Winchester South mega coal mine: Tanya can say no!
Extinction Rebellion Australia, 26 Feb 2024
On February 22 Extinction Rebellion ACT rebels occupied the office of Senator Gallagher and spray-painted the message "more coal = mass murder" outside. This followed a colourful protest that started earlier in the day.
Some of the rebels who occupied Senator Gallagher's office fixed themselves in place with glue, demanding a meeting with the Senator. Outside there were banners, songs, drums with support from XR's friends at Move Beyond Coal Canberra. Police attended the protest.
The protestors are demanding that the Federal Government and Environment Minister Pliberek reject new coal mines, including Whitehaven’s proposed Winchester South coal mine, Australia’s biggest proposed new greenfield coal mine. Whitehaven Coal plans to mine up to 17 million tonnes of coal each year for 28 years, producing 583 million tonnes of CO2e emissions, more than Australia’s total annual emissions in 2022.
Extinction Rebellion ACT spokesperson Margaret Clough, who glued on inside Senator Gallagher’s office, said: "Massive new coal mines are totally incompatible with the strong climate action the Labor government promised us. We are risking arrest today by occupying Katy Gallagher’s office to demand that the Government say no to new coal and gas mines like Whitehaven's mega Winchester South coal mine. In a climate crisis, approving new coal mines is equivalent to mass murder.
"As global warming accelerates to over 1.5°C in the last year, faster than forecast, the evidence is clear, there can be no more fossil fuel projects if we are to have any chance of avoiding the worst climate and ecological disaster. Yet since May 2022, the Federal Environment Minister has approved 4 new coal mines or expansions with 156 million tonnes of lifetime emissions.
"Canberrans elected Labor on the promise of climate action - but they are failing to grasp the existential urgency. We are asking Senator Gallagher and the Government to stand up for a liveable planet."
The Winchester South Coal mine has been approved by the Qld Govt, but Environment MInister Plibersek can still reject it. The Federal government is currently assessing the coal mine’s impacts on water and the planned destruction of habitat for endangered wildlife.