Climate Action Now Rally, the Big Swiftie lands in Martin Place, Premier interferes with planning and courts, Great Koala National Park established.
Climate Action Now Rally
Nannas from Sydney, the Hunter, Central Coast and Pittwater attended the Climate Action Now rally organised by the Sydney Students for Climate at Sydney Town Hall on Saturday 24 October — not a massive crowd, but a passionate one.
The theme of the rally was No COP-OUTS at COP31 — the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Türkiye, 9 – 20 November.
The speakers were school and uni students, Fijian human rights lawyer, Kavita Naidu, Zack Schofield from Rising Tide, Hannah Ferguson from Cheek Media, Sue Higginson MLC, Wonnarua Elder, Scott Franks, and Nanna Eury. Strong messages about our governments failing, and the importance of building the movement for change through peaceful protest and advocacy for change.
The estimated attendance of around 400 people didn’t meet Nanna hopes for the rally, especially considering the clever promotional work the students had done over the previous month. We were inspired and proud to support them and to endorse the demands of the rally:
1. No new coal and gas,
2. Binding emissions targets,
3. Fair transition.
Knitting Nannas led the singing as people were arriving at the square. We had a great time and were pleased that lots of people joined in, watching the words on boards Nanna Cathy held up or linking to our latest Songbook on their phones.
Big Swifty lands in Martin Place – noisy, active and showy
Nannas, in an array of colourful and creative costumes, supported the flight of the Big Swiftie, which landed in front of NSW Parliament on 21 October to tell the Independent Planning Commission not to approve Whitehaven Coal’s proposed expansion of the Maules Creek coal mine in the Leard State Forest.
Nannas from Sydney and the Hunter had helped Lock the Gate coal team to build the Swiftie, so we were proud to see it attract so much attention from the morning crowd in Martin Place — and even from corporate media outlets!
Swifties are already critically endangered and if Whitehaven’s expansion in the Leard State Forest is allowed to go ahead, we could lose them forever. Only about 500 birds remain in the wild, so to save them the destruction of their habitat in Tasmania and eastern NSW must be stopped. The 50,000 trees Whitehaven plans to cut down to expand Maules Creek mine are essential Swiftie habitat.
Swifties migrate to mainland forests from Tasmania in April and stay until October, feeding on flowering native eucalypts before returning to Tasmania for their breeding season. They are noisy, active and showy, with a very fast, direct flight (Birdlife).
The rally heard from Gomeroi Traditional Custodians of the Leard Forest, Uncle Raymond Weatherall and Karra Kinchela. Uncle Raymond led a smoking ceremony, acknowledging the local Gadigal people and all First Nations people who are on the front lines protecting their country from mining.
Gomeroi woman, Karra Kinchela said:
“The Maules Creek journey started a long time ago. I feel the trauma that continual approving of coal mines does to the local community and to traditional owners.”
Karra stressed that Traditional Owners want to show politicians a better way and to be heard because of their long connection to country.
“The Maules Creek coal mine is just part of a massive picture of what the government is doing, of approving coal and gas in this crisis, and we’re just here to fight that in the best way we can.”
Submissions are expected to be open soon on the Independent Planning Commission website.
Premier favours coal mining again
Two months ago, the Mount Pleasant coal mine in the Hunter was approved to increase its annual production by two million tonnes of coal a year to 2032.
Due to the recent High Court Decision, the Minns government announced it will introduce legislation to increase Mount Pleasant’s annual coal production from 12.5 million tonnes to 16.5 million tonnes until 2032.
Lock the Gate’s George Woods said: “Premier Minns is manufacturing a crisis to give special treatment to a coal company — there is no threat to jobs at Mount Pleasant, which already has approval to stay open for another six years”. (LTG’s statement).
Retired Supreme Court judge, Anthony Whealy, drew public attention to the significance of the Premier’s proposed legislation, calling it “reprehensible”.
Nannas are shocked by this. Are there are no limits to the Premier’s willingness to rule in favour of the coal industry? What about his duty of care to the people of NSW? In a global climate emergency, is it ethical to remain silent about coal expansions as one of the main drivers of global warming?
