What a crowded and interesting calendar Nannas had last Wednesday 13 September – on the street, in the court and in the parliament.
Vigil for Native Forests
Nanna Chris from Coffs Harbour and Nanna Bron from Sydney joined the midday Bob Brown Foundation vigil for native forests in Martin Place. The Minns government had just announced that native forest logging would be stopped in 106 koala hubs inside the boundaries of the Great Koala National Park. This is good news but the movement to protect NSW koalas and biodiversity is clear that it’s just not enough.
Greens MP Sue Higginson came of parliament to speak to the rally. She said that cessation of logging in 106 koala hubs would protect only 5% of the Park, a total of 8,400 ha of the 176,00 ha that make up the Park. Koalas are living in many other areas of the Park, and who will tell them to scoot into the protected areas to survive?
Image by Brian Mahony: BBF’s powerful new banner shows the size of the trees being logged.
Nanna’s conviction quashed
Nanna Eury was in Newcastle Court on Wednesday 13 September with 18 others for their appeal on charges associated with a Rising Tide action in Newcastle in April. Their criminal convictions were quashed but instead they now have an 18-month good behaviour Conditional Release Orders (CRO) bond and are not to attend any place or be in a place owned or operated by Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group, Port Coal Authority or Australian Railway Transit authority except as a paying train customer. Two Hunter Knitting Nannas were there to support them.
NSW Parliament Legislative Council
The reading of Jeremy Buckingham’s bill to stop coal seam gas development on the Liverpool Plains attracted a crowd in the gallery of the upper house. Six Nannas joined Gomeroi people, CWA members and farmers for Jeremy’s speech explaining the bill. There was applause from the gallery at the end of the speech. We look forward to the bill being debated, but we don’t know the date yet.