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Byron Shire
March 28, 2024

Call for North Coast to become an Adani-Free Zone

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A campaign to ensure the north coast becomes Australia’s first ‘Adani-Free Zone’ kicks off outside Lismore City Council Chambers today (October 4).

Co-organiser Ben Pennings says the campaign demands local councils not to enter into contracts with any company closely connected with Adani.

Veteran campaigner with North East Rainforest Alliance and Lock The Gate Nan Nicholson has joined the local Galilee Blockade group to ensure Northern Rivers becomes the first ‘Adani-Free Zone’ in Australia.

She said Northern Rivers communities had ‘stood strong to protect our land and water from invasive gas fields, with hundreds getting arrested. We will stand together to protect the Great Barrier Reef, the Great Artesian Basin and a liveable planet for our kids and grandkids.’

‘I can’t think of more engaged communities to make such a vital stand for the future. We’ll keep Downer and anyone else in bed with Adani out of the Northern Rivers.’

Ben Pennings, national spokesperson for Galilee Blockade, said, ‘citizens will use their personal and collective power to keep any company in bed with Adani out of their region. Local communities deserve better service providers than money-hungry companies willing to risk catastrophic climate change.’

‘Downer are the preferred contractor to build and operate Adani’s controversial Carmichael mine. As a large diverse company they don’t need this $2.6bn contract and can easily withdraw without financial penalty.’

‘Northern Rivers’ roads are a mess due to extreme flooding exacerbated by climate change. Downer are in bed with Adani, willing to worsen climate change to the detriment of ratepayers. Local councils should reject any Downer tenders on ethical grounds till Downer withdraw from plans to build the disastrous Carmichael Mine.’

He says Byron Council is considering using Downer, and the company ‘wants to establish a large presence in the region.’

Byron Council staff replied that, ‘Kyogle, Lismore, Byron and Richmond Valley councils have a regional panel contract with NSW Spray Seal for the supply of bitumen services in the northern rivers, which is a subsidiary of RPQ Group, which is a subsidiary of the Downer Group.’

Day of action activities

As part of a National Day of Action opposing the Adani coalmine on Saturday, October 7, an event will be held at the Norries Headland Park Cabarita from 11am to 1pm. this. Richmond MP Justine Elliot and Tweed Deputy Mayor Reece Byrnes will be in attendance.

Another group will be hoping to make a human ‘Stop-Adani’ sign at Main Beach, Byron Bay, from 2pm. Participants are asked to come wearing red as the sign will be photographed from the air by drone. Anyone who owns a drone is also asked to bring it if possible.


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9 COMMENTS

  1. Interesting that Reece Byrnes and Justine Elliot are mentioned as attending the Tweed Greens Stop Adani event at Cabarita on Saturday.

    Tweed mayor Katie Milne and NSW Greens MP Dawn Walker will also be there. How about all 4 representatives make a joint statement guaranteeing that they will oppose this mine full stop at all three levels of government, they will oppose any government money going to it, and they will oppose government contracts at all three levels of government been given to any Adani contractor or their subsidiaries, and that they guarantee to back that up with their vote in council or Parliament whenever required.

  2. Adani s the first miner to break ground in the Galilee Basin. A host of miners are going to also share in the development of the Basin in the coming years. Mining remains the backbone of Australia’s exports and the Galilee Basin will continue to provide export income to Australia for decades to come.
    Adani is to be applauded for their consultative process.
    Not sure if Adani has any interest in the Far North Coast but if there is, a similar consultative process would happen.
    The economic benefits of the Adani investment are already being felt in FNQ. The mining areas west of Abbott Point.have long been important National Infrastructure.

  3. So how do the Kyogle, Lismore, Byron, and Richmond Valley Councils now rescind their contracts with NSW Spray Seal, without any financial penalty, in light of the fact their ultimate owner is the Downer Group, who are in an alleged fiscal relationship with Adani … ?
    How do these Councils let NSWSS [these folks; http://www.rpq.com.au/nsw-spray-seal ] know that the Northern Rivers public don’t appreciate Adani’s ethics, and therefore anyone’s business ethics who does business with Adani ?

    • 4 corners – ‘struth! That would be the same ABC 4 Corners that closed our live meat export trade for ages, putting Indonesian and Australian indigenous men out of work because they got some video – endlessly repeated in the absence of any other evidence – of a botched slaughter in Indonesia, Can’t you refer him to a more reputable source of information on Adani?

      • “… because they got some video … ”
        Otherwise known as evidence Peter, evidence of illegal practices …
        People were “put out of work” for working illegally.
        Check your facts mate.

        • People who were put out of work in Australia were not working illegally – they were working in an industry targeted by activists, in areas in Northern Australia where there are few employment opportunities (please read my letter before telling me to check my facts). The people working in Indonesia may have been working illegally but so do many other poor people – unlike you and me they have no choice in where they can get an income Only a person who has never known poverty would suggest that it is ok to put third world workers out of work.

  4. The labor party supports the Adani mine. Justine Elliot and Reece Byrnes are required to tow the party line. Labor recently received $500,000 in donations from foreign businessmen in one day. The party has failed the workers with full time jobs now scarce as hens teeth, housing affordability out of sinc with wages growth. The voting public are being fooled into believing Labor and the Liberal National parties are providing them with a choice. They are one and the same, passing the batten to each other in a race to the bottom on the backs of average Australians as multinational global business claps them on. Justine and Reece should resign from the Labor party and publicly vow not to support Adani or any business working for them. The Greens is the only political party progressing policy in the national interest.

    • How ironic commenting on the Labor party members having to tow (sic) the line. Tamara Smith expressed sensible support for cycle tourism and the rail trail, but then our area was visited by the arch-priestess of centralist control, Lee Rhiannon, who spoke in support of NRRAG and the NSW Green left’s policy of restoring rail based public transport, regardless of the poor value and service it would provide in our area. If you want our area to be planned and run from Sydney without regard for local needs and issues, vote Green,

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