The Stop Adani Tweed campaign launch at the Regent Cinema in Murwillumbah on Sunday hosted by the Caldera Environment Centre was sold out.
The crowd was filled with young and old who realise how important it is to keep the pressure up to stop the opening of the Adani coal mine.
‘The primary message was not to stop the pressure,’ local campaign supporter Janice Best told Echonetdaily.
‘It is really important to remember that even though the banks are pulling out we need to be vigilant because it is not over yet. Even though things appear to be moving in a positive direction.’
There are now ‘Stop Adani’ groups in Byron, Lismore and Tweed, whose aim is to gain community support for the Northern Rivers to be declared an ‘Adani-free zone’. They have joined over 2 million people worldwide to oppose one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions which is driving climate change.
Keynote speakers Tony Barry and Mandy Nolan shared their insights into the the effects that the opening of the Adani cola mine would have on the Galilee Basin and the broader impacts on the Great Barrier Reef and climate change. Narrated by Queensland-born actor Michael Caton, the documentary Guarding the Galilee was screened to a packed house and shone a spotlight on the battle to stop the biggest coal mine in Australian history, Adani’s Carmichael project.
‘There was an ardent crowd shocked at the message that was loud and clear that Adani is a no go,’ continued Janice.
‘The film Guarding The Galilee showed the intense beauty of the region with amazing arial footage of The Galilee Basin.’
National spokesperson for the Galilee Blockade Ben Pennings talked about the current state of play and how people can Stop Adani through political pressure and non-violent direct action.
Recently retired NSW Environmental Defenders Office CEO and environmental lawyer Sue Higginson joined the keynote speakers on a Q&A panel.As a public interest environmental lawyer she has carried many high profile environmental cases through the the Australian courts, including the first successful challenge to the Adani Carmichael coal mine approval by the Federal Government.
Stop Adani Tweed spokesperson Barry Firth said,’If built, the Adani coal project will add 4.6 billion tonnes of greenhouse pollution, right at a time when emissions need to be urgently cut to combat climate change.’
‘Each year 60 million tonnes of coal would be transported along a 388km rail line to a new coal export terminal at Abbot Point on the doorstep of the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef, with an estimated 500 extra coal ships travelling through this area. GetUp has reported that in 2011 a ship carrying Adani coal sank off the coast of Mumbai, devastating beaches, tourism and marine life and Adani did nothing to clean up the mess for five years.’
Stop Adani Tweed are planning to conduct a survey in the new year in order to identify the level of support against the Adani mine in the local community. Stop Adani Lismore has recently lodged their survey results with member for Page Kevin Hogan, which indicate that 98 per cent of those surveyed oppose the Adani mine.
‘The launch left a hopeful crowd who are clearly ready for action,’ Janice said enthusiastically.
For more information and to find out about steps you can take check out the Stop-Adani-Tweed Facebook page.
