Armidale Action on Coal Seam Gas is organising a celebration of community spirit to protest against coal and coal seam gas mining during the Lock the Gate National Week of Action from October 13 to 21. The event will be held at the Armidale Community Garden on Saturday, October 20, starting with a photo session at 3pm.
“The theme for this year’s Lock the Gate National Week of Action is ‘Healthy Communities’. The very fabric of our rural communities is at risk from mining, especially from coal and coal seam gas mining,” said Jan Brahe, one of the organisers.
“To be happy, healthy and thrive, communities rely on good food and clean water – both of which are at risk from mining. Coal seam gas mining takes good agricultural land out of production, disrupts farming communities and represents a serious threat to water resources.
“The human health risks from coal and gas mining are also significant but have not been properly quantified or studied in Australia.
“Dangerous dust produced from coal mining is known to cause damage to lungs and other organs and recent health concerns from people living in gasfields in Queensland include nosebleeds, rashes and epileptic seizures.
“We believe that these industries should not be expanding across our landscapes and communities until the health risks have been fully quantified and the community fully informed about those risks.
“We will be holding the event at the Armidale Community Garden to celebrate the resourcefulness of the Armidale community and demonstrate that we intend to work with other concerned citizens across Australia to build healthy resilient communities and stave off the threat posed by inappropriate coal and gas mining.
“We urge everyone to be there at 3pm so that we can take a photo to show our concerns and solidarity with communities directly affected by mining. Then there will be opportunities to work in the Community Garden, help plant seeds and participate in small group discussions about the health impacts of coal and gas mining.
Carmel Flint, a leading activist on coal and coal seam gas mining and one of the founding members of Armidale Action on Coal Seam Gas will be providing an update on the state of the campaign to lock the gate and protect our land, our water and our communities.
The event will be family friendly and everyone is welcome to bring a picnic for afternoon tea and/or a guitar and protest songs.
In addition, you can join the koalas at Leard Forest for an afternoon of family fun on Sunday October 21 from 11am to 3pm. Kids, bring your favourite bear, there will be prizes for most loved teddy bear or soft toy and best dressed bear.
There will be discovery walks, games, face painting, painting and fun. Kids can wear a Koala costume. Bring picnic lunch and drinks. No proof of age is required for the koala parade, as long as you’re a kid at heart!
Parents and friends are encouraged to come along for a campaign update and campfire discussion about protecting our forest and farmlands from coal mining. Only 2.5hrs from Armidale via Moonbi turnoff and Manilla shortcut.
On Thursday, October 18th at 6pm, there will be Liverpool Plains Ladies Evening with a talk by Sharyn Munro, author of ‘Rich Land, Waste Land’, and a screening of Bimblebox, at the Royal Theatre Quirindi.
For more information about the event at Leard State Forest on October 21 call Pat Schultz on {oh four mobile prefix}287 258 52. For more information about the event at the Armidale Community Garden on October 20 call Bea Bleile on {oh four mobile prefix}58 752 680.
Calendar subscribe
