Ministers react to anti-Adani crowdfunding campaign
ACTIVISTS MOVE IN: Emerging anti-coal group starts crowdfunding $500,000 to buy a 'safe place' for 'mass civil disobedience'
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IN A change of tack from the anti-Adani movement, an ambitious crowdfunding campaign has kicked off to purchase a plot of land near the Galilee Basin to become a hub for anti-coal activism.
Friends of the Galilee Basin, an emerging Queensland-based group campaigning to stop the Adani coal mine has launched a public crowdfunding appeal for $500,000 to purchase a base to be used for the campaign.
Friends of Galilee spokesperson Ruby Thorburn believed the nation was facing a climate emergency and action of this nature was crucial.
"This movement is just one step in what will inevitably be the most telling period in human history - the clock is ticking and we are running out of time."
Former Greens leader Bob Brown visited the campaign centre at Binbee site, about 25km north of Collinsville on the weekend.
Dr Brown pledged his support to the plight of FOG and described the move as the "next round" in the stop Adani campaign .
"The folk working there are the salt of the nation," he said.
"With governments having caved in for Gautam Adani's mine, it's heartening to see people preparing the next round of opposition in our age of climate emergency.
"Their centre for campaign excellence needs financial backing and the crowd-funder is a good way of letting responsible Australians come to its aid."
The crowdfunding page described the site as "an entirely volunteer run, non-funded community for frontline activists who have given up their lives to protect our only planet."
Its aims are to provide a safe place for a camp to train activists and plan protests.
The group claimed activist activity had played an integral part in the delayed and reduction of the size of the Adani Carmichael mine.
The crowdfunding page also said members were "prepared to put their bodies on the line and fight for our future."
In the closing statement of the crowdfunding pitch, the group wrote "mass civil disobedience is our last position to stop Adani in one of the biggest environmental battles in Australian history."
Earlier this year, the Stop Adani Convoy led by Dr Brown passed through Clermont and were met with fierce opposition from local coal workers.
The announcement also follows a spate of public activism displays, including a pair last month who glued themselves to a busy Brisbane street in defiance of the Adani project.
Capricornia MP Michelle Landry said the group of activists should be free to raise money.
"What I won't stand for though, is the lawless behaviour exhibited so often by these activists," she said.
"If they think they are going to find it easier to trespass or breach the peace in Central Queensland they have another thing coming."
"I don't expect - and nor should they - local communities that rely on mining and agriculture to put bread on the table to welcome these mobs with open arms.
"With a bit of luck, some may even be converted to understand and respect those who dig up and grow the wealth of our great nation."
Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matt Canavan said last time Bob Brown came to Central Queensland, we got a mine.
"So I'm actually considering donating myself to their campaign to come up again and get some more projects going," he said.
"We've got some dams to build, some coal fired power stations to build as well.
"But more seriously, what these guys are about is that because they couldn't win an argument, they're now seeking to run a protest and stop the mine through effectively violent action, to stop people going about their business.
"We've had an election. The people have spoken.
"I support democracy and the people of Central Queensland and Australia have voted to get projects like Adani going. So we should respect the will of the people, get these jobs going for our region."
He said what he would like to see is the State Government crackdown on law-breaking activists with the full force of the law.
According to an Adani spokesperson, "everyone is entitled to their own opinion".
"We encourage people to base their opinion on the facts, and to conduct any protest activity legally."
The Morning Bulletin understands activists currently co-ordinate activities from Binbee and Camp Nudja.
Originally published as Ministers react to anti-Adani crowdfunding campaign
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