Northern Rivers Guardians

The NR Gasfield Free declaration 1st November 2014
What a great day! The march in Lismore today was a happy, huge success and NRG was well represented. Thanks to all who took part in the LTG Alliance regional march and rally to declare the Northern Rivers Gasfield Free.
We are tired of waiting for the politicians to truly represent the more than 90% of NR residents who have declared their roads and villages to be Gasfield Free . So we declared it ourselves. Well done everyone ! The people have spoken.
Estimates of crowd numbers vary from 5,000 to 10,000. I tend to support the higher figure as there was obviously more people marching than when we did it 2 years ago and that was said to have been 7,000. We also had the rare experience of the head of the march meeting the tail as we circled back on the route around the CBD: this didn’t occur in 2012 over the same route. In ant case, the gas ghouls could never match this, even if they offered us money to march.
Significantly, shopkeepers and onlookers gave visible support to the cause, especially when we chanted ” Thomas George has got to go.” Seems the Lismore electorate is looking shaky for the Coalition : Premier Mike Baird showed up the day before to be seen with our local MP (I can’t bring myself to say “representative” when referring to T. George.)
NRG had a good info stall and signed up several new members, who will need to be confirmed at our next General Meeting, planned for 3 PM ahead of our AGM at 5 PM on Saturday 29th November . Mur’bah Community Centre. Bring food to share for a pot luck dinner at 6 PM followed by dancing.
Thanks for supporting the Northern Rivers Guardians. I am proud to be President.

Today, 28 october 2014.

More arrests as Gloucester coal seam gas protests continue

Two men have been arrested and several others fined this morning as protestors peacefully continued a blockade of AGL’s controversial fracking project at Gloucester.

On their side of the fence: triple gates, new perimeter fences around the fort walls, new sentry guards on each corner of the fort, goPro cameras filming our every move, plus sinister-looking industrial equipment to inject the earth with chemicals to despoil the land. On our side of the fence: kids, teens, parents, hippies, dogs, fairies, nannas, seasoned veterans, a rapper with a heart-felt message, a musician with a flute, a girl with a beautiful voice, guitars, voices raised in song together, plus lots of lanterns to light up the darkness with a message of love and hope. Which side do you prefer? Come help us ‪#‎protectGloucester‬.

The camp has permission for camping as from now-25/10/2014 .

please look up on FB Gloucester Protection Camp or web site www. Groundswell Gloucester.

Another day of action against CSG in Gloucester!

Media Release, 24 October 2014

FOURTH DAY OF PEACEFUL PROTEST IN GLOUCESTER GRANDMA TAKES DIRECT ACTION AGAINST AGL
Manning Valley resident, author and grandmother, Sharyn Munro is locked onto an AGL gate this morning to protest the coal seam gas operations in the local community.

Locked on is  Sharyn Munro author of RICH LAND WAST LAND

in the forth day of peaceful protest and blockades at the site.

Teams of locals and visitors put themselves in position to block gas fracking workers at three entrances early this morning.

“The beautiful Gloucester Valley is the last place on earth that should be fracked for a coal seam gas field,” said Sharyn Munro, aged 66 and a grandmother of five.

“Until honest and adequate information regarding the impacts on water and health is available, this AGL coal seam gas fracking project should be suspended.

“As I researched my book Rich Land Waste Land, I learned the dangers of coal seam gas projects. That’s why I’m standing up for my community today.”

This is the fourth day of peaceful protest by the residents of Gloucester.

 Tina and Marnie -marnie is loocked on AGL ‘s gate- nd  Dan- locked on the AGL fracking rig at GLOUCESTER.                                                                                                                      

 This is what it takes to save the EARTH , it is what love looks like.

  VIA :The Woop Woop March today at 5 pm.

EMERGENCY RED ALERT OF THE HIGHEST ORDER

This could be it folks, the new frontline is forming at Gloucester as you read this. This photo shows one brave man locked to the undercarriage of the Halliburton Fracking Rig. This is happening right now and this is all that standing in the way of the Manning Valley being fracked. There is no going back, no rehabilitation, we have to stop it now!
It’s not just about Gloucester, it’s about our food security. Gloucester is where AGL have been trialing GM Triticale crops irrigated with “produced water”- yes, the toxin filled water thst is drawn from the coal seam and can contain heavy metals, b-tex chemicals, arsenic, chromium, etc, etc. These crops are then being fed to dairy cows with no testing of the cows of the milk. Straight into your food chain.
GLOUCESTER NEEDS YOUR HELP.
If ever there was a time to take a stand it’s now. If you can possibly get to Gloucester to lend a hand, I know you grandchildren will thank you. Please help!

