After 7 years of promises, Lock the Gate delivered the good news. They had rallied, met with Members of Parliament, called and wrote emails, flyered outside government offices for years. Day after day, they called on the government to release their consultation paper on protecting the Channel Country from gas fracking.
And finally, it was done.
Yet it seems somewhat bizarre. Surely not destroying our land and rivers is just common sense? Surely by now we all know what actions are needed to bring about a prosperous and healthy future? Actions like denying any new fossil fuel project while protecting the last remaining wild lands and rivers?
Well, clearly not. Because when it comes to the Channel Country, it seems that stopping fossil fuel projects and protecting rivers was the last thing our decision makers intended to do.
It’s long been known that the Channel Country region is a precious area that needs protection. In fact, back in 2015, the Palaszczuk Government made an election commitment to protect these rivers and floodplains. This was followed in 2022 by a stakeholder consultation process with graziers, Traditional Owners, the gas industry and environmentalists on options for protecting the Channel Country.
Yet, over these last 7 years, oil and gas companies have been granted huge tenements over Channel Country flood plains.
Origin Energy was quietly granted an application in 2021 to frack across more than 225,000 hectares of tenements, including on the floodplains.
By 2021, 831 oil and gas wells had been documented across the Lake Eyre Basin, which together were causing damage to the flood plains highlighted in a scientific report.
That’s why the release of this consultation report is such a tremendous win. People stuck it to them! They didn’t give up. And together, this pressure brought about a consultation paper that actually includes options for protecting the Channel Country.
But it’s not time to put away the flyers! Because unsurprisingly, this report also includes an option to allow untrammelled gas expansion.
Your efforts are now needed more than ever. Stay tuned with Climate Club Queensland to keep up the pressure and win the good fight.
What can you do today?
🐝 If you have 5 minutes:
The Power Together Alliance wants to help Queenslanders who are doing it tough to share the benefits of household solar and energy efficiency. They have created an action plan and video mapping out a clear pathway for supporting Queensland while addressing the climate crisis.
Action: Use the Power Together Alliance template email to ask the Premier and Energy Minister for urgent cost-of-living and climate action.
Back in 2021 the International Energy Agency told the world there is only one way to address the climate crisis: no new coal or gas projects. So guess what Australia did next? Opened up new coal and gas fields. And now they’re doing it again. Join Lock the Gate in calling on Premier Palaszczuk and Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to refuse Whitehaven's Winchester South coal mine project.
Action: Sign the petition calling on our representatives to stop Whitehaven Coal’s first coal mine in Queensland.
🐇 If you have 15 minutes:
Ready to be not-surprised? A recent report by Market Forces shows that the Big 4 banks ploughed $13.1 billion into the fossil fuel industry in the last two years, despite all having committed to the Paris climate goals. Learn more here and tell your bank to stop financing companies expanding coal, oil and gas!
Action: Check out the Banking Climate Failure report key findings here and tell the banks to stop financing climate change!
You probably know that increased drought is one of the effects of climate change, and so preserving our water sources is more important than ever. Yet, every day truckloads of fresh water are being taken away from national park aquifers at Springbrook and Tamborine Mountain in the Gold Coast hinterland, and pouring into some of the 32 million single-use plastic bottles used for beverages each year.
Action: Watch the video below and sign the petition to stop water mining in Springbrook & Tamborine Mountain.
Fossil fuel companies buy our support through sponsorship. By throwing money around sponsoring our most beloved sports teams and arts organisations, they get visibility and good vibes. It’s time to end this and 350.org is here to show us how. They have developed a guide to help encourage local groups to sign a “fossil free sponsorship” pledge. Others who have taken the pledge include high profile artists and organisations such as RISING festival, La Mama Theatre, and Revelation Film Festival.
Action: Fill in this form and they’ll send you a guide that sets out just how you can approach the organisation, what to ask and how they might respond.
💃🏽 If you have 30 minutes or more:
Want to learn more about building renewable energy and strong nature protections for a safe climate future? Some renewable energy projects are being developed in areas with high biodiversity, because our current planning laws don’t value nature. This can be a tricky balance! In this webinar QCC and their partners will show us a guide to help talk us about these conflicts and be a strong voice for both nature and climate in the energy transition.
Action: Watch the Building Renewables Well on the 8th June at 6pm.
Remember the Safeguard Mechanism? Although it’s almost law, there are worries that decision-makers like Peter Dutton are seeking to undermine it. Join the Sustainability Spies at Dutton's Dickson Office to put this issue to rest.
Action: RSVP to join the Sustainability Spies for a gathering at 3/199 Gympie Road, QLD 4500 on Friday, June 16th from 10:45 am to 11:30 am.
Our friends at Climate Club New Zealand recently wrote this fascinating review of how history might remember climate activists. From writing letters to politicians, to handing out flyers, to blocking coal mines and to phone jamming banks, we activists have a big toolkit to use when trying to compel action on climate change. History certainly tells us that these activities make a difference!
But you may have noticed that governments around Australia are increasingly trying to stop climate action. Just last week South Australia passed legislation slapping protesters with fines of $50,000 (up from $750) or three months imprisonment.
A recent research paper by Robyn documents how this criminalisation happens and how we can help stop these laws: by standing together with people demanding action on climate change, by refusing to stereotype or belittle activists, and by doing everything we can to help share their message with our decision makers.
Climate Club Qld is here to help you do just that!
That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action.
See you in two weeks: Robyn (and some crazy guy in a strange hat?)
Plus Jan, Ron and Malcolm - The Climate Club Qld team
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We live, work and play on the lands of the Yuggara and Turrbal people in and around Meanjin - Brisbane. We pay respect to their Elders, past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded - always was, always will be Aboriginal land.
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