Nannas came together for a Regional Zoom meeting on 3 November to discuss what we are doing at the Rising Tide Protestival, and to inform each other about our activities during the last month.
Illawarra
Illawarra Knitting Nannas attended the Wollongong launch of Rising Tide’s Newcastle Blockade held in the beautiful local harbour on 25 October. Nannas took the opportunity to practice their kayaking!
On 28 October Australian Youth for Climate Change and the Tomorrow movement invited Nannas for some Halloween street theatre outside the office of the federal MP, Alison Byrnes. Along with the fun, we sent a serious message to her office and the community: No new Coal and Gas!
Rising Tide Blockade
Hunter Nannas and all other loops are working with Rising Tide to get more people to the Blockade and Protestival in Newcastle from 27 November to 2 December.
A Nanna Care tent will be set up on the beach and another in Foreshore Park, next to Nanna Central. All loops are making plans to contribute as much as we can to the event.
Nannas will be available at Nanna Central ready to talk to anyone with questions about the Nannas, about how they or a friend can join an existing loop, or about starting a new one.
Meet up with us at our breakfast event at Nanna Central at 8.30am Saturday 29 November. There’s lots of work to be done.
The People’s Blockade Guide 2025
Register for The People’s Blockade
Information page for Knitting Nannas going to the Blockade – To be updated as new information comes to hand, so keep your eyes on it.
Hunter
As well as Blockade organising and kayak practice, in November Hunter Nannas will meet with their state MP, Clayton Barr, and their federal MP, Dan Repacholi – will they recognise him without his beard?
State issues include a push for passing the remaining amendment to the planning reforms to preserve the current legal requirement that the impacts on the local environment and climate must be considered in project assessments. Also, the Link Road Forest, the last remaining bit of forest near Wallsend, is under threat from a housing development. State government threatens to override opposition from locals, including the Council.
Federal concerns are for reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act to actually protect nature. To list a few briefly – reduce the power of the minister, include a climate trigger, don’t give new powers to the states, remove the exemptions for native forests, and don’t introduce another shonky offset scheme.
Milton Ulladulla District
Knitting Nannas in the MUD continue to campaign to save a giant ficus obliqua (small-leaved fig) and several turpentines on the site of a proposed aged-care development by the Illawarra Retirement Trust (IRT).
The Nannas have collected over 1,000 signatures on a petition calling on Shoalhaven City Council to grant local heritage status to the tree. (A similar, but smaller, tree in Mick Ryan Park in Milton already has heritage status.) A local ALP councillor is to present the petition to Council on Tuesday 11 November.
Nannas activities have raised community awareness with posters and the petition located in local businesses, by setting up a table at community info sessions, through community Facebook groups and by gaining support from other local environment groups. IRT has undertaken ‘for now’ to give this fig and six mature turpentines on site a wide berth as they clear the site, ‘pending further investigation’ and amended plans.
Initially, because of OHS concerns due to asbestos remediation, IRT has refused to allow site access to an arborist who has over 20 years’ experience as Senior Arborist at the Sydney Botanic Gardens. However, IRT’s ‘independent arborist’ is currently on-site undertaking investigations. Nannas merely wish to obtain independent, high-quality advice about what Tree Protection Zone (TPZ) and construction protocols are required to ensure the ongoing viability of this magnificent fig and its neighbouring turpentines.
Lismore
Lismore Nannas held a small road-side action on 23 October, calling for a climate trigger to be included in the new Environmental Protection Biodiversity and Conservation Act so the kiddies can look forward to many more Christmases.
The founding Nannas are currently having a break from activism to look after family, sort out ill health and recover from recent storms.
Coffs Harbour
Knitting Nannas in Coffs Harbour have been taking a well-deserved break since the logging moratorium announcement for the Great Koala National Park, but there is more to do.
Ongoing regional issues requiring Nanna action are:
- Defence of the Jetty Foreshore where the Minns government, local National member Gurmesh Singh, and the National-controlled local council are planning high-rise residential and commercial development – on a sand dune. Save Our Jetty Foreshore is now an incorporated entity and Nannas will be supporting the campaign.
- Halt the increasing conversion of land for blueberry production. The issues are the use of banned chemicals, waterway contamination from chemical runoff, the ‘death’ of Hearns Lake from runoff as well as exploitation of seasonal labourers and immigrants. The state member, Gurmesh Singh, is a leading blueberry grower in the region.
- World Heritage listing for the Gondwana forests of the mid north coast. These forests have a unique association of eucalypt and rainforest species found nowhere else in Australia.
Some Nannas were among ten who appeared in court on 4 November to enter pleas against charges related to Orara East State Forest. The not-guilty plea resulted in the matter being held over for a hearing from 19 to 20 March 2026.
Nannas along with other activists were in court on 5 November to support local ecologist, Mark Graham, in his bid for justice and a change to his bail conditions. His bail conditions were reduced from reporting to the police seven days a week to Monday only.