In the same week as Australia’s parliament passed new laws to protect water resources knitting Nannas Against Gas were among the protesters blocking the main entrance to Parliament House in the national capital, Canberra.
The protestors were calling for laws to protect farmers from coal seam gas (CSG) companies, a day after parliament passed a bill that protects water resources from potentially harmful CSG projects.
Any new CSG or large coal project that could impact on groundwater will in future need to be assessed by an independent expert scientific committee before being approved by the federal environment minister.
About 120 Lock the Gate Alliance protesters from New South Wales and Queensland staged a peaceful protest sitting in the entrance of Parliament.
They brandished “Say no to CSG” placards, chanting, “Our land, our water, our right to say no.”
They were angry the major political parties did not support an Australian Greens Party attempt to give farmers the power to prevent mining companies entering their land.
Organiser Drew Hutton said the expansion of the industry was one of the “gravest threats” Australia faces.
“Getting the water trigger up was a huge feat,” he said of the bill that cleared parliament this week.
“We’re going to keep fighting,” Mr Hutton added.
Jennie Dell from Lismore in northern NSW led the knitting nannas against gas in a makeshift craft protest.
The campaign was not from “the eco loony left or terrorists” but ordinary folk who had been impacted by the scourge of CSG.
“We hope our little ones growing up won’t have to face this hopeless waste of time to stop this destructive industry,” Ms Dell said.
Three young women in their early 20s were dressed in yellow and black super-hero costumes, calling themselves “Girls against gas”.
Tasara Dewhurst from the Northern Rivers said she was “fighting for her future”.
Australian Greens leader Senator Christine Milne and party colleague Senator Larissa Waters addressed the rally.
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