CULTIVATING MURDER Brisbane

CULTIVATING MURDER

If you care about the environment you will want to see this film.

Cultivating Murder is a new feature documentary that tells the story of the murder of Glen Turner, a public servant working for the Office of Environment and Heritage, who was gunned down on the side of a public road in Croppa Creek, 40 kilometers from Moree in 2014. 

Glen Turner was investigating illegal land clearing when he was murdered, and since his death we have seen the NSW Government throw out the Native Vegetation Act and replace it with legislation that will allow even greater broadscale land clearing to occur, much as it has in Queensland. It reveals the pressure of recent rapid expansion in agribusiness as the laws protecting the environment are weakened across Australia.

The killer, Ian Turnbull, a wealthy NSW rural producer, had previously been prosecuted for illegal land clearing. During the murder trial Turnbull pleaded not guilty on the grounds of “substantial impairment” claiming the Office of Environment and Heritage was bankrupting his family agribusiness, and as a result, he was suffering acute depression. In court, both claims were were shown to be untrue. Ian Turnbull (82) died on Monday 27^th March in Hospital while serving a 35 year sentence for the murder of Glen Turner.

A Coronial Inquest has been announced into the murder of Glen Turner. The inquest will be held in Sydney in early 2018.

The film tells the story of four people who are deeply affected by the murder:

Alison McKenzie, Glen’s partner who is left alone with their two children and is concerned that the killer may escape a just punishment.

Fran Pearce, Glen’s younger sister, who joins Alison as they attend the Supreme Court trial of Ian Turnbull. The two women struggle with personal grief as they attend each day of the murder trial in Sydney to show the judge, defense and the media that they want justice for Glen.

Alaine Anderson, a farmer in Croppa Creek and neighbour of the killer Ian Turnbull. She has known the Turnbull's for years but is now concerned that the community has deeply divided.

Phil Spark, an environmental consultant, who has taken it upon himself, despite obvious danger, to investigate cases of broadscale land-clearing when the government agencies fail to do so.