Nannas are back for 2025. Our first action was about the promised but not delivered Great Koala National Park. It will be a big year for Nannas with the federal election, so many unresolved environmental issues, and the climate emergency.
Forestry Actions
See the NBN video here.
Coffs Harbour Rally
On Monday, 13th January the North East Forest Alliance organised an action in Coffs Harbour to draw attention to the NSW State Government’s continued logging of native forest in the proposed Great Koala National Park (GKNP). Around 200 people attended from various climate and forest action organisations including Knitting Nannas from the MidCoast, Lismore, Sydney and Hunter loops.
What is very worrying is that the size of the GKNP is now in question following intense lobbying by forestry interests to drastically reduce its size. Before the 2023 election the ALP promised us a 300,000ha park, just as they did in 2015.
Following the gathering in the small park adjacent to the Forestry Corporation offices in Coffs Harbour, most of those present joined a noisy march through the main shopping area. They attracted a lot of attention, including lots of appreciative toots from passing motorists.
Sydney Rally
At the same time a contingent of Sydney and Hunter Knitting Nannas joined a rally attended by over 100 people at Cumberland State Forest, headquarters of the NSW Forestry Corporation. The Bob Brown Foundation organised the rally and a march through the forest.
Speakers warned that logging is about to start up again, and gave the shocking update that ten percent of the proposed GKNP has already been logged.
Coffs Harbour Lock On
The following day, Coffs Harbour Knitting Nanna, Chris Degan, locked on to logging machinery near Bowraville in the Gladstone State Forest and was arrested. You can read about it here: Knitting Nanna arrested near Bowraville (Echo). Chris is OK, and has applied for variations of the extreme bail conditions imposed by the police.
New Central West Nannas Loop
A new loop of Nannas is being formed in the NSW Central West, and they joined the Sydney Nannas Zoom meeting on Friday.
We learned that members of the new loop have been campaigning for many years against the proposed toxic tailings dam proposed at the headwaters of the Belubula River near Blayney. This is part of Regis Resources’ McPhillamys gold project.
In September 2024, Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, blocked the construction of a tailings dam in response to a submission under Aboriginal Heritage legislation that the site was sacred to the Wiradjuri people. Now Regis has lodged an appeal in the Federal Court against the Minister’s decision.
The Central West Nannas told us that the announcement of the Minister’s decision led to a backlash against the Wiradjuri people, whose hard work in preparing the S10 application has protected the rivers and their cultural heritage.
The hearing date has not been announced, but it is expected to be held in the first half of February. Sydney Nannas will keep in touch with the Central West Nannas and be ready to support actions to protect Wiradjuri culture and heritage.
More information on McPhillamys Gold Project here.
Meet up with the Nannas this weekend
Sunday 26 January – Invasion Day March and Yabun Festival
Nannas will meet at 9.30am in Belmore Park opposite Central. Proceedings start at 10am. The march is expected to go to the Yabun Festival at Victoria Park on Broadway. It’s a 1.7km walk, or there are plenty of buses. Look out for Nannas in yellow!
New Nannas & Meetings
Sydney Nannas have updated their Welcome pages for new Nannas and friends.
Friday 31 January in-person meeting at Customs House
We’ve planned a gathering for new and seasoned Nannas and especially for anyone who’s thinking of joining. Come along to meet us outside the usual Zoom frame and take some time for a cuppa and a chat together.
We’ll meet at 9.30 in the square outside Customs House and find a good spot for new group photos for our social media pages.
We’ll go into the meeting room in the Customs House Library on level 2 from 10am. There’s plenty to do with a federal election looming – and not just plotting. We have a plan to make a punchy video about the preferential voting system and how to make our votes count. There’ll be a discussion about the federal election and quick updates on the campaigns we are working on.
The meeting will finish by 1pm and be followed by lunch nearby.
Monday 3 February – Evening Nanna Zoom
As well as our regular Friday 9.30am Zoom meeting, we are setting up an additional Zoom meeting/discussion on the first Monday of the month at 5.30pm, a time when Nannas in paid work can come. Nannas from other loops are welcome.
Meeting with Dr Sophie Scamps
Five Sydney and Pittwater Knitting Nannas visited Dr Sophie Scamps, the Independent Federal Member for Mackellar on 15 January.
We first thanked her for her pledge to end native logging. She is well informed about native forests and the importance of regrowth forests as habitat for our wildlife. Sophie worked to get a deal through parliament for environmental protection and to end native forest logging. Negotiations between Sarah-Hanson Young and Tania Plibersek had come close to bringing in a new deal for the environment, and it was frustrating that this was suspended by Labor because they did not have the numbers in the senate at the time.
Sophie spoke about the success of her Private Member’s Bill to expand the water trigger in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to cover shale gas. She has talked with both government and Tamboran Resources about the need for fracking companies to fulfill their obligations in regard to protecting water.
Sophie is concerned about the extension of existing mines and opening of new mines, against the net zero goal. She has talked with the Japanese Ambassador about their opposition to our Safeguard Mechanism. Japan is on-selling their surplus Australian gas for a profit.
Some companies are claiming carbon capture to offset their emissions. Seismic blasting in order to store carbon in the ocean will impact marine conservation. People in Canberra know that this is not evidence-based, and it attests to the power of fossil fuel corporations that they persist with this faulty practice.
Sophie continues to work for truth in political advertising and real-time disclosure of donations. Under recent legislation, the Parties can receive donations of up to $90million, not counting fund-raisers, whereas independent candidates are capped at a lower rate.
We talked briefly about Liberal-National Coalition spruiking the nuclear option. We noted that it would take too long before any returns, whereas we are making good progress with renewables.
We came away feeling that our local member is listening and switched on about the environment.
Nannas are watching
Nannas are reading
“It’s not all about getting your candidate elected” The Future of Everything
Forthcoming Events