. “This card contained material obtained during the course of her journalistic work for Ngaarda Media and we ask that this be returned immediately.”

Kloser was at the site to photograph the relocation of ancient rock art from a $6 billion urea plant built by Perdaman to process gas from Woodside’s Scarborough project. In October the Perdaman plant was reported to have secured funding from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, to which the Albanese government has committed $7 billion in investment.

Kloser’s housemate and Ngaarda colleague Gerard Mazza was reportedly arrested earlier that Friday for his alleged involvement in a planned disruption expected to take place at Woodside’s annual general meeting on charges of “aggravated burglary with intent on a place”. 

“I understand that the search was related to my housemate, but it was interesting to say the least that I interacted with police three times that day and the only thing they took was the SD card of my work,” Kloser told WAToday.

Hinaki said Mazza attended the AGM in a personal capacity, and that the media company “had no prior knowledge” of his alleged involvement. Mazza’s employment at the company will be safe pending charges, she said. 

WA police have been contacted for comment. 

The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) later aired concerns over the reports, which the union said if accurate should prompt “urgent answers” over how police conducted themselves during “the raids”. 

MEAA media director Cassie Derrick said journalists and their sources should be protected from “disturbing raids and harassment” by police. 

“Police have seized and retained property on what appear to be questionable grounds,” she said. “The equipment seized contains confidential information that could jeopardise sources and prevents these journalists from being able to do their job of informing the public.

“We are calling for the WA police minister to investigate the behaviour of the police in these cases and to publicly report the outcome of these investigations.”