THE BETOOTA BRIEFING

with ERROL PARKER, Editor-at-large The Betoota Advocate

FARMER AWARDED 11 CENTS IN DAMAGES AFTER TOURISTS TRAMPLE 37 CANOLA PLANTS TAKING PHOTOS FOR INSTAGRAM

A local canola grower has been awarded damages in the Betoota District Court this week after several tourists from the East trampled a number of plants as they took photos for Instagram.

Michael John Carlisle, of ‘Eurama Downs’ via Betoota, was also awarded costs by Judge Felicity Coleman, who said farmers in the area are doing it hard enough without yuppies from the city coming out to regional areas to destroy property.

‘Mr Carlisle has had over 450mm of rain this year,’ said Justice Coleman. ‘Things haven’t been easy. Just when Michael was having a win, these tourists cut him down.

‘In all my years in the criminal justice system, this is the worst case of tall canola syndrome I’ve ever seen.’

The court heard that on the 31st of September this year, Maya Stephens and Luke Dalrymple were travelling along the Jundah Road toward the Betoota City Limits when they came across Mr Carlisle’s canola blooming in the paddock next to the road.

Ms Stephens told the court she’d never seen anything like it, while Luke had only seen pictures of sprawling acres of the golden flowers online. However, it was Mr Dalrymple who suggested that this was a golden opportunity to capture some ‘Grade A’ content for Instagram, a wellknown social media platform that was once popular with young people until their parents learned how to use it.

After pulling over safely, the pair walked up to the fence and made sure they were between two fence posts before they climbed over.

Once in the crop, they spent nearly five minutes getting the perfect shot before Mr Carlisle came across the scene.

He phoned the police and, a short time later, Ms Stephens and Mr Dalrymple were arrested at a popular Betoota French Quarter café and taken away before they were able to pay.

They were charged with a litany of offences, including destruction of property, trespassing and domestic terrorism.

This week, they were both found guilty on the first two counts; however, the Crown dropped the charges of domestic terrorism shortly after the arrest.

The Court has ordered the convicted parties to pay 11 cents in damages to Mr Carlisle (the market value of the damaged plants) plus costs, which are estimated to be over $300,000.

More to come.n betootaadvocate.com

Photographs Pip Farquharson