A group of northern rivers residents who were instrumental in actions at Doubtful Creek have headed to the Pilliga to support locals opposing CSG there.
Jarmbi Githabul, Don Durrant, Alpana Gopal, Ella Skerrett, Elshah Ray and Iris Ray Nunn made the long trek out west to the Pilliga Forest to help farmers and native-title holders make a stand for a CSG-free Pilliga.
The federal government this month gave the green light to Santos to continue to explore the environmentally sensitive region for CSG despite a $17 million clean-up bill after a spill of CSG production water contaminated part of the forest in 2011.
Ms Nunn told Echonetdaily that a front-page article in the local Narrabri paper described the nearby gas project as the ‘Pilliga gas fields’.
‘Many distressed locals are preparing to make their own plans for a gasfield-free Pilliga,’ she said yesterday.
‘An historic meeting occurred today [Thursday] where Gomaroi people and farmers came together to create their plans to protect the Pilliga.
‘In the coming weeks they will need more forest protectors to show up for peaceful actions in the forest and to have a presence at the community camp that has been established today with the experienced help of key players in the Doubtful Creek campaign earlier this year.’
Readers can find updates on the Pilliga Mouse Facebook page.
Anyone wishing to donate to the campaign is urged to do so through the Wilderness Society.
