Groups fighting the controversial Traveston Dam proposal have quickly identified “a long list of unproven and bureaucratic conditions that, rather than allay our environmental concerns, actually heighten them."

The Mary River has stopped flowing to the sea!  |  More than 30,000 protest letters   |   A cry for strong environmental leadership from the Prime Minister  |   What to do with government land if the dam is knocked back?   |   Ecologist tells Rudd to be aware of what he's asked to approve | 500-year-old tree giants awaiting wood chipping?  |  Invitation to use liturgy for a Mary River church service across Australia  |  Lungfish day in court welcomed  |  Agriculture would not benefit from a dam, says Coordinator General  |  Andrew Bartlett: "Decision will make history"  |   Stories further back  

7.05am. Currently,  four people from Climate Camp 2009 have scaled
and locked themselves onto the coal conveyor belt at the Dendrobium
coal mine near Helensburgh, NSW.

Spokesperson for the group Aimee Bull-McMahon said “We have shut
down the conveyor from this underground polluter as part of the Climate
Camp 09 three days of action. The Dendrobium coal mine, owned by
Illawarra Coal, has been disastrous for the surrounding water ways that
the local community relies on for drinking water.”

Last Friday (October 1) a crowd of over 70 people made it clear to a far-right gathering in Sydney that fascists are not welcome and that they will not be able to meet undisturbed.

A very successful community demonstration was held against KN (Klub National / Klub Nastiya), a monthly social gathering/drinking club for assorted neo-nazis, nationalists, racists and fascists. KN were holding their meeting at the Humanist Society Hall, on Shepherd St, Chippendale. There were 5 or 6 fascists present when the crowd of over 50 people came around the corner carrying signs saying “All You Fascists Bound to Lose” and “No Racist Meeting in Our Neighbourhood”.  They locked themselves in the building while demonstrators outside yelled “Nazis out” and banged on the door and windows. The protesters outside were quickly joined by dozens more people who came out of nearby houses and the café on the corner, who were outraged to find out that fascists were meeting in their neighbourhood and joined in showing their disapproval.

Nicola Roxon’s Media release - 'National Campaign Targets Illicit Drugs', with my comments.

19th April, 2009

Unfortunately, when it comes to her drugs and her drug cartels’ competition, she has another portfolio - the Minister of Wealth and Waging War. Remembering, of course, that she and her Government, (just like the Liberal Gov’t) declare war against almost half of Australia and declare them criminals.  They forget that the recreational, psychoactive drug ethanol was also declared an illicit at one time, and if it was classed as an illicit at this very moment then 94% of people would be legally classed as criminals, including those in our Government, Police, Media etc.

I was fortunate to be invited to a meeting at the weekend where a group of four passionate educators met to discuss how to "save their school" following a mass of issues which the school executive, district office and the Employee Performance and Conduct Unit has refused to act upon. The group claims that the department is more interested in protecting a select few than fixing major problems.

A Climate Emergency rally in Sydney on Saturday June 13 drew more than 2000 people to hear speakers at Millers Point then a march to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's city office for a symbolic sitdown protest.

Climate scientist Andrew Glikson addressed a crowd of up to 600 people in Canberra, while 300 people marched in Wollongong, according to a Greenleft report.

Youtube videos: Peter Boyle, Sutherland CAN | Flickr Photos: Sutherland Can | yewenyi's photos

Climate change protestors have halted production in Australia’s largest aluminium smelter by attaching themselves to a weigh bridge that is a pinch-point of the operation.

The protestors are angry that heavily polluting industries, like aluminium smelting, will receive 90% of their pollution permits free from the Federal Government under the controversial Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, allowing them to carry on largely unaffected by pollution constraints, and leaving the public to pick up the cost of reducing greenhouse emissions.

More info from www.risingtide.org.au

Over 300 concerned Tweed Valley residents expressed their opposition on May 28th, 2009 to the proposal to hold a leg of the World Rally Championships in the Tweed and Kyogle areas. Check it out on YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md0jeE9rE1s

The rally is proposed to run in September 2009 and every second year for up to 20 years.

