“PEOPLE power” came to Rye beach Sunday 3 December on a weekend where heavy rain caused events to be cancelled and residents to stay indoors.
But the unusual cold winds and driving rain couldn’t stop more than 50 people of all ages, backgrounds and political persuasions gathering to protest the proposed Adani coal mine in central Queensland.
The protest was organised by the Southern Peninsula Friends of the Planet, formed when three Rye women talking over coffee decided to test local support for a national stop Adani campaign.
The original protest of about 30 people (“Friends turning up heat on coal plan”, The News 28/11/2017) kicked off both the group and a desire for further action, orgainser Gillian Adam said.
Rye resident Kerri McCafferty said she had never spoken publicly before but “felt compelled” to “after learning about Adani and the impact this mine could have on Australia’s environment and the future of the Great Barrier Reef”.
Ms McCafferty has a three-year-old daughter and, like others at the protest, worries about her daughter’s future and Australia’s future generations.
Although her speech was cut short by rain and wind its essence was aimed at addressing the mine’s impact on groundwater, its effect on the Great Barrier Reef “with 500 extra coal ships travelling through this World Heritage area each year” and the carbon emissions produced when the coal is exported to India to be burnt in “old, inefficient coal fired powered plants”.
Ms McCafferty said the group had seen the effect of “people power” in the national Stop Adani # campaign influencing Queensland Premier Anastasia Palaszczuk in her veto of using public funds to support this project.
Although the group plans more campaigns, Ms Adam said in the immediate future it will be encouraging new members and associated groups to “continue the fight”.
They are asked to contact local, state and federal members of parliament, to talk with friends and colleagues about how they can contribute to a cleaner safer future by acting to stop Adani.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 12 December 2017
