Visitors from Gloucester, NSW

This morning I was having my regular Coffee, at Cafe Pirouette, and reading the paper, (in the sunshine outside the building) when a gentleman poked his head out and asked: "Is Denis Wilson here?".

He introduced himself as Rod Besier. I knew straight away who he was, so I responded to his wife by saying "so you must be Robin Besier". We shook hands, laughed a bit and got straight into swapping notes about the campaign against coal, coal seam gas, and in favour of protecting rivers. What a pleasant way to start a conversation.

Rod and Robin Besier
outside Cafe Pirouette in Robertson

Me with Rod and Robin Besier
Photo courtesy of Monica.

Under the name of "Save Gloucester", Rod and Robin Besier have become self-appointed media monitors for the Gloucester Region, including the Barrington Tops area, and the Manning River catchment. They circulate their postings and other intelligence, via the "Coal Communities" chat list, and I get regular updates from them, which I then sort through and circulate the most relevant "water" issues to the Australian Water Campaigners group, and other selected contacts. This system has worked extremely well, for more than a year. So, we were off to a good start.

I ducked home to get my camera, for some "happy snaps", and then proposed we go for a quick drive around the village.

"The Rocky Hill Horror Show"
"Not another BLOODY mine in Gloucester"

I suggested that I take them for a short drive to show them the best view in the district - overlooking the Macquarie Pass, and Lake Illawarra and Port Kembla. We stopped outside Woody and Kirsten's farm, appropriately adorned with a Shoo Cockatoo sign already. Rod added one of his Bumper Stickers to the fence.

The Rocky Hill sign from Gloucester
with the local "No Coal or Coal Seam Gas" sign
on the farm fence above Macquarie Pass,
courtesy of "Shoo Cockatoo"

A "before and after" image
opposing the Rocky Hill mine in Gloucester.
Lake Illawarra and the Tasman Sea are visible beyond
the Macquarie Pass escarpment (just below us).

Rod and Robin have spread their media monitoring net much wider in recent times, and monitor just about everything that Alan Jones says about water, coal and coals seam gas, (plus his favourite hobby-horse of Political Staffers who have switched over to advising the Mining Industry). In this issue Alan Jones skirts the word corruption, but only just. I follow his lead on that.

We swapped a few more stories, then Rod and Robin set off for Bowral, Sydney and the M7 which I am reliably informed leads to places the other side of Gotham City. As far as I am concerned, all maps of points beyond that ought be marked "Thar be Dragons".

A final wrap-up from the Protect Our Land, Our Water rally

The NSW Farmers' Association, in particular, warrants enormous praise for "negotiating" this coalition of forces, not always an easy marriage, apparently. Hardly surprising.
Also, the Rally went of seamlessly. A little rowdy when Mr Stoner was speaking, but apart from that, a good humoured rally. Pretty amazing.

Fiona Simpson,
President of NSW Farmers' Association

The CWA was particularly well received by the Media and the public, as apparently it was their first ever "demonstration". As their own signs say, "Not just Tea and Scones". Indeed.

"Not just Tea and Scones"
The Country Women's Association.

More generally, congratulations to all participating groups, including (notably, as far as this email distribution is concerned) RiversSOS and the local Coal and CSG opponent groups, and the Nature Conservation Council, National Parks Association,  Wilderness Society. 

Kim, a founding member of our
Australian Water Campaigners group,
and the Shoo Cockatoo group.
A supporter of RiversSOS as well.

In my own list of photos I have attempted to identify the participating "regions" - from whence the various people carrying the signs came.

Southern Highlands Coal Action Group.

Such a clear message.
Love it.

Pat and Barry
RiversSOS members and NPA members.

Maureen, (from Victoria) and I carried signs on behalf of Bimblebox. Cannot say we made a huge impact (because the crowd was so huge) but certainly people were keen to ask "where's Bimblebox?" and "what's that all about?" At that point it was easy - mention Clive Palmer's and they understand. Clive's name really resonates with the environmentalists - its a great "sales pitch" (unfortunately).

Here are the major TV news reports.

Channel 9 - http://youtu.be/AfUb3-ekSQw

Channel 7 - http://youtu.be/FiXCBHobj80

ABC 2 (NSW) - http://youtu.be/CS9Honnm8zs

Channel 10 - http://youtu.be/-SBJQaZL7fI

Ali Dee's photos. Possibly not accessible for everyone.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3882618905682.2162374.1285134243&type=1

Two of my photos albums from yesterday.

https://picasaweb.google.com/113268294402913437731/ProtectOurLandOurWaterRally

https://picasaweb.google.com/113268294402913437731/ProtectOurLandOurWaterRallyAlbumPart2

Kate Ausburn's photo gallery (also a Facebook Album - so possibly not accessible to everyone.)

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150680131462315.383939.580242314&type=3

The Wilderness Society (NSW Branch) photos (mostly of their own team).
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150789715294395.425096.161882069394&type=1

The NSW Farmers Association gallery
http://www.nswfarmers.org.au/srlup1/home

Everything you need to know about the Mining Industry.

A very good friend, who shall remain nameless, sent me this.
Apparently it is from the New Yorker.
I tried to find it on line, but couldn't.


This cartoon might be about Coal Mining, or it might be about CSG mining, or it might be about Uranium Mining, or whatever.

The original caption says: "These new Regulations will fundamentally change the way we get around them".

Can't resist asking: It might be about  ore? more? or MORE!!!

I have been too busy - Sorry

I was away, in the Hunter Valley last weekend, and yesterday, with the opponents of Coal Seam Gas extraction, in Sydney outside the Eastern Star Gas company AGM.

Some interlopers from the Southern Highlands made it into this photo.
First time I've ever been in the Fin Review! (Page 12, in the 11 November 2010 edition).And Caroline Graham's hand-made "No Fraccing" poster also featured loud and clear.

I am personally dismayed to find that the Chairman of Eastern Star Gas is John Anderson, former Deputy PM, and former Representative of the very area likely to be wrecked by the gas drilling, the removal of water, the contamination of the remaining Groundwater, and physical disturbance with a very long "high-pressure" gas pipeline.

Australian Financial Review
11/11/2010
Page: 12

By: Angela Macdonald-Smith

Protesters target Eastern Star Gas

Angela Macdonald-Smith

The board of Eastern Star Gas faced outraged farmers and disgruntled shareholders at the coal-seam gas producer's annual shareholder meeting in Sydney yesterday over concerns about water management and employee incentive shares.

About 80 landholders and supporters from NSW's Liverpool Plains region waved placards and shouted slogans including "Deliver us from evil gas", outside the meeting while the Greens called for a moratorium on coal-seam gas (CSG) exploration pending a study on its impact.

Inside the meeting, shareholder discontent centred on a hefty remuneration increase for managing director David Casey despite a flat share price performance over the past year.

The stepping-up of anti-CSG campaigns comes as Queensland's $50 billion industry has been rocked by a second toxin scare in less than a month, marring progress at liquefied natural gas ventures in Gladstone, including BG Group's SUSI 5 billion-plus project.

Protest groups in NSW would increase pressure on the state government in the run-up to the March 26 election to take action on CSG, said campaigner John Thomson, executive officer at the Hunter Valley Protection Alliance, which organised a similar protest at AGL Energy's annual meeting in Sydney last month.