Learn More and What You Can Do: Visit http://sites.google.com/site/norallygroup/

One person was arrested when protesters carrying two banners walked onto the Desalination Plant proposed site near Wonthaggi on May 9. The occasion was a rally at the gates of the proposed site organised by Watershed Victoria and Melbourne supporters and is also opposed by the local Bunurong indigenous people.

Takver's Photos on Flickr |
Action: Get Real on Climate Change | FoE

Eight people have been arrested during a dramatic protest at Parliament House in Canberra this morning.

Two
women disrupted Treasurer Wayne Swan's post-budget address in the Great
Hall, protesting at the government's shamefully inadequate response to
climate change in both this budget and its Carbon Pollution Reduction
Scheme.

At the same time, seven women locked themselves together
in a circle in the main foyer of Parliament, chanting slogans calling
for swift and meaningful greenhouse pollution cuts, not handouts to
polluting industries.

Related: Budget: The "left" labour aristocracy abandons its underclass and capitalist system created unemployed/underemployed | “2009 WA budget good news for home renewables” | Climate protest highlights environment funding in the Australian Budget |

Lake Cowal 2009 occupation: Photo by Fiona Lee.

Twenty Eight people were arrested at the Barrick Gold Mine at Lake Cowal on Sunday. Protestors walked onto the open pit mine on Sunday morning closing it down. They were authorised to enter the mine site by Wiradjuri Tradtional Owners of Lake Cowal and its surrounds. Gold mining uses toxic cyanide and large quantities of water. "We asked our supporters to enter the mine site to bear witness to the destruction and document the mine's impact. It is important that Wiradjuri maintain access to our cultural sites." said traditional owner Neville Chappy Williams.

Related: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia) | Save Lake Cowal | Protest Barrick | Photos 1 | Photos on Flickr

Homosexual Law Reform proposed by the Rudd Government to end discriminatory practices with regard to pensions still has a long way to go according to Mannie De Saxe of Melbourne Lesbian and Gay Solidarity.

According to Mannie "the Federal Government is about to inflict a new method of elder abuse on the Gay Lesbian Transgender and HIV/AIDS communities, particularly those least able to defend themselves against this new form of discrimination, homophobia and other forms of abuse by targeting same-sex aged, disabled and other disadvantaged most vulnerable people."

"This new abuse inflicts outing, public declarations, income reduction and other disadvantages on these groups because the Government refuses to provide a grandfather clause in the legislation which provides improvements in conditions for same-sex partnerships with changes to nearly 100 pieces of legislation."

Related: Protecting Same-Sex Pensioners | Changes to Social Security legislation in Australia and it's effects on Same Sex Couples

In Prague today before a 20,000 strong crowd US President Obama called for a world without nuclear weapons. There are currently 26,000 nuclear weapons held amoung nine countries. At the Palm Sunday rally in Melbourne Dr Ruth Mitchell from the Medical Association for the Prevention of War spoke detailing the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and the need to keep the pressure on politicians and Governments on this issue. (Photos | Youtube Video | Melbourne Protests)

President Obama told the large crowd in Prague "I state clearly and with conviction America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. This goal will not be reached quickly -- perhaps not in my lifetime. It will take patience and persistence. But now we, too, must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change." 

Foreign Minister-designate Guido Westerwelle has renewed calls for a withdrawal of US nuclear weapons based in Germany, saying he would hold talks with the Obama adminstration on the issue.

On Friday 3 April 2009 the Australian Government signed the Declaration on Rights for Indigenous Peoples at last. However, the Federal Government continues with its Northern Territory intervention, and the suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act of 1975. Aboriginal rights actrivist Barbara Shaw, from Mt Nancy Town Camp, Alice Springs, accused the Kevin Rudd Labor Government of hypocrisy and racism.

"The NT Intervention contravenes 25 of the 46 articles of the UN Declaration on Rights for Indigenous Peoples. The Racial Discrimination Act 1975 remains suspended and Aboriginal communities remain under the control of an explicitly racist government”, she said.

Related: Gary Foley “apology on behalf of 'Australians' to only some Indigenous people' meaningless crap| "NSW most racist and ignorant about Aborigines"  |  WGAR News: Australia supports UN Indigenous Rights Declaration (4 Apr 09)

 Gillian Sneddon is now back with us providing exclusives to her readers. Welcome back Gillian