This week the Sydney Knitting Nannas and Friends attended Budget Estimates at parliament, a vigil to save the forests, and meetings for campaigns against coal and gas and AUKUS, and for the right to protest.
Koalas & Logging
Nannas decided to spend some time observing the Budget Estimates process in the NSW parliament. Last week there was an opportunity to hear Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty and Forestry Corporation executives answer questions about native forest logging. Nannas said it was interesting in a few different ways. It’s good to see our politicians and public servants up close, although not always edifying. Nannas identified this session as a good one to find out more about what’s behind the continued logging of native forests in NSW in spite of government commitments to save koalas from extinction and to create the Great Koala National Park as a major refuge for them.
Greens MLC Sue Higginson wanted to know from the Minister whether she had taken steps to ensure that the NSW Forestry Corporation follows the rules when logging native forests. A yes or no question, but the Minister stuck with “They HAVE TO follow the rules” through many reframings of the question. Eventually time for questioning ran out after numerous points of order from the LNP. We’re taking our knitting to listen to more hearings this week.
This was the first taste of Australian parliamentary politics for Iselin, a student from Norway who is doing research on the Nannas for her Master’s thesis. These and other shenanigans made it a rather bemusing experience for her – she commented that it was like a boxing match!
Outside the parliament, the message of saving the forests was being amplified at a Bob Brown Foundation Vigil for Forests. Dancing, singing and some impassioned speeches make this a worthwhile and fun way to help the activists in our embattled northern and southern forests. They are grateful that city people take time out to spread the word that native forests are in deadly peril from the NSW Forestry Corp – all subsidised by NSW taxpayers!
Another NSW Forest Vigil will be held Wednesday 28th February from 12 noon to 1pm.
Lock the Gate Volunteers Meeting
Saturday 17 February – Nic Clyde outlined the campaigns against new coal mines and Santos gas in the Pilliga at a volunteer gathering held on the rooftop above their office. On the coal front they will be prioritising working against some of the 17 mines in the planning system, ie: Narrabri Underground, Mount Pleasant (two court challenges coming up) Hunter Valley Operations and Moolarben.
The Net Zero Commission to be set up under the new NSW climate laws will be able to advise on the mines.
Mobilising opposition to AUKUS – The Marrickville Declaration
A meeting in the PM’s Grayndler electorate in Marrickville on February 3 brought representatives from more than 30 community groups together, to discuss AUKUS and mobilising and encouraging public opposition to it. The groups were drawn from Sydney and surrounding areas, including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong.
A resolution was passed at the meeting and it is now being carried forward as “The Marrickville Declaration”. It summarises the concerns of the groups who joined the meeting and indicates their resolve to campaign actively against it. For more information see Pearls and Irritations
Right to Protest Zoom Meeting
Wednesday 21 February – The meeting about the coming judicial review of NSW anti-protest laws was convened by the Australian Democracy Network, Amnesty International, Australian Services Union (ASU), Wage Peace, Human Rights Law Centre. Three Nannas attended.
Topics were:
- Review of the NSW anti-protest laws starting in April – it will go for 6 months and hopefully there’ll be public consultations but no terms of reference are available as yet. A story-based People’s Report will be produced from the experiences of people involved in protests.
- Oppressive bail conditions
- Research on weaponry used by the police.
The convenors were interested to hear about our letter to the Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism, Yasmin Catley, following up on events at the Rising Tide Blockade in Newcastle. We have shared the letter with the Network.
Jan Primrose from ASU told the group that the Knitting Nannas rally outside the federal court hearing of Dom and Helen’s constitutional challenge made her weep. She said she was moved by the passion, joy and unity of the Nannas and other groups gathered to support the right to protest.
Invitations will come to a Protect Protest event at NSW Parliament on 20 March.
Sydney Nannas will endorse the Declaration of Right to Protest and encourage others to do so too.
Coming Events
Budget Estimates hearings in NSW Parliament
Knit and watch hearings in committee rooms inside parliament to help us to understand more about where the government stands on our action topics. Hearings generally go all day, but you can just go for a while.
These are the sessions Nannas will be attending.
Tuesday 27 February 9.15am Planning & Public Spaces – Minister Scully (koalas, coal, housing)
Thursday 7 March
9.15am Climate Change and Energy – Minister Sharpe (coal, gas, environment)
9.15am Natural Resources – Minister Houssos (coal and gas)
Tuesday 5 March – Weaving Our Stories
5.45pm Australian Maritime Museum Darling Harbour
Traditional Owners from the Beetaloo Basin and the Torres Strait tell their stories of resistance against the fossil fuel industry’s impact on First Nations communities.
More information and tickets
Thursday 14 March, 8.30 to 9.30am
Lock the Gate event at parliament house – “Ghostbusters” protest about the NSW Strategic Statement on Coal.
Craftivism Parade, Friday 15 March 10am – 1 pm
Link to NSW Seniors Festival and to our page on Seniors Festival.
The Nannas parade their banners and artworks in front of a seated audience.
Venue: Darling Square Library, Level 1, 10 minute walk from Town Hall Station 5 minute walk from Chinatown light rail. See map Directions can be sent out on how to get there.
Action: Please click on Going on the Facebook event if you are coming to the event and encourage your friends to come too. It also helps to repost and invite individual friends from the Facebook event.
Nannas are Watching
Navalny is a documentary detailing the 2020 assassination attempt on Russian opposition leader and former presidential candidate. Last week Navalny died in an Arctic prison. His death sparked protests in Russia and accusations against the Russian authorities by Western governments and international organisations. His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, has said she will continue the work of her husband.
Prompted to deliver a message to his Russian supporters, Navalny said, “If they decided to kill me, then it means we are incredibly strong.”
“We need to utilize this power to not give up, to remember we are a huge power that is being oppressed by these bad dudes. We don’t realize how strong we actually are. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing, so don’t be inactive.”
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