40 residents have descended on the Commonwealth Bank’s Bourke Street branch today, peacefully occupying the ground floor and holding banners reading “Funding Climate and Reef Destruction – Commbank Can!”

The group are calling upon Commbank to join 11 major international banks in ruling out involvement in the controversial Galilee Basin coal mines and Abbot Point coal port expansion on the Great Barrier Reef. Today’s event is one of over 100 community protests that are taking place at 40 branches across Australia and around the world in opposition to the Galilee projects.

The Commonwealth Bank is the only Australian bank that has been publicly named as advising on the projects and likely to finance the Carmichael mega mine – the largest in the Galilee Basin.

“The Commonwealth Bank says it is the “People’s Bank” yet the people are calling on them to say NO to carbon bombs like the Galilee. We’ve emailed, petitioned, had meetings and moved our money, yet Commbank still says silent.”

“Unless they heed our call and say no to coal mine and port expansions on the Reef, they face a creative and unrelenting community campaign… and should be ready for nationwide protests” said Nicola Paris, from Direct Action Melbourne.

Media Contact:

0427 485 233
Charlie Wood

 

It was just over a year ago that 100 people descended on the Maules Creek Mine construction site. Brave souls climbed the colossal machines of destruction, chaining and locking themselves to render them useless for the day. So began the Leard Blockade biggest convergence yet – Act Up 3.

This milestone for the Leard Blockade made it onto mainstream media channels putting Front Line Action On Coal on the the radar and since then we’ve certainly kept their attention. 82 people were arrested that day and since it’s beginning over two years ago the Leard Blockade has seen over 350 people arrested for taking action against the destruction of a forest to make way for a coal mine. The movement has built to such extremes that over a thousand people invested their time at the blockade and are now dispersed all over Australia.

 

In December last year 8 people halted the first shipment of coal from the Maules Creek mine by occupying the train for 6 hours in Newcastle, not only halting Whitehavens coal but all coal shipments on the major line through the Hunter Valley.
Now 43 people are traveling back to maules Creek to face court this week. Of them are those brave people who occupied the site last March as well as others who took action way back in 2013 up untill now. This diverse bunch range in ages from 20 to 70 and include an astrophysicist, disability support worker, photographer, zoologist, archaeologist and a doctor.
These people put their bodies on the line and have sacrificed their time to create change – so send all your love and support to these incredible humans by making some noise on social media or sending some money love to supply camp for the week via our donate page: www.leard.frontlineaction.org/donate

A group of people in Newcastle have halted the coal rail line leading into the world’s largest coal export port, saying they would not let trains enter or leave until coal industry leaders committed to winding back coal exports, as their contribution to urgent global efforts to address climate change.

One woman from the group, 54 year-old Annette Schneider, a farmer from Monaro, NSW, is attached to the tracks in front of the trains, and is refusing to move. Ms Schneider says she acting in support of farmers in the Hunter Valley and Maules Creek who are struggling against the expansion of the mining industry and people everywhere grappling with climate change.

The action comes just two days after the Commonwealth Government released a Discussion Paper on Australia’s contribution to the forthcoming climate change treaty negotiations in Paris, proposing that, “For the foreseeable future, Australia will continue to be a major supplier of crucial energy and raw materials to the rest of the world”

Frontline Action on Coal spokesperson, Alex Walker, said, “This year, there are no more excuses for Australia and its coal industry. We’ve got the advice from scientists that says 90% of Australian coal must remain in the ground if the world is to avoid global warming above two degrees.¹

“There has been no action taken by the Australian coal industry, or the New South Wales or Australian Governments to address this problem – quite the reverse, the volume of coal we export jumped 11% last year.

“The government claims it will reduce our own greenhouse emissions by 5%. Well, the coal approved for mining out of the Warkworth coal mine, for example, would make carbon dioxide pollution equivalent to 5% of Australia’s domestic greenhouse pollution every year, and Rio Tinto want that mine to expand and continue for another 20 years from now.

“This perverse situation cannot continue any longer. We do not want to have to put ourselves in harm’s way to stop coal, but that is precisely what our coal export industy is doing to each and every one of us.

“Australia has to confront this problem this year. We cannot go on denying that the expansion of coal exports from New South Wales is against the interests of this country. We cannot allow one industry to drag everyone else down this path of dangerous climate change, and subject farmers, families and ordinary Australians to suffer the terrible consequences.

