Front Line Action on Coal

Over 100 take on Maules Creek mine in historic action

Apr 2, 2014

Maules Creek, Monday 31st March 2014

In an unprecedented act, over 80 people have walked onto the controversial Maules Creek mine site today and immobilised machines, intending to stay in place for as long as possible. They are calling upon Environment Minister Greg Hunt to revoke federal approval for the project, in light of the second part of the alarming IPCC report released today which details oncoming ecological disaster for Australia.

Projected outcomes in the report include a 4°C warming by 2100, fuelled by continued destruction of forests and the burning of fossil fuels. Despite these findings, the Australian federal government has given the green light to Whitehaven Coal’s new Maules Creek mine, projected to emit 30 million tonnes of CO2 per year – the same as New Zealand’s entire energy sector.

Leard Forest Alliance spokesperson Helen War said, “Today’s historic action is a demonstration of the strength of ordinary civilians to stand up against the destructive coal industry that is wreaking havoc on the planet. The diversity of such a large gathering of people from all over Australia sends a clear message; that Whitehaven Coal has no social license to decimate the Leard Forest.”

The Leard State Forest is home to more than 31 vulnerable and critically endangered species, including the Turquoise Parrot and Corben’s Long-eared bat, further threatened to extinction with the cumulative effects of changing climate and a lost habitat should the mine go ahead.

Ms War added, “At this critical point in history, we must look at the bigger picture and take action against the short-sighted madness of coal mine projects fuelling climate change. We will not sit and idle while industries destroy our forests, pollute the air and poison the farming foodbowl. Such a groundswell of opposition against the Maules Creek mine marks the shift towards the new normal for coal projects in Australia.”

Over 40 people have been arrested in the area since December in ongoing protests against coal mining in the Leard State Forest.

Photo credit: Bottom two photos (of Bill Ryan, 92, and view of police cars and yellow mine trucks) by Margo Kingston.

tumblr_n39mh9R4A51tpiufno1_500h tumblr_n39msuYFwN1tpiufno1_500h tumblr_n39nb62A3K1tpiufno1_500h tumblr_n39o47G1MF1tpiufno1_500h

UPDATE, 9:30AM: Police have blocked access on some public roads around the controversial Maules Creek coal project site at Leard State Forest. Police are on site making arrests, citing trespass.

UPDATE, 10:30AM: 23 people have been arrested so far this morning, defending Leard State Forest from coal mining.

UPDATE, 11AM: Report of police using pain compliance and force to arrest people at site of protest against coal mining in Leard State Forest.

UPDATE, 11:30AM: Police rescue begin removing first of the people locked-on to mining machinery at Whitehaven Coal Maules Creek mine site.

UPDATE, MIDDAY: Some media coverage so far includes,

UPDATE, 2PM: Police are finishing arrests of people at the Maules Creek coal project site near Leard State Forest.

UPDATE, 3:30PM: 60+ arrests have been made today at the action against Whitehaven’s Maules Creek coal project near Leard Forest in north west NSW.

UPDATE, 6PM: 82 people were arrested today for taking action against Whitehaven’s Maules Creek coal project.

VIDEO:

http://youtu.be/7Wz6vZ-4X8Q

PHOTOS: These photos are available for use by media, view and download high-res images here.

Breaking: Former DPP solicitor takes her own direct action

Apr 2, 2014

Sunday 30th March, 2014, Maules Creek

Earlier today, Sydney mother and former DPP solicitor, Marion Rose, chained herself to a water pump in order to slow the ongoing work of Whitehaven Coal Company at Maules Creek, next to the Leard State Forest.

As a former officer of the Court, Ms Rose took the action only after a great deal of study and reflection, saying:

“Now that I no longer work full-time I have had the time to read and think and to ask myself the same question most mums and grand-mothers ask themselves; are my kids and grandkids going to have a better life than me?”

“The heart breaking answer to that is, no. As a result of climate change and the terrible way we are consuming our environment, their lives will be harder and my little one year old grand-daughter’s life will be very much harder.”

“The police may charge me with interfering with mine equipment, but what kind of nation do we live in when mining equipment gets better protection than our kids and grand-kids – who is protecting them and their future,” concluded Ms Rose.

Tomorrow morning the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will release its Working Group Two report; those findings identified eight potential risks for Australia:

  • The possibility of widespread and permanent damage to coral reef systems, particularly the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo in Western Australia.
  • Some native species could be wiped out.
  • There is the chance of more frequent flooding causing damage to key infrastructure.
  • In some areas, unprecedented rising sea levels could inundate low-lying areas.
  • In other areas, bushfires could result in significant economic losses.
  • More frequent heatwaves and temperatures may lead to increased morbidity among the elderly.
  • Those same rising temperatures could put constraints on water resources.
  • Farmers could face significant drops in agriculture – especially in the Murray-Darling area.