VIA: Wolf Web
Here’s what I’ve got during the last two days.

I think regardless of what the judges finds, the court case has highlighted the fact that metgasco, and in fact the entire gas industry, has failed in consulting with our community in that they have avoided telling us just what a fully fledged gasfield will be like to live in.
How many times have we heard? “It’s just exploration, just one well?”

They needed to have regular public meetings where they explain the size of the production project, the traffic we can expect, pipelines, compressor stations, man camps, damage to rural roads, fugitive emissions, risks to water, food production, the changing social makeup of the community from family, to fly in fly out workers, from rural based businesses to industrial orientated ones and everything else that goes with building large gasfields.

Because that’s what would happen if these exploration wells are successful, and they’ve had 50 wells now and have a good idea that production will follow exploration. In fact they bank on it.

That would be genuine, effective community consultation. Not the “just one well” line they feed us with. That’s hiding the truth.

They have not done genuine and effective community consultation and can’t do it because that would make the opposition to their projects even bigger than they are now if that’s possible.

The government lawyers have told us how the public concern over the accidents such as Kingfisher and the blockades at Bentley, Doubtful Creek and Glenugie have shown the huge public opposition to gas in our region which tells us how important it’s been to be making our opposition known as we have done and must continue to so so.

The court heard that the blockades in particular have promoted Metgasco and the Government to stress the importance of need to quell the opposition to be able to get their projects started. Metgasco wanted it done by the riot police because Peter Henderson has admitted to have abandoned any hope of further community consultation having any chance of swaying our opinions to allow his gasfields. This is mining by martial law.

This court case has confirmed to me that it’s our job as a community to resist this invasion of unconventional gasfields in every way we can. The government lawyers have argued this quite well, they understand what’s going on, they know what impacts we are to expect, as does the gas industry, it’s important we do as well. Just don’t expect Metgasco or the gas industry to tell you that. They can’t.

metgasco vs. govt. court case so far:

the court heard that rosella selected as a good test of the ripley road structure in the greater mackeller structure.

hendo agrees it was the first significant step along the road to a gasfield.

Banks in Lismore feel the heat of fossil fuel divestment
Media release 17th October 2014:
Lismore led the way towards a sustainable today with a gathering today of about 40 residents outside the Environment Centre at Spinks Park. Many went from there to cancel their accounts, telling banks in the town centre that they are not happy with the $20 Billion invested in fossil fuel projects since 2008.
Hundreds of Australian residents will switch banks on Friday and Saturday to take a stand against the Big Four bank’s financing of coal and gas expansion. They will take part in a National Day of Divestment action which will span 56 branches in 14 cities across Australia and is expected to see hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of business moved from Westpac, the Commonwealth Bank, NAB and ANZ to financial institutions that do not finance fossil fuel projects.
Naomi Tarrant, spokesperson for the Lismore event said, ‘The Big Four banks play an essential role in supporting new fossil fuel projects like the Abbot Point port expansion. Switching banks is a great way to align your money to your morals and to send a powerful message that it is no longer socially acceptable to profit from the destruction of the planet.’
The event comes after a high profile public debate over moves by the Australian National University to divest from fossil fuel companies as part of a review of its socially responsible investment policy.
Since 2013, the Big Four banks have lost an estimated $200 million worth of business from customers joining the fossil fuel divestment movement. The campaign has won high profile support from celebrities including singer-songwriter Missy Higgins who posted a Facebook message, announcing her intention to leave ANZ if they don’t stop financing fossil fuels and Felix Riebl, lead singer of the Cat Empire who closed his ANZ accounts.
In recent months, the Australian fossil fuel divestment campaign has rapidly gained traction, with the past fortnight seeing divestment commitments from institutions including Local Government Super, the Perth Anglican Diocese, the Canberra Anglican Diocese, the Australian National University, Moreland City Council and Anglican National Super – the super provider for the Australian Anglican community.
Scott Sledge of Lillian Rock said “After 30 years with Westpac Bank, I’m closing my account and moving my business elsewhere. I’m doing this because I don’t want my money to play any role in the destruction of our planet. I owe this to my grandchildren.”
Tori Bail of Eden Creek said that she closed her Commonwealth accounts to support the human right to a clean energy future. “I will set up an information table at the Lismore Environment Centre every Friday to help other people understand how they can make a difference by changing banks,” she said.
Today’s action occurs the same day as 30 ‘Climate Warriors’ from the Pacific Islands joined 300 Australians to blockade the world’s largest coal port in Newcastle, drawing attention to the impacts of fossil fuel driven climate change on their countries. Their homes are threatened by rising sea levels due to carbon pollution caused by burning Australian coal and gas.
For media enquiries please contact: (Lismore) Naomi Tarrant 0423 927 415

