Nannas oppose the push to expand lethal weapons manufacturing, campaign for better environmental laws, recommend watching the Rising Tide film at home.
Opposing Arms Industry Support
Sydney Knitting Nannas attended an Anti-AUKUS rally outside the Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition, a weapons expo in Darling Harbour on 4 November.
The widely reported police violence outside the expo was directed at the Palestine Action Group protest, which started very early in the morning as delegates came to the expo. The mainstream media was drawn by the huge numbers of police surrounding the site and police opposition to what the organisers had planned to be a peaceful protest.
The noisy and high energy protest by mainly young people also drew a lot of public attention to the expo and to federal and state government plans to expand the Australian arms manufacturing export industry.
Premier Minns said on TV that the protest was unacceptable, while lauding the arms manufacturers, which have made huge profits from wars and genocide. He talked up the expansion of local arms manufacturing to replace jobs lost as fossil fuel mining declines. This is already underway, with contracts currently in place for a new arms factory near Newcastle to make long-range F35 missiles.
Nannas found the rally organised by the Sydney Anti-AUKUS Coalition a good opportunity to hear from different anti-war groups about why we need to build the campaign against AUKUS and the international arms industry.
Arms industry infiltrates National Press Club (Undue Influence)
Environment Protection Reform Bill
The Albanese government recently introduced their Environment Protection Reform Bill, which they have promised would address the failure of the EPBC Act to protect nature. The Bill was passed in the House of Representatives on 6 November with only one amendment. Many other amendments were moved during the debate, but the government used their big majority to vote them down.
Meanwhile, environmental lawyers and non-government organisations have studied the 1,500 pages of the proposed legislation and have uncovered ways in which it will take environmental law backwards, unless major amendments are made in the Senate.
Lock the Gate has written an open letter to the Australian Parliament calling on all MPs to reject the laws as they are currently drafted. They have identified six important areas of the Bill that must be amended to achieve gains rather than losses for the environment we all depend on.
Nannas are asking everyone to read and sign Lock the Gate’s open letter, and to write a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications on the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 and six related bills. Submissions close 5 December.
Visit to Tany Plibersek’s office
On Thursday 6 November, Nannas living in Tanya Plibersek’s Sydney electorate planned to drop off a letter to her Surry Hills office. The letter called for changes to the Environment Protection Reform Bill, so that it would protect nature, rather than the interests of developers.
We were disappointed to find the office locked and a sign on the door saying it was closed due to maintenance. All we could do was use the limited photo opportunity and send our letter off electronically. Glad the Glider and Kylie Koala had made a long trek to deliver the letter, and they were full of bitter complaints about being locked out.
Now Nannas will be turning their attention to NSW Senators in the lead up to the debate in the Senate, which could be as early as 24 November. The Senate Inquiry won’t necessarily hold up the Senate vote.
Visit to Jo Haylen’s office
There was a lot of honking in the ‘hood when Knitting Nannas joined a Lock the Gate excursion to NSW MP Jo Haylen’s inner west territory on 7 November. We wanted to meet with her and talk about climate impacts on the cost of living. Passing drivers used their horns to show their agreement. More coal mines mean more climate impacts and extreme weather events. More climate impacts mean higher costs for households, particularly insurance costs.
NCC Climate & Energy Group meeting
Nanna Anne attended a Nature Conservation Council Climate and Energy meeting online on 6 November. Ken Enderby, president of Canada Bay Environmental Group and a Climate Reality Leader, gave a presentation on the economic future of fossil fuels in Australia. He has prepared two excellent papers on Australia’s coal and gas exports to Asia, and a list of coal fired power stations and their proposed closing dates. He talks to conservative groups and says they listen to the following economic arguments:
- Fossil fuels represent seven per cent of Australia’s GDP and are in decline globally.
- National Treasury forecasts a fifty per cent drop in fossil fuel export income over the next five years.
- Australia needs to replace fossil fuel exports with green exports (raw and processed critical minerals) not just domestic manufacturing, to avoid a terms of trade crisis.
- The government should cancel corporations’ fossil fuel subsidies, and they should pay appropriate tax rates.
Therefore, anyone with fossil fuels in their superannuation had better get out quick. Even Ukraine is speeding up renewables (solar and wind) because they are a resilient energy source and hard for Russia to destroy.
Rising Tide Blockade – 27 November – 2 December
Information page for Knitting Nannas to be updated
Relive the powerful story of the 2024 People’s Blockade in Newcastle or get an idea of what’s coming up this year by watching the 30-minute documentary Turning the Ship at home.
Nannas who’ve been out and about inviting people to the blockade have been pleased by the positive responses they’ve received, particularly from young people. With only three weeks to go, there’s a lot to be done, including handing out leaflets and putting up Rising Tide’s beautiful posters.
There’s a blockade preparation party coming up on Sunday 16 November in Marrickville.
Santos Lateral Pipeline
A notice of application for Santos’ Lateral Pipeline was published in the Gunnedah Times last week. The pipeline links the Narrabri Gas Project to the Hunter Gas Pipeline and the east coast gas network. It is a high-pressure pipeline requiring the clearing of a 30m wide and 60km long corridor – a lot of it through the Pilliga Forest which is home to many endangered species. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is expected to go on public exhibition in the next week or two for a period of 28 days. We will be watching this closely but get ready to write your submission. In 2020 there were almost 23,000 submissions about the Narrabri Gas Project and 98 per cent were objections. Let’s see if we can beat this! https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/narrabri-lateral-pipeline
Sydney Peace Prize
Nannas Vivi and Cathy G attended the Sydney Peace Prize Award Ceremony and Lecture on 6 November. The winner, South African Judge, Navi Pillay, received the peace prize for a lifetime of advocating for fundamental human rights, peace with justice and the rights of women.
Navi Pillay first confronted injustice as a child in apartheid South Africa, and grew up to become her country’s first non-white female judge. Promoted to the international court, she delivered historic rulings on genocide and sexual violence.
During her wonderful speech, she shared her life story, particularly focusing on her work in Rwanda and her experiences as a female coloured South African. She had a strong message about giving voice to women as victims in war and emphasized the importance of acknowledging traditional owners.
Here’s an interview with her conducted by Kylie Morris from ABC Radio National.
Senate Committee on Disinformation
New dates have been published for public hearings for the senate Select Committee on Information Integrity on Climate Change and Energy inquiring into the prevalence and impacts of misinformation and disinformation relating to climate change and energy. Upcoming public hearing dates
COP 30 Belem Brazil – 10-21 November
COP30 Brasil Amazonia has begun. Conference of the Parties (COP) is the United Nations body responsible for decision-making on the implementation of the commitments adopted by countries to tackle climate change.
Nannas are listening
Nina Djukanović discusses her new research on the competitiveness, security, and socio-environmental issues of global critical raw materials. (Planet: Critical podcast)
Nannas are reading
How the plastics industry shifted responsibility for recycling onto you, the consumer (The Conversation)
‘A Pretty Ugly History’: How Exxon Exported Climate Denial to the Global South
(DeSmog)
Forthcoming Events