News

MEDIA ALERT

For Friday 25 September

Don’t mess with the kids of the North West: anti-gas school strike protests pop up across region 

What: School Strike 4 Climate protests across NSW’s North West

When: 10am, Friday, September 25

Where: Hopscotch Park (Bicentennial Park), Corner Kable Ave & Hill St, Tamworth. Demonstrators will hold a large sign calling on the government not to sink taxpayer funds into expanding polluting gas

Media contact, Helen Cameron, 0438113654

Details:

Covid-Safe protest: Fierce local opposition to new, damaging gasfields will be on full display across NSW’s north west this week as students, their families, and other community members concerned for the future take a stand as part of a national day of action with School Strike 4 Climate.

The students living in the north west are on the frontline of the fight against gas, with the region home to the planned Santos Narrabri gasfield, and the proposed Hunter-Queensland gas pipeline.

In the region’s administrative hub, local group Tamworth Parents and Friends for Climate Action will stand in solidarity with Tamworth School Strike For Climate students to voice their anger over the Morrison Government's economically reckless and environmentally destructive plan to sink taxpayers’ dollars into expanding polluting gas. 

There will also be smaller, family focused protests in the more rural parts of the region, with Coonabarabran mum of three Nicole Hunter taking her daughters to the Warrumbungles on Thursday to hold up and photograph a giant ‘No CSG’ sign above land covered by exploration licences.

Near Narrabri, Sally Hunter and her family will head to the banks of the Namoi River, which is under threat from coal and gas developments, to also hold up a ‘No CSG’ sign and take photos.

School Strike for Climate student Chiara Leabon, 15, said, “I’ll be striking on Friday to tell our Prime Minister to fund our future not gas. 

“Mr Morrison’s plan to fund gas projects is showing a clear disregard for the lives and futures of the Australian people that he is supposed to represent. We don’t want to be forced to live in a gasfield. That’s a very backwards view of how our country should move forward. 

"Our government is supposed to lead us out of the coronavirus pandemic and into a better future. We need a sustainable future with safe forms of energy, sustainable jobs and a stable climate. 

“Instead, our government is announcing plans to use taxpayer dollars to fund new gas projects.

"The Prime Minister is talking of funding a dangerous gas pipeline cutting across our region on our farmlands so the Santos coal seam gas company can benefit. 

“Coal seam gasfields and gas pipelines are really dangerous. Mr. Morrison doesn’t live here, he doesn’t see what we see. He has no idea how hot, dry and fire prone it is here.

"Having a gas pipeline venting methane and flaring to Newcastle through productive farmland, near people’s homes, close to towns and the dangerous explosives plant at Boggabri, would be frightening.

"There are so many exciting, sustainable job solutions for our Covid-19 recovery, yet the government is funding gas projects instead of protecting our lives and the future of our planet.

 "We are at a crossroads. Our best possible future is ahead of us. It is so close. We need to show our government the path we need to take by telling them to fund our future not gas.”

ENDS