Call your state MP — contact details here.
Great Koala National Park
Campaigners celebrated as legislation was finally passed to officially create the Great Koala National Park, protecting 478,000 hectares of land between Kempsey and Grafton on 23 October.
Nannas will continue to campaign for
- the inclusion of the sacred women’s Yildaan Track in Tuckers Nob State Forest,
- the ‘Forest Bridge’ a corridor linking coastal and mountain koala habitat by including Pine Creek and Tuckers Nob State Forests,
- no Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) for preserving forest,
- no motor bikes, cars or 4WDs in sensitive areas of the forest — koalas must sleep during the day.
Great Koala National Park established after more than a decade of campaigning (ABC News)
Tuckers Nob State Forest
After consultation with Aunty Alison and forest protectors, Sydney Knitting Nannas sent an email titled ‘Women’s Business’ to the female members of both houses of NSW parliament on 21 October.
Rain has stopped logging preparations in Tuckers Nob, southwest of Coffs Harbour. This forest has deep cultural significance as well as high ecological value.
Meanwhile, Gumbaynggirr Traditional Lore Woman, Aunty Alison Buchanan, has lodged an application to protect Compartments 8-18 in Tuckers Nob State Forest under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 because
- Tuckers Nob is part of a women’s fertility tract or songline — Yildaan Track which provides security, safety, food, water, shelter and space for women to practice culture on their land.
- Aunty Alison has not been consulted in determining the cultural values of any women’s land.
- The government has failed to understand the cultural significance of these forests for the ongoing spiritual health of Gumbaynggirr people.
- Gumbaynggirr women see the trees as ancestors. Where will they go to honour their ancestors if they have been logged?
Logging must be stopped until Gumbaynggirr women have been consulted.
All women need a safe place to go and must be included in discussions about decisions important to us.
International Day of Action on Big Biomass
The International Day of Action on Big Biomass is held annually on 21 October. The large-scale burning of forest wood for energy transfers decades of stored carbon into the atmosphere, while damaging forests, biodiversity and communities.
Nannas and other environmentalists campaigned against the reopening of the Redbank Power Plant using biomass instead of coal tailings in the Hunter Valley. The Independent Planning Commission rejected the application, and the decision is being appealed in the Land and Environment Court.
According to database.earth there are only two Biomass power plants operating in NSW.
- Broadwater Sugar Mill, in north-eastern NSW, uses recycled crop residue to produce heat and electricity to power its factories processing sugar. However, timber has been tracked to this facility. Excess electricity can be exported into the grid.
- Tumut Kraft mill produces high-quality kraft paper using pulp logs and sawmill chips sourced from softwood plantations in southern NSW and recycled paper. It generates half of the site’s electricity needs.
Forests are most valuable when left standing, storing carbon, supporting biodiversity and sustaining resilient ecosystems.
Visiting NSW MPs
Nannas Bron, Eury and Gayle spoke with NSW Labor MP, Jo Haylen, on 21 October to ask for action from Labor on unfulfilled 2023 election pledges on the environment and climate.
Nannas value and encourage candid and respectful engagement with our MP’s and support peaceful climate action ‘for the kiddies’ in line with our Nannafesto.
Recently, members of the new Blue Mountains Knitting Nanna Loop visited their MP, Trish Doyle, and she later made this speech in the Legislative Assembly.
Nannas are reading
NextDC value on ASX smashed by delays to West Footscray data centre. The community backlash forced NextDC to drastically cut its earnings and revenue forecasts. (ABC News)
Prepare or Pay: Counting the Cost of Climate-fuelled Bushfires — New economic modelling commissioned by Emergency Leaders for Climate Action says bushfires now costing the Australian economy $6 billion a year on average. Download new report
Queensland Government. Risking the Great Barrier Reef for a goldmine? (Michael West Media)
A community group, Save our Whitsunday Water is advocating for the protection and preservation of the Whitsunday Water and Environmental Resources.
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