Protesters outside the Nature Positive Summit at the Sydney Convention Centre on October 8 demanded that environment minister Tanya Plibersek take strong action to save natural habitat.
The action was organised by Move Beyond Coal, XR Drummers and Lock the Gate.
Plibersek has just approved the expansion of three new coal mines in NSW, meaning that, under her watch, five coal projects have been approved, as well as eight gas projects.
Gomeroi Traditional Owner Raymond “Bubbly” Weatherall chaired the rally, which included First Nations activists from the Northern Territory, who are campaigning against destructive fracking projects on their land.
“We need to stand in unity for the land and water, no matter what colour you are,” they said.
Jacqui Mumford, from the Nature Conservation Council, told the rally that NSW is a “global hotspot for biodiversity destruction”, adding it was wrong to “keep approving coal mines in a biodiversity crisis”.
GetUp CEO Larissa Baldwin said people kicked out the Coalition because of its failure to protect the climate and biodiversity. “We don't need just a big talkfest such as is going on inside here today: we need real action.”
NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson said people, right now, are standing up against logging of the precious Bulga State Forest and its endangered native species.
Other speakers included Natasha Abhayawickrama, from the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and Nic Clyde from Lock the Gate.
[For more information visit Move Beyond Coal.]