Fighting coal-seam gas

Anti coal-seam gas-mining campaigners Michael and Julie McNamara set off with their caravan yesterday.

Blainey Woodham

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TWEED couple Michael and Julie McNamara are taking their fight against coal-seam gas mining to the rest of New South Wales.

Yesterday they headed off from Murwillumbah in their caravan on a speaking tour of rural and regional areas of the state to promote a national day of action against coal-seam gas mining to be run under the banner of Defend Our Water.

The national day of action against the controversial form of gas mining has been called by the Lock The Gate Alliance following its national annual general meeting in Murwillumbah in June.

It is planned for Sunday, October 16, which is the start of National Water Week.

Mr McNamara said they would be promoting protest rallies to be held sim- ultaneously at noon in every town and community across NSW to coincide with a major Sydney rally under banners such as “Murwillumbah says No” and “Tweed Heads says No”.

Their first community meeting will be today at Bellingen.

Their speaking tour is endorsed and supported by both Lock The Gate Alliance (LGTA) and the local group, Northern Rivers Guardians (NRG).

Mr McNamara is the coal-seam gas campaign co-ordinator for NRG and a member of the management committee of LTGA. Julie is the membership officer for NRG.

“We have been encouraged by the enthusiasm from people in the many communities we are planning to visit,” Mr McNamara said.

The couple plan to set up a blog called Defend Our Water to allow people to follow their journey.

“We plan to visit 50 communities in 60 days.”