“It is not possible to both take climate change seriously and continue to dig new coal mines in this country, they are now mutually exclusive activities” said Julie Macken, Leard Forest Alliance.”

UPDATE: Marion Rose was removed and arrest by police, but later released without charge.

Geo physicist chains himself to whitehaven coal blast rig

Mar 17, 2014

A 62 year old geo-physicist has locked himself to a drill rig in Whitehaven Coal’s Maules Creek mining project in the another day of disruption at the site.

Glen Torr, from Canberra, is calling upon Greg Hunt to revoke approval and suspend all construction work pending the outcome of an ongoing criminal investigation regarding the company’s questionable offsets.

“My background means I understand the impacts of climate change. I am worried that my grand niece and nephews will suffer the full effects because of our current short-sightedness.

“This unique habitat needs to be treasured. When you see the sulphur-crested cockatoos, the beauty of the landscape, you wonder how Whitehaven could want to turn this irreplaceable habitat into a barren wasteland.”

The Leard State Forest is home to critically endangered box gum woodland, of which some 544 hectares would be destroyed for the new Maules Creek mine.  As part of federal approval of the project, Whitehaven Coal is required to provide comparative offset habitat.

Leard Forest Alliance spokesperson Helen War said, “Despite Whitehaven’s refusal to release the independent offset review, they are continuing to bulldoze and blast through endangered ecological communities. It is ridiculous that their offsets are under investigation, yet construction proceeds as if business as usual.

“Today’s action evidences the swell of support from a broad spectrum of the community to protect the Leard Forest against this absurd new open pit coal mine. Why is Greg Hunt supporting a project that will fuel catastrophic climate change?”

Yesterday, protesters delayed construction by 11 hours at multiple sites. There have been more than 37 arrests in the Leard State Forest against coal mine expansion since December.

Work halted at two sites at Whitehaven Coal’s Maules Creek construction site

Mar 16, 2014

MAULES CREEK, NSW – Three protesters have locked onto equipment at two sites at Whitehaven Coal’s Maules Creek coal mine expansion project as part of the ongoing effort to halt the mine expansion that is expected to see half of the critically endangered Leard State Forest destroyed.

One protester locked onto at a drill rig in an area where the Leard Forest has been cleared to do blasting in the forest and two additional protesters locked onto equipment at a second site where a bridge for the mine’s rail spur going over the Namoi River is under construction.

“We are determined to halt construction of this site for as long as it takes to convince the Government that this coal mine expansion and the destruction of the Leard Forest should never have been allowed to go ahead,” said Phil Evans, spokesperson for the Leard Alliance.

The continued protests at Maules Creek and surrounding mines have significantly delayed mine construction and brought to light the Federal Government’s Environmental Offsets approval process now under Senate Inquiry.

“Whitehaven’s claims regarding the quality of the forest offsets it will provide in exchange for the Leard Forest have been found to be clearly inadequate and are now the subject of a criminal investigation,” Evans said. “We are calling on people from around the country to stand with us and protect this land before critical habitats such as the Leard are destroyed for short term profits that will tip our ever shrinking carbon budget.”

Whitehaven Coal’s Maules Creek project is the largest new coalmine under construction in Australia. Some 544 hectares of irreplaceable Critically Endangered Box Gum woodland are expected to be destroyed to make way for the mine, in addition to a major drop of 5 to 7 meters of the underground water table, which is expect to have an irrevocable effect on farming in the area.

#leardblockade Actup3

Mar 14, 2014

JOIN THE #LEARDBLOCKADE FRONTLINE

The campaign to protect the Leard State Forest and to stop Whitehaven Coal’s dirty Maules Creek coal mine is going from strength to strength as our numbers grow. Hundreds of people have now visited the forest and participated in a variety of activities to show opposition to this destructive project.

Gather your friends and family and come on out to help us make this the biggest Act Up yet. There will be workshops and skill shares along with exciting events to be a part of.

The event will run from Friday 28 March – Tuesday 1 April, but we urge you to come early and stay longer if you can! There will be many roles to fill and every person, no matter how old or young counts.

GET INVOLVED:

For more details about camp, the event, and carpooling head on over to the Facebook event here.

RSVP: head on over here.

