Front Line
View from the tree-sit
An activist is suspended high up in the air from a tree-sit attached to two excavators and two bulldozers to prevent ongoing destruction of the Leard State Forest by Idemitsu’s Boggabri Coal, who were given approval to quadruple the impact of their mine on the forest by Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke late yesterday afternoon.
A spokesperson for Front Line Action on Coal, Jonathan Moylan, says that Tony Burke has failed to meet his obligations under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act by approving the Boggabri expansion and Whitehaven’s adjacent Maules Creek Mine.
“Tony Burke should hand in his resignation letter today,” Mr. Moylan said.
“These mine expansions would destroy thousands of hectares of old-growth forest including critically endangered habitat for koalas, swift parrots, and regent honey-eaters, as well as destroying farmlands and depleting the water table.”
“Tony Burke has failed to consider the false statements made by Whitehaven about their offsets and refuses to reveal which state government condition was illegal.”
“State and Federal governments are failing to apply the law and put the community’s interests first, so now it is up to the community to stop it.”
Community organisations are fundraising for legal action against the mine approvals via the Hunter Community Environment Centre, and FLAC has vowed to wage a campaign of non-violent civil disobedience and divestment from banks that fund the projects.