Nannas out and about

Sydney Nannas have been busy over the last week at various events all over Sydney and beyond. Here’s a round up of activities.

CBD Knit-in
Last Wednesday Sydney Knitting Nannas held a knit-in for Women’s Day in their old spot outside Channel 7 in Martin Place. This is a favourite site for Nanna knit-ins as there are seats and shade. Nanna Purl sat comfortably on one of the seats and loved having her photograph taken with passers-by. Other more agile Nannas asked people to sign a petition to stop coal seam gas projects planned for the Pilliga forest and on our foodbowl on the Liverpool Plains.

Lane Cove Stall
On Saturday Sydney Nannas helped a larger local group at a stall in Lane Cove. They handed out leaflets and they also collected signatures on the petition. Local Nanna Laura had one side of an easel with the bad news about new coal in the Hunter and the other side about the really wonderful Hunter Valley community’s imagined Renewal Plan without coal or gas! Here’s an image of the Renewal Plan artwork.

Hunter Gas Pipeline
Meanwhile near Singleton, a Sydney Nanna joined a couple of Nannas from the Hunter at Elderslie Hall at a community meeting about the Hunter Gas Pipeline. Energy analyst Bruce Robertson talk was titled Why! He talked about gas demand declining in Australia and overseas and the huge gas fields in Qatar being opened up from 2025 with very cheap gas.

David Chadwick from Coonamble told the landholders in the Hunter how his community stopped the Western Slopes Pipeline. More detailed reports on Bruce’s analysis of the future of gas and David’s “piss-off policy” for the gas industry will be available soon.

Koalas
On Sunday several Nannas attended the Bob Brown Foundation’s state election koala rally on Manly Beach Promenade. International organisations are getting on board, but the NSW coalition government is not. Manly is the seat of the current Environment Minister James Griffin.

Waste
Craig Reucassel from the ABC’s War on Waste was also in Manly challenging people to lift one person’s annual waste. Cranky koala couldn’t but Knitting nannas Cathy and Keelah and Dr and grandmother Connie Harris did. They also got to chat with Craig.

Being active gives us hope.