Questions: email us.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

Faith leaders from the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change join blockade

Mar 12, 2014

Faith leaders travelled to Maules Creek this week to support local protesters who are trying to stop a new mine. People who think religion should stay out of politics may be rattled by such a move, and certainly it should not be seen to bless anyone who breaks the law. But a Buddhist monk, a Catholic priest, Uniting Church ministers and other believers nevertheless joined their voices to the calls to stop expansion of mining in the area. …

Whitehaven’s plans to build the largest new coalmine in the country are fiercely opposed by residents in the Maules Creek area. They cite the potentially devastating impacts on their health, water, air quality, agriculture and biodiversity.

It is no great leap of the imagination to see why religious people are taking a stand.

— Thea Ormerod, President of Australian Religious Response to Climate Change, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald. Read full story here.

Thea was arrested earlier, alongside two others, while taking peaceful direct action at the Maules Creek coal mine construction site.

Photos of faith leaders from the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change joining blockade against Whitehaven’s Maules Creek coal mine at Leard State Forest by Tom Jefferson.

Religious leaders and affiliates holding a prayer vigil at mine construction site

Mar 12, 2014

In an unprecedented show of support from the faith sector, today religious leaders and affiliates from the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) are holding a prayer vigil near one of the entry points to Whitehaven Coal’s mine construction site in support of the blockade.

Following the vigil some of the religious leaders joined local community members and their supporters to block the entrance to the mine site, turning away a number of trucks and heavy equipment.

The gathering includes four Uniting Church Ministers, two Priests, one Catholic and one Buddhist, a number of lay people as well as representatives from the Gomeroi community.

The religious leaders are aligning themselves with those calling for an end to the expansion of the new open-cut coal mine into the Leard State Forest. This is an inclusive event, with special honouring of the Gomeroi people, the area’s traditional land owners.

The group is responding to the fact that every legal and legislative avenue to stop the open cut coal mine near Maules Creek has failed. Even though not one of the 212 submissions from the community supported the mine, the mine has been approved.

UPDATE, 2:15PM: Thea Ormerod – chair of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change – has been arrested blocking one of the gates at the Whitehaven coal mine site, adjacent to Leard State Forest near Maules Creek.

2:36PM: Anglican Minister Byron Smith is being arrested.

3PM: Gill Burrows, Catholic parishioner from North Sydney and grandmother of ten, has also been arrested bringing the arrests to a total of three today. The trio successfully blocked access at the entrance of the coal mine construction site near Maules Creek for two and a half hours.

Photos by Tom Jefferson, event organised by 350.org and ARRCC.

‘Hollow Promises’ Tree Sit at Boggabri reaches 36 hours!

Mar 10, 2014

A man who climbed a Box Gum tree on Sunday evening in an area of the Leard forest slated for imminent clearing for the expansion of the Boggabri mine is maintaining his tree-top vigil this morning.

Click here for full media statement.

Leard forest tree occupation enters second day

Mar 10, 2014

A man who climbed a Box Gum tree on Sunday evening in an area of the Leard forest slated for imminent clearing for the expansion of the Boggabri mine is maintaining his tree-top vigil this morning.

The platform on which he is suspended in the tree is in the middle of a stand of White box Woodland known to be important habitat for koalas and 27 other threatened species. The action is in protest against the destruction of 625 hectares of the critically endangered ecological community, and the failure of the Government to review proposed offsets for the clearing.

“It appears that Idemitsu have exploited a loophole to avoid scrutiny of the quantity and quality of White box Woodland in their offsets,” said ecologist Phil Spark.

Idemitsu was required to submit an independent review of their biodiversity offsets to federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt, but the review did not include any assessment of the White box Woodland in the offset areas, instead focusing on habitat for woodland birds and bat.

“It is alarming that Idemitsu can raze critically endangered forest for an open cut coal mine when there is no assurance that the same quality and quantity of that ecological community exists in their offsets,” Mr. Spark said.

“As the federal minister responsible for protecting endangered ecosystems, Greg Hunt must require Idemitsu to obtain an independent review of the White box Woodland in their offsets before this precious forest is destroyed.”

The Leard State Forest contains one the largest high-quality stands of White box Woodland in NSW and is threatened by the expansion of Boggabri open cut mine and the new Maules Creek mine.

PHOTOS: Click here to view photographs, ‘Hollow Promises’ Tree Sit at Boggabri reaches 36 hours

UPDATE: After 3 days of occupying the Box Gum tree sit in the Boggabri mine extension clearance area the tree sit protest has ended.

Newsletter