Vegan billboard diet change for climate change rejected by QR

Animal rights activists wanted a billboard in one of Brisbane’s busiest train stations. Queensland Rail said no. Here’s what happened.

Vegan activists say Queensland Rail rejected their climate change billboard planned for Central Station. Picture: David Clark

A VEGAN climate change billboard has been rejected by Queensland Rail allegedly because it “blames the agriculture industry for climate change”.

Brisbane Animal Save and Animal Liberation Queensland (ALQ) say Queensland Rail (QR) told billboard company goa the reason they could not display their new campaign billboard “Fight Climate Change with Diet Change” on QR property was because QR “were not willing to endorse advertising on Queensland Rail property that blames the agricultural industry for climate change”.

The billboard rejected by Queensland Rail.

A Queensland Rail spokeswoman said with QR advertising assets “exposed to thousands of

customers daily, we aim to avoid any political or sensitive content which may cause offence or upset segments of our customers who may have differing views”.

“As per Queensland Rail’s advertising guidelines, the advertiser must ensure that no advertising material is of a defamatory, political or sensitive in nature. For this reason, Queensland Rail has declined this particular request.”

Commuters at Brisbane’s Central Station were the target audience for a vegan climate change billboard that was rejected by Queensland Rail. Picture AAPimage/David Clark

ALQ Campaign Manager Amanda Holly said the campaign billboard was scheduled to be displayed at Central Station but QR “rejected it at the last minute”.

She said it was concerning the Queensland Government was trying to “stifle public awareness of a major driver of climate change, especially when so many Queenslanders have been affected by the results of the changing climate in recent times”.

“According to Beyond Zero Emissions, 54% of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, and the majority of those emissions are from the farming of livestock,” she said

“In addition to this, a recent study by Joseph Poore at Oxford University found that more than 80% of global farmland is used for livestock, but it produces just 18% of food calories and 37% of protein”.

Ms Holly said the billboard was now in Gipps St, Fortitude Valley and would be relocated to Ipswich and Hendra in the coming weeks.

“It was disappointing when we learnt that Queensland Rail had rejected our artwork. There was nothing that we felt offensive or graphic on the billboard” Ms Holly said.

“If we really want to address climate change, the government needs to stop ignoring the science, stop allowing massive land clearing for the beef industry, and start investing in the rapidly growing plant based protein industry”.

“We know that more and more of the public are now concerned about climate change. The single, most effective way that individuals can reduce their footprint on the planet is to go vegan.”

Ms Holly said the alternative billboard sites offered by goa were not as prominent as the one in Fortitude Valley.

goa CEO Chris Tyquin said ALQ submitted their artwork to goa to obtain approval from QR.

“Landlords are an important part of our business,” Mr Tyquin said.

“In this case the landlord, Queensland Rail, contractually has the right to refuse the appearance of artwork and they exercised that right”.

“goa offered Animal Liberation Queensland the opportunity to promote this message on another billboard inventory but they declined.”

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Originally published as Vegan billboard diet change for climate change rejected by QR