Metgasco license suspended

Woman with teapot
(Dunedin Cafe, 2007)

This is how I am feeling this morning, over my cup of tea, having just heard the news that the Bentley Blockade has been successful. Rather bemused but very pleased.

The NSW Government has suspended the Metgasco license for an exploratory gas drill in northern NSW and has passed information to the corruption inquiry!

The licence was revoked because Metgasco had not consulted with the community adequately.

Margo Kingston, the citizen reporter who alerted us to the ongoing crisis in the north writes that she is "privileged to report an historic people's movement proving that citizen co-operation can change the world without violence."

Go Margo!

The Bentley Blockade (pic #lockthegate)

Margo had reported that senior police were worried that the smashing of the Bentley Blockade this weekend was a lose lose situation. They were right and the NSW Government is to be congratulated for seeing sense. Now the license needs to be cancelled.

It is a back down that will inspire many others who are threatened by fracking and coal mining activities.

If you want ot be inspired, listen to this woman talk about why she is taking action against the Whitehaven Maules Creek Mine:

Coal mines, police and twitter

This art/music blog seems to have been captured by politics, but how can I resist when politics here has become high art (or high farce)? This week NSW Police are claiming intimidation by Twitter!

In Australia coal mining companies are using the tactics that oil companies have used for years in Africa. You can always find a corrupt politician to bribe and here in NSW they come from both sides of politics. Farmers are being left with no one left to defend their interests, so they are starting to take direct action themselves.

Whitehaven Coal, already involved in a high profile political corruption investigation, is forging ahead with their disputed Mauls Creek mine regardless of hundreds of submissions against this mine (I read that there were 300 submissions and only one wanted the mine to proceed).

Protesters in NSW were inspired to action this week by the most recent IPCC climate change report and decided to have a picnic in the forest where the disputed Whitehaven Maul's Creek mine site is to be built. They were on their way when they were stopped by a police car blockade. (When did police start becoming the private army for coal mining companies?)

Police were photographed by activist journalist Margo Kingston blockading the road and she posted her photos on twitter. The next day NSW police claimed intimidation by twitter!

Later in the day eighty two protesters were arrested for trespass including Bill Ryan, 92 year old veteran of the kokoda trail. He said he was proud to be there among the cream of Australian society. 

Here is a video made by the farmer organising actions against mining in the Leard State Forest in northern NSW.


And below is a video featuring Bill Ryan.