More than 100 people rallied in Martin Place on August 8 to say “No” to Glencore’s bid to expand its coal mines in the Hunter Valley in New south Wales.
The protest, organised by Lock The Gate (LTG) NSW, was supported by the Sydney Knitting Nannas and Friends and other environment organisations.
Former ABC science presenter and Knitting Nanna Bernie Hobbs Mced the protest, and the choir was led by Suze Pratten.
The Hunter Vally Operation Open Cut Coal Continuation Project, located 24 kiometres north west of Singleton consists of two open-cut coal mine sites HVO North and HVO South separated by the Hunter River. It is a joint venture between Yancoal (51%) and Glencore (49%).
Scott Franks, a leader of the Wonnarua Aboriginal Nation, spoke about the struggles of the Indigenous peoples of the Hunter Valley for land rights and against Glencore’s Hunter Valley Operation (HVO) proposal. He said it would further threat Aboriginal communities and the climate.
Nick Clyde, from LTG, condemned the Chris Minns Labor government for continuing to push for more coal mines, especially the catastrophic HVO projects, which is being assessed by the NSW Independent Planning Commission (NSW IPC).
LTG said the HVO project aims to dig enormous coal pits right beside the Hunter River. It worsen climate change worse by locking in around 800 million tonnes of climate pollution — seven times the annual pollution of the entire NSW.
Jeanette Hunter, a climate activist from Muloobinba/Newcastle, spoke about her experience with the disastrous bushfires, the result of climate change. She was a key witness to the IPC hearing on HVO, telling it about the disastrous impact of climate-induced fire emergencies on the health if children, the elderly and disabled people.
Two representatives of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and Nic Seton, CEO of Australian Parents for Climate also spoke, including giving information about pollution from coal mines and how climate change drives higher grocery bills.
NSW can not afford any more extensions for polluting coal mine projects, including HVO, the speakers said.