Nannas persisted last week, working to save Scott Reef and koala habitat, listening to Nanna Carol’s tales of persistence leading to a win, and meeting with an MP.
Scott Reef WA
Australia’s most gas-dependent state can be well supplied for decades without drilling near Scott Reef or fracking the Kimberley, according to an exclusive analysis by Boiling Cold.
Nannas joined with Market Forces on Tuesday 26 May at North Sydney with a strong message for Japanese companies Mitsui and Mitsubishi, which are investing in the massive Browse gas project off the coast of Western Australia, near Scott Reef.
The action was to tell the companies that the Woodside Browse project is widely opposed because of the environmental damage and massive climate pollution it would cause. Scott Reef is a biodiversity hotspot, protecting thousands of marine species, some of them endangered. This project cannot be made safe for the reef or the climate, and there are some big questions about its financial viability.
The small rally on a very wet day was attended by the Nannas, Greenpeace and ACF as well as Market Forces – all organisations working to save Scott Reef. After the rally at the Mitsui office, we walked down Blues Point Road to get a group photo with the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House in the background to reinforce the message: Australians don’t want Browse and it will remain controversial.
Browse LNG: Betting billions risking our reef (Market Forces)
Film about Scott Reef: Corals’ Last Stand, 28 minutes, available for $7 rent
Nevertheless, She Persisted
Nanna Carol (Gloucester and Hunter Nannas) was one of the speakers at a storytelling night organised by Generation Women at Surry Hills on 27 May.
The theme was Nevertheless, She Persisted – Stories of Resistance, Resilience and Revolution.
Carol told the story of how she and other Knitting Nannas were active in successful community campaigns against coal seam gas and coal mining. To beat AGL’s gas fracking plans, the Gloucester community used every tactic under the sun to drive AGL out of their area. They also had to deal with proposals to extend coal mines, and to open up a new mine right near their town. But the community sticking together over years protected their town and all that makes it a great place to live.
Carol’s talk brought laughs from the packed house, and reflected the love, care and feistiness of the Nannas.
Some Sydney Nannas and Nanna Silvia from the Hunter were there, and at the end of her talk Carol said, “Are you ready Nannas?” And we stood to join her in a loud call: “Viva la Nannalution!”
Transcript of Carol’s story here
Koala habitat destruction
On Wednesday 27 May Nannas joined XR and the Bob Brown Foundation outside NSW Parliament, and later outside the Marubeni Corporation office at the MLC Building.
At parliament the message to politicians was to stop the destruction of koala habitat and end native forest logging. At Marubeni, a Japanese Corporation, we urged them not to go ahead with the expansion of the Hail Creek coal mine in the Bowen Valley, southwest of Mackay in Queensland.
Queensland government approves clearing ‘nationally significant’ koala habitat to make way for coal mine extension (Mackay Conservation Group)
Meeting with Emma Hurst MP
Nannas met with Emma Hurst, MLC from the Animal Justice Party, on 28 May. We took her a cotton crochet climate scarf to encourage her in pushing for climate action. We had a good chat about new coal and gas proposals and some of the bills coming to the upper house.
Before the next state election in March 2027, we all agreed on the importance of explaining how Optional Preferential Voting works, and to encourage voters to make the most of their vote by numbering the candidates for the Legislative Assembly (shorter list) in their preferred order.
Santos Gas Strategy Update
Santos announced on 26 May that it was ‘deprioritising’ its domestic gas assets except for appraisal in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin and the central part of the Cooper Basin.
This means the company has no intention of spending any significant funds developing the Narrabri gasfield, at least until they know the outcome of their Beetaloo exploration towards the end of next year.
However, they will continue to pursue key approvals for Narrabri:
- Planning approval for the Narrabri lateral pipeline to connect the non-existent Pilliga gasfield to the non-existent Hunter Gas Pipeline. This ‘Critical State Significant Infrastructure’ may be decided by the Planning Minister towards the end of this year or early next year.
- A production licence, which they cannot get until a judgement has been handed down for the second Native Title legal appeal to the Federal Court.
- A pipeline licence, when they have easements, or access agreements, in place to build it on. Santos is asking landholders to sign 7-year ‘option agreements’ to give them the option of going ahead, but most landholders refuse to sign anything.
The resistance of Gomeroi people, landholders and many others has kept the Pilliga forest and its water, wildlife and sacred heritage safe for many years. Bravo and long may it continue.
Could Santos be gearing up to sell Narrabri? New analysis casts further doubt on gas project’s viability (Lock the Gate)
Santos accused of ‘stringing everybody along’ over Narrabri gas project (The Guardian)
Santos Investor Briefing Day 2026 (Santos media release)
Gas usage has peaked and is now in structural decline across Australia, report says (The Guardian)
BHP in the headlines and in court
BHP Headlines
Leaked documents to the ABC and the Guardian have revealed that BHP is not electrifying its operations in the Pilbara, despite previous plans to fully electrify its trains and fleet of trucks from 2027.
BHP is the biggest recipient of Australia’s diesel fuel subsidy, receiving $622m in fuel tax credits and consuming 1.23bn litres of diesel in 2024-25.
The BHP Files – BHP has promised to act on climate change for years. But hundreds of pages of company documents show BHP’s words haven’t always matched its actions. (ABC 4 Corners)
Revealed: the internal BHP memo that slammed the brakes on world’s biggest miner’s climate push (The Guardian)
BHP in Court
“A federal court judge has ordered Michael West Media to remove two articles from its website and suppressed a cross-claim filed by injured former BHP coal miner Simon Turner.”
“The proceedings arise from litigation connected to a wage theft case involving labour hire workers at BHP-operated coal mines.”
BHP wins suppression orders in injured coal miner case (Michael West Media)
Global Sumud Flotilla
Around 60 people including Global Sumud Flotilla participants, Zach Schofield, Surya McEwen and Ethan Floyd, held a peaceful occupation in the parliament house foyer in Canberra on 26 May. They kneeled in the same stress position with hands zip-tied behind their backs as the Flotilla activists had on footage released by Israeli Minister, Ben-Gvir.
The group called for more government action, including sanctions and an end to diplomatic relations with Israel. (9News)
Australian participants in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla have joined an official submission to the International Criminal Court (ICC) alleging they were subjected to torture, sexual violence and other abuses while detained by Israeli authorities. (SBSNews)
Neve O’Connor spoke to 7.30’s Sarah Ferguson about her ordeal on the day she returned to Sydney. (ABC 7.30)
Nannas are watching
Regeneration – When Instagram trolls attacked actor and director Rachel Ward for “letting herself go”, it became a cultural moment about how older women are perceived. (ABC Australin Story)
NCC, Greenpeace and Carbon Zero giving evidence to NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Data Centres
Nannas are reading
UN Special Rapporteur accepted into North West Shelf court challenge (Australian Conservation Foundation)
UN General Assembly backs historic World Court climate crisis ruling. Member States are responsible to protect their own people from what is an “escalating climate crisis”. (United Nations)
Federal government sues 3M over PFAS contamination (ABC News)
Quick Facts: Diesel and Australian coal mining (Energy & Resource Insights)
Forthcoming Events