A double action, online information sessions and attending a conference. It’s a wonder Nannas have time to knit!
Double Action – Tamboran AGM & Minister Plibersek’s office
Nannas were part of a noisy group of activists outside Tamboran Resources AGM on Tuesday 7 November. They joined Northern Territory Beetaloo Basin Traditional Owners, members of Get Up!, AYCC, Lock the Gate and XR to listen to excellent speakers. They learnt about the background of the shale gas project and the damage it will cause from a medical perspective to humans, animals and the earth.
Speakers called for the fast tracking of a water trigger to protect water sources. At present water is not even considered during shale gas fracking assessments. Whistleblower workers have already exposed the gas industry’s bad toxic chemical practices in the NT.
After the speeches and with rousing support eight Traditional Owners and their lawyer were sent off to attend the AGM.
Get Up! had organised a bus to transport everyone to Minister Plibersek’s office in Redfern. Although this was a smaller group, there was another round of impressive speakers at this quieter and shorter event.
A petition to fast track the water trigger was delivered to Tanya’s office. It had over 60,000 signatures and over 300 postcards. The woman delivering the petition said “The Traditional Owners of this land have said no to this development. We urgently call on Minister Plibersek to add the water trigger immediately.”
After a very moving day, Nannas had a debriefing about this very well organised event in a local café where there was lots of talking and laughter.
NSW Coal Watch
Many Sydney Nannas attended Lock the Gate’s online launch on Thursday of the NSW Coal Watch website and campaign, putting a spotlight on NSW Government and the new coal projects proposed in our state. The government’s new climate Bill will do almost nothing to address the 14 proposed expansions of coal mines with lifecycle emissions 15 times the total annual emissions currently released in NSW.
Nic Clyde from Lock the Gate gave a great intro and then Richard Dennis of The Australia Institute spoke about the absurdity of approving more coal projects in a climate emergency. The numbers of jobs that need replacing are not nearly as many as we think – McDonalds employs more people than the coal industry. The economics do not stack up when $11 billion is spent on subsidising the fossil fuel companies who pay little or no royalties or tax.
We heard from Bev Smiles who continues her fight against the coal companies around Mudgee. She warned that coal companies were applying for approval through modifications as it is easier to get these through the planning process. No accumulated impacts are taken into account and these new projects/modifications don’t need to be assessed by the Independent Planning Commission.
The NSW Coal Watch website has lots of information on each of the proposed expansions. A video of the webinar will be available soon.
Actions
Register to get involved in the campaign –
- Hand out NSW Coal Watch flyers to government employees for one or more Wednesday mornings outside government offices in the city or on Mondays (TBC) at Parramatta.
- Host an information stall at markets or other events
- Attend protests against fossil fuels – see our events page
- Spread the word
- Sign the petition to the Premier
Nature Conservation Council Conference
Nannas Joslyn from the South Coast and Nanna Marie from Sydney were on panels at the conference in Surry Hills on Saturday. Joslyn spoke about native forest in her area and how it can be saved. The panel focussed on how native forest logging can be stopped in NSW.
Marie, representing the Sydney Climate Coalition, spoke about how the coalition’s many environment groups, including Sydney Knitting Nannas, work together to promote actions such as the COP28 Rally in Sydney on Saturday December 2. Marie also spoke about considering when and where is the right time for non-violent civil disobedience, and stressed the need to protect our right to protest. She noted that we are still waiting for the outcome of Nanna Dom and Helen’s constitutional challenge to the NSW protest laws.
Earlier the Environment Minister Penny Sharpe and the Shadow Environment Minister Kellie Sloane spoke about what their governments was doing or had done for the environment. Then Sue Higginson from The Greens reminded everyone of what they hadn’t done. She explained why native forest logging needs to stop, that Labor’s target of Net Zero by 2050 is too late according to science, and that no new fossil fuels projects should be approved.
Nanna Kathy who attended the meeting online said, “The truth and conviction of plain speaking Sue always cuts through the political spin.”
Concerns were discussed about how to get more young people involved and how important it is for politicians to see huge numbers of people protesting on the streets. Lots of big events coming up. See our events page
Nannas mentioned in parliament
Trish Doyle, NSW Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, said in parliament – “I also met with Blue Mountains resident Robin Murray and the Knitting Nannas. I applaud them for their ongoing, unwavering advocacy for koalas and, more broadly, our environment. The Nannas bring with them a wisdom that comes from lived experience and a deep knowledge of the frightening trajectory of the demise of our climate in just one generation.” Full speech here.
Nannas are watching
Sea dumping has been proposed as a carbon capture and storage (CCS) method to store high concentrations of carbon dioxide underneath the sea floor. Senator David Pocock in parliament spoke about the sea dumping bill supported by both Labor and LNP. This will allow fossil fuels to continue to be extracted in Australia and yet the technology is not proven to work. See the video here.
The current Bill is likely to green-light sea dumping in the Bayu-Undan gas field off the coast of Timor-Leste. Dr Monique Ryan, Member for Kooyong, has described the consequences of this project as taking liquefied carbon dioxide from Barossa, and pumping it the wrong way through a 20-year-old gas pipe, under much higher pressure than the gas that it was originally designed for, and sticking it under the seabed. A single leak will result in acidification of the seas and asphyxiation of marine life.
Join the Nannas at the following events
Friday 17 November: Student Strike for Climate
12 noon at Belmore Park near Central Station then march to Tanya Plibersek’s office, 267 Cleveland St, Redfern. Message for Albanese and Plibersek #ShiftThePower away from Fossil Fuels by ending all approvals and subsidies of new fossil fuel projects! Facebook Event and Register Here
Fri- Sun 24-26 November: Rising Tide blockade of Newcastle coal port.
A fun family-friendly gathering, with live music and speakers and food shared by donation. Borrow a kayak, or bring your own vessel – a kayak, tinny, yacht or surfboard! Nannas from many loops will be in kayaks blockading the port and at two Nannadomes, offering Nannacare and an information service for people at the event. Lots of information on the website.
Saturday 2 December: COP 28 Rally
12 noon to 2pm Belmore Park, near Central Station. March to Sydney Town Hall.
Join this protest during the UN COP28 global climate summit, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, a major oil and gas producer, with an oil executive overseeing the talks. Facebook Event
See our calendar for all the events the Sydney Nannas plan to attend.
Contact Us
Any questions or suggestions please contact us.