“We call on the coal companies operating in New South Wales to make amends and make change with the rest of us, and tackle climate change before it is too late.”

 

UPDATE: Police have arrived and are attempting to remove Annette from the tracks

UPDATE: After over three hours blocking the rail line into the world’s largest coal port Annette has been taken into police custody.

Further information, photos and updates from the protest:

Alex Walker 0415 611 641

A number of friends who have taken action to save the Leard faced court today. Everyone who was heard today received Sec – 10A with no conviction or fine.
Amongst them was Country Music legend, Luke O’Shea and his Dad.

Media Release from our alliance partners at Land Water Future
NARRABRI 24 March

Charges against country music star Luke O’Shea, 45, and his father Rick, 71, have been dismissed — with no conviction or fine — after the pair faced court in Narrabri earlier today.

Luke and Rick faced charges of enter and remain on enclosed land with Luke receiving an extra charge of hinder work (Crimes Act) s545B(1)(iii) after their participation in a peaceful direct action protest against Whitehaven’s controversial Maules Creek coal mine in January this year.

The pair locked on to Whitehaven Coal’s water pump on the banks of the Namoi River at Maules Creek. The pump is used to draw water from the river for use in mine construction and to wash coal and is on the site where Rick spent his childhood.

“I’m proud to have stood with my father alongside the community of Maules Creek whose livelihoods, homes and health are at risk because of this mine,” said Luke O’Shea.

“Australian country musicians have a strong tradition of standing up for people in the bush and that’s exactly what I was doing.

“As a father, a musician, and a school teacher and I need to be seen to walk my talk, so I can look my kids in the eye and say I did everything I could to give Australia a better vision for the future.

“Through my actions, I’ve tried to highlight how coal mining wastes huge volumes of water. The aquifers and river systems in our key agricultural region cannot mathematically sustain this.

“And may I say, I’m so bloody proud of my dad too,” he said.

Luke’s father, Rick O’Shea says, “Water is the lifeblood of country Australia and right now huge amounts of fresh, clean water is being sucked out of the Namoi River to wash coal. I couldn’t stand by and do nothing.”

Luke and Rick took action just days after Luke won three Golden Guitars at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January this year. Luke filmed the video for his song “Sing You Up” at Maules Creek and dedicated it to “the brave, peaceful and passionate people putting their lives on hold protecting what we all love”.

More than 350 people have been arrested for taking peaceful direct action to protest Whitehaven’s Maules Creek coal mine.

From the desk of Murray ‘Muzz’ Drechsler…

I heard about the Leard State Forest whilst I had been running mystery dingo tours out to the Pilliga State Forest, looking at the effects of coal seam gas on the area.

That it was an open cut coal mine in a state forest was all that I had heard. I went home to Upper Main Arm Mullumbimby and looked into it. It was then that I realized that not much was happening, so I packed up my camp of a year and a half and came out to find out what I was capable of.

I was inspired by the words, “We have not inherited the Earth from our ancestors, but borrowed the Earth from our children,” and “we are born of this Earth and when we die we go back to this Earth.”

From little things big things grow

It began with just two of us in camp and Cliff dropping in between working on his farm. We had a few visitors in camp some weekends but things were slow to start. Then Johnno did the hoax. People began to hear about us in the forest and it all started to change and changed many times after that. The campaign  will always change, like the same water we are trying to protect.

More people started to come out to the camp in the forest and the movement got bigger. We were forced out of the forest to Camp Wando and from there we got even bigger  thanks to the alliance.

 

Our actions have been creative and daring, from one action to multiple actions on the one site to many site kms apart. Train actions, office actions, actions at sea and on land. In trees, on rail bridges, with much planning and often little sleep. Getting past police road blocks evading numerous security on site. On the bat attack week we even had police dogs, horses and drones to deal with, we have become very hard to stop!

We are driven by our love of the land. Mystery Dingo Tours of the Leard State Forest played a big part in opening many hearts to the beauty of the forest, allowing people the chance to see, hear, smell and taste the effect of the mines. Shocked, people felt that they had to take action to stop this madness. Along with the knowledge of how

The FLAC university

Camp Wando has placed itself in history as a training ground for activists. This for me has been the most exciting part of what we do out here, watching shy kids come out with some amazing skills that allow them to play a role in major campaigns.

Hearing back from the scouts, about how sensitive they have become , a super awareness of a hunter and from being hunted – by security, police, police dogs, drones . All of their senses working overtime to contribute to their never being caught, to having learnt to become just a shadow in the forest.

