Nannas knit Barnaby booties while spinning coal seam gas yarn

While the New England MP wasn’t around to chat, the nannas set up shop and began making Mr Joyce some gifts to articulate their views – baby booties.

Pat Schultz said the booties symbolised Mr Joyce’s responsibility to protect land and water for future generations.

“Minister, we want to be knitting lots of booties for our grand kiddies well into the future and our current path needs to change in order for that to happen,” Ms Schultz said.

Louise Somerville, who made headlines in in 2016 when she locked herself by the neck to the gates of coal seam gas facility in the Pilliga forest, said the motto of the Knitting Nannas was to “peaceful and productive protesting”.

“We aim to raise awareness and educate people about what’s really going on,” Ms Somerville said.

“We want to see fossil fuels phased and a renewable future for our kids and our grand kiddies.”

Along with dozens of booties, they also dropped off a peer-reviewed paper, which links the air pollution from the Queensland CSG industry with a dramatic increase in respiratory-related hospital admissions, and formally requested a meeting to discuss it with him.

Tamworth resident Tania Marshall said Mr Joyce needed to read the report and listen to the science.

“Minister, are you willing to sacrifice your constituents to the same fate as what has been documented by Dr McCarron on the Western Darling Downs?” Ms Marshall asked.

Mr Joyce wasn’t in his office at the time of the protest, his spokesman said.

“However the electorate and its constituents, who voted overwhelmingly in his favour at the 2017 by-election, remain like always, a high priority,” he said.