A 28-year-old woman charged with incitement for allegedly organising an anti-lockdown protest in Ballarat has faced court to vary her bail conditions.
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Zoe Buhler was arrested at her Miners Rest home on September 2 for allegedly creating a post on social media inviting people to an anti-lockdown protest in Ballarat on September 5.
A pregnant Buhler live-streamed her arrest on social media, sparking a media storm. She was transported to the Ballarat Police Station where she was bailed with seven conditions.
The conditions included to follow the Chief Health Officer's direction, not to enter Ballarat on September 5 or for reasons other than to attend medical appointments or court, not to use social media prior to September 6, not to post on social media or websites to incite people to breach health directives, not to commit an offence and to notify police of a change of address within 24 hours.
Buhler faced the Ballarat Magistrates' Court via a video link on Friday to apply to remove all of the conditions, except for the residential condition.
Defence barrister Anna Dixon said her client did not pose a risk to anyone nor was she a risk of committing an offence while on bail.
She argued the condition not to post on social media or websites to incite people to breach health directives was an offence in itself.
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Clint Prebble said the condition should remain because the whole prosecution case was based around social media.
The defence and prosecution agreed some of the conditions were now irrelevant.
Magistrate Letizia Torres directed all of the bail conditions to be removed except for the conditions not to post on social media or websites to incite people to breach health directives and to notify police of a change of address within 24 hours.
She said much of the application to vary bail was not disputed.
The court was told the defence had not yet received the police preliminary summary, which was essential for them to avoid delays in the case.
Leading Senior Constable Prebble said the brief of evidence was still being compiled and a mention date had been listed for January 25.
The magistrate directed the prosecution to provide the summary to the defence by next Friday.
Buhler's bail was extended until January 25.
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