Climate activists have brought a coal train bound for the Port of Newcastle to a halt. They're protesting the federal government's decision to extend three coal mines in New South Wales.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00I'm here at Sandgate on the outskirts of Newcastle, where dozens of protesters have gathered after
00:08three mine lease extensions were given the green light.
00:12Activists as you can see behind me have climbed onto a coal train, prompting police and rescue
00:16responses.
00:18They say they're frustrated at the federal government's approval for these mine extensions,
00:22two of which are in Musselbrook, not far from here.
00:25They include the Max Energy Mount Pleasant Optimisation Project and the Ashton Coal
00:29Operations Ravensworth Underground Mine, both near Musselbrook.
00:33The third is at Narrabri Underground.
00:36I spoke to a rising tide activist, Bryony Coghlan, about what action they want to see.
00:41These three projects alone will emit three times Australia's current total emissions.
00:47We've got every leading scientist and expert in the world telling us that the only way
00:51to stop these extreme weather events and to make sure that we've got a planet that's safe
00:55for our children is to stop burning fossil fuels and yet here we are with the government
00:59making decisions like this and we're here as a last resort, we're absolutely desperate.
01:04Police are in the process of removing protesters, but what will happen next we'll just have
01:08to wait and see.