Living under the stars sleeping on the Earth

Living and sleeping in the outdoors, eating our meals as a family or tribe is, for me, as good as it gets. Together we remember an old forgotten life style. We’ve watched many city folk feel a bit nervous putting up a tent for the first time, then falling into the groove after a few nights being happy living in a tent or under the stars. Later they’ll tell me how hard is was to live back in the city in a house with 4 walls.

Living on the farm

City folk helping Cliff on the farm, learning about where their food has come from. For many, seeing for the first time wheat, canola and cotton being grown and harvested. They help with the hay harvest, they come to understand a little more of the country that they are a part of.

So where next?

With Tenacity and resilience the moment will keep going and growing.

If you can’t shut down the coal mine,

then you shut down the coal company,

If you can’t shut down the coal company

then you shut down the industry

The Front Line Action on Coal movement is going to go national with FLAC Brisbane and FLAC Sydney having had there first meeting. With more groups in the planning.

Keeping to the tradition of non violent direct action and safer spaces polices, working closely with the traditional owners and community. Teaching news skills and leaning from those that we teach.

We stand stronger against the corruption of the government and the mining company’s destroying our land, water and our rights

STAND AND PROTECT

LOVE AND RESPECT

Further Information:
Murray “muzz” Drechsler
Front Line Action on Coal Spokeperson
0418 754 869

[email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

A piece on the last 3 weeks of Whitehaven Coal’s Summer 2015 clearing  of the Leard State Forest

Grief;
The smell of fallen trees;
Sweet sap and diesel.

With the Milky-way overhead, and a good few k to go, we can already smell the clearing. It is a visceral smell. Last year in the first round of clearing, I was shaken, this is the smell of coups, of other frontiers – not here, not the Leard Forest. This year, our hearts are hardened by love, by rage, grief, and general sleep deprivation. We walk, in our op-shop camouflage, a motley crew weaving our way through the bush. Leaves crunching under foot.
The forest is dry. The North-West is dry. The January rains didn’t come and the cattle are eating hay. Bores are pumping sand in the hills, and the willy willys are whipping up turned top-soil. Farms around here can’t afford less water. The drought is still here, and with the surety of more to come as this landscape is changed irrevocably. The mines plan to drop the water table, draining the surrounding landscape, whilst CO2 emissions will contribute to the climate crisis. Yet the plans to mutate the northwest into a mining complex continue to push on, despite community opposition, despite a plummeting coal price, despite the traipse of ICAC findings and allusions. And the resistance pushes back, at every step of the way.

We walk on, through some of the last box-gum woodland on earth, looking for clearing machines. It is disorienting being in the bush while it’s being bulldozed. The topography of the place changes day by day, and each bushwalk calls for a re-evaluation. A beloved ridgeline, a safe haven, where we’ve sat on lichen covered boulders with diamond firetails, brown tree creepers, and tawny frogmouths, is on one visit sprayed with H’s signifying that it’s next to be cleared. Juliet, Luca, and Tiffany held that ridgeline for days, by occupying tree-sits, before it was bulldozed. On this walk the ridge is gone, and we can only navigate by the silhouettes of sparse habitat* trees against the light from Whitehaven’s mining compound.

At the edge we gather our breath, make camp beneath a beautiful big ironbark with a scar on both sides, half of it is a hollow home and dozens of bats dart from its limbs. We crack open the trail mix, right on the edge of what might be overburden by next spring. There are scar trees, sacred sites, and burial grounds throughout the forest, the marks of tens of thousands of years of love, knowledge, and care for this country.

We walk out into the clearing. The smells of sap and diesel are overwhelming. Our boots sink amongst the piles of dead trees, in the soft churned up earth. Tonight is much the same as last night. Except yesterday Ruby was high in the fork of an ironbark, attached to a rope, immobilising a massive dozer. Tonight there are less than a handful of habitat trees left, with security spotlighting them. Now Whitehaven has finished the second round of clearing for this year they have cleared enough for their teetering overburden pile to expand.
I can tell you the exciting news, of how we are spreading across Australia, and how we are not letting up. There have been close to 400 arrests defending this forest. Whitehaven was the worst performing company on the ASX 2013/14. There are huge, and diverse groups of people trained in civil disobedience, in tactics to peacefully and effectively resist, organising across the country. But for the moment, rest with this grief, of what we are doing to the last of our woodlands, to Gomeroi sacred sites, to farmland, and our climate, and steel yourself to make a change, to take action, because we have no choice.

