MINING protestors will line the Bruxner Highway this Saturday as they spread their message ahead of the impending federal election.
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Groups will take part in the “world’s longest highway action” to demand protection of Australia’s water resources.
Between 10am and 2pm on Saturday, June 25 concerned citizens from around the region will take to the Bruxner Highway to demonstrate and raise awareness about coal and gas mining.
Groups will gather with colourful banners, signs and messages on the Bruxner Highway on a 190 kilometre stretch between Tenterfield and Ballina.
There will be sites at Tabulam, Sandilands, Mallanganee, Drake, Casino, Lismore, Goonellabah, Ballina and in between those cities and towns joining hundreds of other regional and metropolitan groups around the country in a national action aimed at highlighting the potential risk to water from coal and unconventional gas mining.
Louise Somerville, from the Bruxner Highway Action Group, spent her youth on a farm and said the action was aimed at highlighting the risks to water that coal and unconventional gas mining poses, both regionally and to the future of the nation.
“Coal and unconventional gas mining is a risky industry that threatens our water resources and the future of our farming communities,” Ms Somerville said.
“Barnaby Joyce, Federal Member for New England, and Kevin Hogan MP, Federal Member for Page, have let us down and our future generations down by voting with their party in parliament against increasing investment in renewable energy infrastructure at a time when we must urgently transition away from coal-fired power stations.
“Coal mining wastes massive amounts of water and both coal and unconventional gas mining pollute aquifers and deplete access to bore water for farming. Cattle, livestock and crops depend upon that water. It's Australia's water not a foreign-owned mining company's water.
“We’re calling on all federal candidates and political parties to commit to protect water resources, support the dining boom and protect the health of communities from risky coal and unconventional gas mining.”
“Our future and the future for our kids lies in value-added agriculture, clean renewable energy and eco-tourism industries, not in risky mining activities that threaten our water, Australia’s most precious resource,” Ms Somerville said.
