Last week the Sydney Nannas visited MPs, attended rallies on the streets and webinars at home. They listened to people living in areas where communities are under threat from bad environmental policies. Where they could they offered their support.
End Native Forest Logging
Some Sydney Nannas attended the handing over of the Bob Brown Foundation’s end Native Forest Logging petition to Sue Higginson MLC who delivered it to the Treasurer.
The Bob Brown Foundation (BBF) is undertaking a National Campaign to End Native Forest Logging and they are calling on people throughout Australia to meet with their Federal Labor MPs and state senators (104) by the end of this month before the National ALP Conference from 17-19 August in Brisbane. Many ALP branches have passed motions calling on the Albanese government to move to 100% plantation timber and end broadscale land clearing before the next federal election. Ask your federal ALP MP to vote for the motion if it comes forward at the ALP conference.
Nannas Robin, Bron and Marie met with Robin’s state MP, Trish Doyle, who is also the Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment. Nannas raised the threats of huge housing developments in south-west Sydney to the currently healthy koala colony there, the logging going on inside the boundaries of the Great Koala National Park as well as questions about ending native forest logging in NSW. Trish agreed to raise our advocacy and questions with Environment Minister Penny Sharpe.
Protest Laws
Nannas joined the rally on Friday outside Downing Street Court to support Brad, who faced a charge under the new anti-protest laws. The charge was dropped but on a separate charge Brad was put on a 12 month Conditional Release Order, no fine and no conviction recorded. Nannas note that laws existing before the extremely harsh anti-protest laws passed in 2022 are being used to prosecute climate activists at the moment.
Murray Darling Basin
On Saturday Sydney Nannas had lunch with Mel Gray, water campaigner for the Nature Conservation Council, who lives in Dubbo. Mel shared tips on how Nannas and other city people can help rescue the rivers of the Murray Darling Basin.
The Forum, Life or Death for the Murray Darling, at Harold Park Community Hall had a diverse panel – lawyer Richard Beasley, Traditional Owner Brendan Kennedy, landholder Kate McBride and scientist Celine Steinfeld.
It was a good discussion and Nannas learnt a lot. PM Albanese has promised to deliver on time the recovery of 450 gigalitres of water for the environment but there are moves to delay this. It needs to be made clear that action to rescue the rivers is very urgent. The Commonwealth needs to buy every drop of water available for sale. Nannas are writing to the federal government as the Sydney Nanna loop as well as contacting our federal MPs as individuals.
Waste
Jane Bremmer of Zero Waste Australia convened a zoom on Wednesday with a focus on Energy from Waste Incinerators. Tarago campaigners are calling for support as the proposed incinerator near their town is further down the assessment process than other regional ones. The company is due to respond to objections to its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and campaigners next big task is to pull lit apart. Activists on the zoom from other areas volunteered to help. Nanna Francis has helped to link people up, and a state-wide network is now being set up.
Energy from waste incinerators have not been ruled out in Sydney because of a court challenge by the Eastern Creek developer. The state government has the option of determining by regulation what happens with energy from waste developments in NSW.
Coal
Nanna Loretta attended the Whitehaven Coal Court Case pertaining to a blast that went wrong. Whitehaven tried to blame contractors but the judge wouldn’t have it – saying Whitehaven is responsible for what contractors do. A new date has been set for the hearing.
Move Beyond Coal had an online meeting for activists in the recent campaign to stop NAB funding Whitehaven’s coal expansion plans. The zoom included a lot of great information on just how shocking Whitehaven is with footage of the destruction around Boggabri and Narrabri.
A webinar, Riches to Ruin – Hunter Coal, was held on Wednesday. The speakers, Nic Clyde – Lock the Gate NSW Coordinator, Dr Julia Imrie – Local and expert on the harmful impacts of coal mining on waterways, and Bev Smiles – legendary anti-coal campaigner, were described by one Nanna as the most sensible and knowledgeable people on coal in NSW. Their talks were distressing but very informative. Nic talked about the dreadful coal mine expansions coming through the planning system. Julia spoke about the terrible impacts on the aquifers. Bev has been fighting for years for the Wollar community and will not be defeated.
The Green’s Cate Faehrmann facilitated the webinar and her message was – if you haven’t written to your local state member, then please just do it now. Recording at
Shout-outs
A shout-out to the six forest protectors between the ages of 17 and 76 who were arrested in two forests near Coffs Harbour on Tuesday. The two Nannas arrested at Boambee State Forest were locked on for 8.5 hours in cold and wet conditions, and stopped logging for the entire day. Full story on Echo
Another shout-out to the Just Stop Oil activist grandparents who disrupted Wimbledon. This group describes itself as “a nonviolent civil resistance group demanding the UK government stop licensing all new oil, gas and coal projects”. ABC News