*As part of the environmental regulations required to clear a forest, ecologists identify habitat trees. These trees a left standing for one day longer than the surrounding bush, to “allow” animals to relocate.

Get involved leard.frontlineaction.org/get-involved-across-australia
Protect Lawlers Well leard.frontlineaction.org/save-lawlers-well

Leard Forest Alliance Media Release: From Maules Creek to Mt Thorley, communities resist coal mining.

MAULES CREEK 9/3/15

Despite both major parties affirming their commitment to the coal industry, the NSW public continues to show their strong opposition. This morning forest clearing at Whitehaven Coal’s controversial Maules Creek has been disrupted again.

As a young family blocks a road outside, 20 year old Ruby Everett is the latest to halt the machines by suspending herself from a tree and tying it off to a bulldozer in the Leard State Forest. In three weeks since the opening of Whitehaven’s forest clearing window, there have now been over 40 people arrested disrupting the clearing.

Ms. Everett said “There has to come a time when the politicians in this state and this country take a stand against the destruction of mining. For the communities and ecosystems already lost to mining, there is no more time. But to preserve what we still have, and to fight against catastrophic climate change, it is our duty to put an end to this.”

The action is just the latest in a two and a half year struggle from local farmers, traditional custodians and environmentalists to stop the Maules Creek mine. It also comes at the same time as the Planning Assessment Commission recommends the approval of Rio Tinto’s Mt Thorley Warkworth mine expansion, another controversial project which threatens rural community and endangered ecosystems at Bulga in the Hunter Valley.

The Mt Thorley mine has many similarities to the Maules Creek project; with controversy surrounding the ecological offsets, suspect links between mining company and government, and a local community under threat who have said they will resort to peaceful direct action to resist the mine expansion.

Leard Forest Alliance spokesperson Andy Paine said “Both sides of NSW politics have shown that they will blindly support the coal industry, no matter how destructive it is. The Mt Thorley mine expansion has been rejected twice in the courts, is opposed by a local community whose very existence it will destroy, and is based on lies about the price of coal and the mine’s biodiversity offsets. Yet its being recommended for approval and Labor hasn’t said a word against it. If Luke Foley is serious about protecting communities and the environment, we call on him to support the people of Maules Creek and Bulga and oppose these mines.”

 

Media spokesperson:
Andy Paine 0413 205 154

Updates on twitter @Flaccoal and #LeardBlockade

Media Release
MAULES CREEK 7/3/2015

A group of over twenty people have stormed the Maules Creek Mine site today, halting clearing of the Leard State Forest. While a group has gathered at the entrance of the mine, a number of people have locked themselves to machines; stopping work on the controversial Whitehaven owned project.

For over two and a half years, there has been sustained resistance to the project from local farmers, environmentalists and traditional owners. In July 2013 the Northern Inland Council for the Environment (NICE) filed a legal challenge in the federal court to appeal the approval of the mine. Since then, there have been numerous groups around Australia opposing the project, including Gomeroi Traditional Custodians fighting in the courts for protection of sacred sites that are now being desecrated.

“The blind persistence of government support for coal mining has forced people to take matters into their own hands, with more than 4000 people coming to Maules Creek to take direct action and over 350 arrests. This campaign has now grown into a movement that has a life of it’s own” said Letitia Kemistee, one of the people locked to a bulldozer.

With the state election less than a month away, this protest demonstrates the demand for climate change to be a priority. Despite global trends towards sustainable alternative energy, NSW Premier Mike Baird and opposition leader Luke Foley have both committed to more coal projects; not only the controversial Maules Creek mine but also the Shenhua mine at Breeza and the BHP project at Caroona.

Leard Forest Alliance spokesperson Ros Druce said “the candidates in the upcoming state election need to put coal and climate change on the political agenda, or risk finding themselves forever recorded in the history books as short-sighted mercenaries who put the short term profits of mining ahead of the future of the planet.”

Leard Forest Alliance Spokesperson: Ros Druce Ph: 0427 826 188
Leard Forest Alliance Spokesperson: Letitia Kemistee Ph: 0402 017 027

Updates on twitter @FLACCoal

More photos available at https://www.mediafire.com/folder/l5mq7jyr3qvlw/7th_March