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On Monday, anti coal seam gas (CSG) protesters claim they were turned away from Labour Day celebrations in Chinchilla, Queensland, because mining companies sponsored the event. Here’s a full wrap of events.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE CHINCHILLA SHOWGROUNDS
From a Ninemsn report published on Monday night.
Mounted police guarding the Chinchilla Showgrounds from anti-CSG protestors
The protesters, who have been staging a blockade against attempts by gas miner QGC to build a pipeline at Tara Estate in Chinchilla, joined the Labour Day march in the town on Monday.
But Friends of the Earth spokesman Drew Hutton said when 50 people from the Lock the Gate Alliance reached the Chinchilla showgrounds, Rotary Club official Bernie Washington said they could not enter and phoned the police to block their participation.
Mr Hutton said the alliance members had permission to march in the parade and had a warm reception from local residents.
“We got to the end of the march, and he said now you clear off and pointed off into the distance,” Mr Hutton told AAP.
“There was a bit of argy-bargy that went on.”
THE PROTESTORS TALE
Miriam Bauman
One of the protestors marching in the parade, Miriam Bauman, gives her side of the story.
Standing before the closed gates of the Chinchilla Showgrounds, I smiled and thought about the irony of the situation as I waited holding my sign with its message, ‘Lock the Gate to coal and gas companies’.
As a group of concerned Australians aged from six to seventy, we had just marched in the May Day parade to highlight our protest against coal seam mining for the extraction of methane gas. What I have seen happening to our food producing land is heart-wrenching.
We had been told by Rotary Club official Bernie Washington we could march as long as we kept our mouths shut. And this was what we did. They placed us in front of an older model tractor and several other classic vehicles. We were friendly and, with innovative peddle powered music making contraption, we even managed to provide some light entertainment.
The story was that we had disrupted the procession by not moving fast enough and not letting others through. Apparently this was one of the reasons they wouldn’t let us in at the Showgrounds. I have marched in several ANZAC Day parades and, just like those times, the pace varied at Chinchilla and, yes, gaps appeared at times but no one ever accused us of being disruptive.
Lock the Gate had the gate shut on them at the Chinchilla Showgrounds
My Dad was a Rotarian and he shared with me the Rotarian’s 4-Way Test, which is said to be the cornerstone to all action:
Of the things we think, say or do:
- Is it the TRUTH?
- Is it FAIR to all concerned?
- Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
- Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Obviously, Bernie had his reasons for not letting us in and I hope it had nothing to do with the fact that Queensland Gas Corporation (owned by British Gas) had sponsored the May Day celebrations to the tune of $15,000 to $20,000. You can reach your own conclusions about that.
Why was I there protesting against coal seam mining?
Well, it’s because I love the land — it’s in my blood. My brother Robert, for instance, is a fifth generation Bauman farmer. When I first became aware of the potential dangers to air, water and farming land from coal seam mining I was concerned, so I joined Lock the Gate Alliance and endeavoured to learn more. And the more I learned the more concerned I became, especially after watching ‘Gasland’ the documentary.
I’ve spoken with Chinchilla farmers Scott and Katie Lloyd whose lives have been changed forever and who never had a choice to say NO to the gas wells now dotted over their property. This is unjust and unAustralian. Their number one priority is to produce food and their number one concern is the underground water.
Can these mining companies guarantee they will not harm the Great Artesian Basin? And what if they do?
Mining, Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Tourism all provide jobs and income for our state, yet only one is unsustainable. Mining uses massive quantities of water, pollutes our waterways and is non-renewable. If it destroys our water and our farmland, what will we be left with when the coal and gas are finished? What will we drink and what will we eat?
No amount of compensation can buy clean air, clean surface and underground water, and quality food. These essentials of life are priceless.
The music machine
The music machine
MESSAGE SENT BY LOCK THE GATE TO CHINCHILLA ROTARY
chinchilla@rotary9630.org
Dear Chinchilla Rotary,
I wish to address the claims made in the media by your representatives regarding the Lock The Gate group and the Labour Day march.
I participated in the march as a member of the group and strongly object to the claim that we “misbehaved during the parade, causing a disturbance to proceedings. They disrupted the procession by going slow and not letting others through”.
I agree that we might have been going a little slower but this was due to the nature of the large musical contraption, was absolutely unplanned and was in no way intended to disrupt proceedings. In fact we had agreed prior to joining that we were to behave well and as well as make our point, add a colourful, if noisy, contribution to the parade, which I understand is a celebration of worker rights.
I request that you respond with specific examples of us “misbehaving”. Was a mess made? Were spectators abused? Were cars overturned and burned? Windows smashed? Did I miss something? I am truly curious about this as I thought we were extremely well behaved.
Apart from this, I also ask for specific examples of how we disrupted proceedings. True at one point there was a minute or so gap between us and the truck in front (what parade doesn’t have a gap?), but when asked we did try to close it (and succeeded) and apart from possibly extending the duration of the parade, how exactly did this (or anything else) disrupt the parade.
As it happened, the biggest disruption on the day was caused by Rotary officials and the police who (ironically) locked the gate on us causing a huge traffic jam outside the showgrounds for approximately 30 minutes.
I suggest that the knee-jerk reaction to us and the ensuing media spotlight has been an embarrassment to Chinchilla and the Rotary Club in particular and rather than accept that someone made an error of judgment, your representatives are trying to shift the blame to us.
I look forward to your response.
Regards,
Steve Davis
Lock the Gate Alliance
4 Comments
Miriam, the answer is, as always, “FOLLOW THE MONEY”. I’ve drawn my conclusions, as I’m sure everyone else has, as to how Rotary came to abandon its core principles. This is same game we saw played out with acid rain, cfc’s, tobacco and now csg and global warming. Lock the Gate has had some impact on both Qld and NSW govs in tightening environment regulations. Progress is slow and frustrating but, for once, the people are organised and are fighting back. That’s the real message the rest of us are taking away.
Rotary is full of BS self serving weaklings, they would sell their own mother.
You are right Sandi, follow the money. Corrupt government, kick backs, and it goes on and on. The Treasonous corporate Government of Bligh/beatie has sold out Queensland for a song …And legislated them self out of any liability. And legislated their friends against any liability. What a wrought? Stand Up Australia….You are being screwed.
Well written Miriam. Have been to Tara twice in the last 3 weeks. Let’s celebrate right now the fact that we will have 100 % renewable energy in Australia by 2020.Let’s celebrate that all mining in Australia will be over by December 21 2012. It will not survive what is about to happen
I wonder how much money the government makes/receives from the billion dollar mining industries. I wonder if it’s worth it. Many of the effects of mining are irreversable, it has extreme negative effects on people’s health and the environment – these are the facts, yet the government chooses to ignore them. Perhaps they are too distracted by the economic benefits they are unable to see the detriment that can not be undone. What is going to happen when these resources run out? What will our country be like then? What kind of place are we creating for our children? Are they monitoring the rate in which our resources are being depleted, or are they monitoring the profits made and the profits they say they ‘need’ to make? What is more important – the money that can be made or our rainforests, our reefs, our animals, our water supplies and our children? I don’t expect mining to cease, I know that wouldn’t happen. However I urge people to do a little research and be careful of being mis-informed. We should have more of a say in how our land is treated and developed, more of a say than the CEOs of mining companies. The greedy only think of themselves – I hope their money keeps them warm.