Australia Coal Mining – We Had A Win But Still More Support Is Needed

At the eleventh hour, even as the coal miner’s dozers clawed and smashed their way through our precious local forest, we won an amazing reprieve.

We went to the Land and Environment Court seeking an urgent stay of execution for Leard State Forest – a place that has been the backdrop of my life, from my childhood right through to today.

And we won!

As the end of the financial year approaches, we’re seeking your generous support again to make a tax deductible donation of $25, $50, or $100 to help communities like ours to protect water resources and natural assets.

It was a bitter-sweet moment for us last week that left the NSW Government and Whitehaven Coal brutally exposed for their actions in relation to the Maules Creek coal mine.

They had tried to change the rules to allow clearing in winter and spring – a time when hibernating bats and other animals were likely to be slaughtered in their sleep as the big trees fell.

In the end, faced with an almost certain loss, Whitehaven Coal made an undertaking to the court to cease all clearing until a full hearing on the case in early September.

Please consider a small donation to chip in for the future of places like Maules Creek and Leard Forest. If we don’t act together now, rural Australia will become a giant industrial zone.

Our analysis shows that coal and unconventional gas licences and applications now cover more than 50% of Australia. It’s all up for grabs – from the richest farmlands of the Darling Downs, to natural and cultural icons like the Kimberley.

We need to act now before the coal and gas mining companies get a stranglehold on our country. Uncontrolled mining will change our rural communities forever and threaten our future viability. It will put our water resources at risk and damage our food security.

That’s why it is urgent. As we prepare for the full judgement in the Maules Creek clearing case, our local community will again be turning to Lock the Gate for support. We need to raise enough money to run the full case in September.

Please make a contribution to help us hold Whitehaven Coal to account and to prevent the threatened bats of Leard Forest from being slaughtered in their sleep. Any contribution you make will go to help us and other local communities taking action across the country.

The power of Lock the Gate is in the unique alliance formed between farmers, Indigenous Custodians, conservationists and urban residents. Never before have we seen these disparate groups merge and our power when we act together is profound.

We have already declared more than 3.5 million hectares of land ‘Mining Free’ and that number is growing daily. We know that united communities can succeed – we saw it last week in court, and we’ve seen it previously at places like Fullerton Cove, Bentley and Seaspray.

That’s why your support means so much to us – because we know we can use it to the best effect, and we know that success is within our grasp.

Many thanks in advance for your generous support.

PS. Donations over $2 are tax deductible so why not make a donation before the end of the financial year.