A 51-year-old Knitting Nanna from Lismore has spent this morning ‘locked-on’ to the gates of Santos’ Leewood wastewater facility, which is part of the company’s plans to develop 850 gas wells in the Pilliga forest near Narrabri in North West NSW.
Louise Somerville told Echonetdaily that it was important that ‘Australia wakes up’ to the potential damage of the gas industry on the environment.
‘Santos plans to use 400,000 litres of water per well. With 850 wells this will greatly de-pressurise the underground water system,’ she said, prior to being removed by police this morning.
‘I’m locked on to this gate to peacefully protest which is my right as an Australian citizen, because I would like to see this country looked after.
‘I have four children who will be here long after I die and I believe we all have a right to clean water air and land.
‘Our water is our most precious resource and the Narrabri Gas Project threatens the recharge functions and pressure of our largest aquifer, the Great Artesian Basin.
‘I’ve seen the spread and impact of the CSG industry in QLD and I’m determined to do my part to prevent Santos wreaking the same havoc across NSW.
‘On my visit to the QLD gasfields I met families with sick children. One of the children’s noses started bleeding while I was there which was a highly distressing sight as a mother.’
The Leewood facility is designed to treat toxic coal seam gas wastewater from current exploration works of up to 1 million litres each day.
Today’s actions follow a lock on action on Friday which resulted in the arrest and charge of two women in their fifties, and many weeks of daily blockades which have caused ongoing delays and interruptions to Santos’ construction activities.
Ms Somerville said the protests were having an impact, noting that Santos share price had been falling as as result of the actions.
‘Santos is trying to sneak this through under the cover of the holiday season but it’s not going to work,’ she said.
‘There are waves of people coming and going (to the protest site) who don’t want this going ahead.’
The Knitting Nanna’s aim is to peacefully and productively protest against the destruction of the land and water by exploration the mining of coal seam gas and other nonrenewable energy.
Ms Somerville locked-on before sunrise this morning and is just one of a number of northern rivers local who are making the trek to stand by the people of the area in the ‘Pilliga Push’, a group who plan to blockade the Pilliga until mining operations stop.
More stories about the Knitting Nannas:
Knitting Nanna arrested near Bowraville
Chris Degan, a 75 year old member of the Knitting Nannas, was arrested earlier today for trying to save koala habitat.
Knitting Nannas doing it for the kids in Bulga Forest
Knitting Nannas Dominique Jacobs (60) and Helen Kvelde (73) yesterday became the 21st and 22nd people arrested protesting the logging of Bulga State Forest, west of Port Macquarie. They had attached themselves to the giant tree killing machine known as a harvester.
Mandy Nolans Soapbox: Knitting the Big Cardigan of resistance
Whenever anyone says, ‘There is nothing we can do,’ I think of the Knitting Nannas. I think of this powerful and politically potent group of older women who hold the frontline of so many impossible protests with a ball of yarn and a cheeky conversation, and not just an ironing board – an iron will! They stand in unity. They know there is work to be done. And they do it.
Bulga State Forest logging protesters get good behaviour bonds
Yesterday, 22 February three activists who had been arrested at the Bulga State Forest action site faced court. All had pleaded guilty to the offences.
Tenth Nannaversary of those mischievous knitters
Would you believe it, petals, it's been 10 years since the guerilla espionage not-so-sweet little ladies now known as the Knitting Nannas started their ruthless needling of CSG miner Metgasco.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
