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Protesters campaign for food over Coal Seam Gas

Thousands of protestors rallied across Australia over the weekend in opposition to the coal and coal seam gas industry.

Demonstrations were held in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia as part of a ‘national day of action’.

The rallies centred around the theme of Defend our Water and coincided with the start of National Water Week.

In NSW there were 20 rallies, with around 400 people assembling in Sydney’s Martin Place, according to the Canberra Times.

ABC News reported a turn-out of more than 300 people for a rally in Newcastle, where protestors signed a petition to be tabled in State Parliament.

In a statement yesterday the Greens endorsed the protests and said communities had a right to be concerned.

Greens senator Larissa Waters said CSG was a “risky” industry but Governments had been “blinded by the royalties and inflated jobs predictions”.

“It’s time for the Government to stop allowing the coal seam gas industry to pepper our good food-producing land with gas wells, risk our groundwater and turn our Great Barrier Reef into a coal and gas highway,” she said.

According to the Canberra times QLD protestors placed large anti CSG banners on the peaks of the state’s southern ranges.

A smaller protest was also organised in Western Australia at Reuther Park in Margaret River.

The CSG Industry has repeatedly attempted to allay community fears over its developments.

According to the APPEA’s ‘we want CSG’ campaign the industry will generate money Governments can use to invest in roads, infrastructure, and other services.

It says using CSG to generate electricity instead of coal can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70 per cent.

Australian Mining contacted the group this morning but it declined to comment.

Image: Action on Coal and Gas

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