A court has issued violence restraining orders against a group of climate activists over a failed protest at the Woodside Energy boss’s family home.

Disrupt Burrup Hub says orders were issued against three activists allegedly involved in the action outside chief executive Meg O’Neill’s Perth residence earlier in the month.

They prevent the trio from commenting publicly about Ms O’Neill or the alleged attempted protest outside her house that was foiled by West Australian counter-terrorism police, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

The activists were previously charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and granted bail with strict conditions that prevent them from approaching Ms O’Neil or Woodside property.

The orders’ conditions state the activists must not make reference to Ms O’Neill by any electronic means, including via the internet and social media.

They are also prevented from causing or allowing others to refer to Ms O’Neill or protest outside her home.

“This move is a clear attempt by Woodside to silence the Disrupt Burrup Hub campaign from effectively drawing attention to the dangerous fossil fuel expansion of Woodside’s Burrup Hub,” the spokesman said.

“It is also clearly intended to interfere with an ABC Four Corners episode that captured footage of the entire police operation at the house.”

The group said it understood Woodside applied for a fourth order and it has not been served.

The group’s lawyer, Zarah Burgess, said it was an extraordinary attempt to gag climate campaigners and a misuse of the court system.

“I have never before seen a VRO used in this way,” she said.

“The intended purpose for granting VROs is to protect people, predominantly women and children, usually in the context of family violence.”

It comes as Greenpeace and Conservation Council of WA prepare to lead a community vigil outside Woodside’s Perth headquarters on Wednesday to demand the gas company stop seismic blasting for the hub’s development.

“Woodside’s dangerous plans include dredging the seabed and conducting seismic blasting that can seriously harm whales and other wildlife,” a spokeswoman said.

Greenpeace said a Woodside tugboat hit a whale calf in the Port of Dampier on August 10.

The Burrup Peninsula, located in WA’s Pilbara region and known as Murujuga to traditional owners, contains the world’s largest and oldest collection of petroglyphs.

Disrupt Burrup Hub claims Woodside’s operations in the area and its proposed expansion are the biggest new fossil fuel project in the country and could produce billion of tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2070.

It has carried out a series of actions against Woodside this year, including releasing stench gas at its Perth headquarter in June, forcing the evacuation of about 2000 staff members.

Woodside has been contacted for comment.

– AAP