On The Bentley Effect

By Dr Wayne Somerville    

14 October 2014

For the Gasfield Free campaign to be successful there had to be a place where previously unbeatable forces were turned back for the first time. At Pollock’s Road, we protested as Metgasco built wastewater ponds. At Glenugie, brave locals inspired the region. At Doubtful Creek, determined Protectors delayed the drilling. But at Bentley, the gas vandals were stopped dead in their tracks. 

Faced with the gasfield threat, a critical mass of Northern Rivers’ citizens defended their country and community. We woke up to the truth that we could not rely on politicians, and we had to protect ourselves. We resisted the radical, extremist agenda that seeks to degrade our country for the profit of a rich and powerful few. We accepted our duty to conserve what is truly precious – the water, air and soil that sustain us and all life. 

Our Protectors stood up for what is right. Many were ready to put themselves in harm’s way.  Politicians tried to scare us with riot police, but we responded with good humour and determination. It takes effort, sacrifice and courage to take such action. Our resistance was non-violent, non-negotiable, and very successful. 

People now talk about the Bentley Effect. If the action of butterfly wings can lead to a storm on the other side of the planet, then the wisdom and compassion of the Bentley Effect can overcome the politics of fear and greed. Our actions could ignite a self-sustaining process to heal the world.    

The Bentley experience has changed us, and the world, for the better, forever. The victory at Bentley belongs to everyone and great good has come from all this effort.

Our community is now strong, educated and better prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. Politicians hoped that our writing mountains of submissions and letters would distract us and wear us out. But what really happened was that we have become perhaps the best educated and informed people on the planet – not just about gas, but about politics, democracy, social justice and the environment. This hard earned wisdom and knowledge of the truth now immunises our community against the propaganda of the gas industry and others who would threaten our way of life. 

The old politics of fear, powerlessness and isolation is giving way to a new age of compassionate, determined action and the bonds of fellowship. We are learning about unity in diversity. Would it have been possible just a few years ago to imagine the way that this community has come together? People now go beyond the superficial. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you look like, or what you do for a living. If you love this country – if you are willing to defend it – then you are a friend.

Despondency has given way to people power – to a reawakened spirit of self-sufficiency. Our community has learned how to protect itself. I used to hear “we agree with you, but you’ll never win” – I don’t hear that anymore. 

Fly in fly out CEOs try to divide and fracture. They talk about the “interference” of “out-of-town activists” – but Australia is “Common Wealth”. Australia belongs to everybody. We have a long tradition of helping other Australians in times of crisis. Northern Rivers’ volunteers fight fires in Canberra and Victoria, and help with floods in Queensland. We are not about mate against mate. The true Australian tradition is mate helping mate.

We are all in this together. An attack on citizens in Bentley, Gloucester, the Liverpool Plains or the Darling Downs, is an attack on all Australians. We cannot, and we will not, allow mining interests and their political backers to lay waste to our country.                                                                                  

Gasfield Free Community Declarations break the isolation of individuals and prepare the ground for a rebirth of genuine democracy. By surveying and talking to our neighbours, we now know that we are the majority. Legitimate power belongs not to politicians, but to the people, and only to the people.

Our efforts point the way for all people to do what they need to do to leave the world better for their having lived in it. We are changing the world, and the best lies ahead for the Northern Rivers.

Dr Wayne Somerville

Clinical Psychologist