Coal Free Wide Bay, Burnett and Beyond Inc. invites you to our community gathering in Avondale.

Coal Free WBBB Inc. has invited members of federal, state and local government to appear before our community and answer community concerns in regards to vast exploration for coal and gas in our region.
Given that this is an election year and this issue will be highly focussed upon, our communities wish to know who protects us and how. Given that this exploration covers both Flynn and HInkler divisions, representatives of both divisions are invited.

The issues focussed on at the community gathering will be the 8 key points in Lock the Gate Alliance’s National Campaign, the “Call to Country”.

We are calling for the Federal Government to use its constitutional powers to -
1. Put in place an urgent moratorium on coal seam gas and other unconventional gas mining.
2. Create no-go zones to protect productive agricultural land, national tourism icons and all residential dwellings from coal and gas mining.
3. Strengthen the Federal environment laws to exclude coal and gas mining from important water sources, cultural heritage sites and sensitive environment areas.
4. Put in place national standards on coal and gas pollution and enforce compliance.
5. Stop using taxpayers' money to provide handouts to big coal and gas corporations and make the miners pay their fair share in taxes.
6. Reject current development proposals for coal ports, mega-mines, dams and coal seam gas wells in significant areas.
7. Conduct research into greenhouse gas emissions from mining and make sure they are properly accounted and fully paid for.
8. Hold a Royal Commission to investigate the management of coal and gas resources by all Australian governments.
www.calltocountry.org.au

Guest speakers-
Drew Hutton
President Lock the Gate Alliance
Drew Hutton is veteran social movement campaigner and a founding member of the Queensland and Australian Greens.

Sid Plant
Sid has been both a quiet achiever and major speaker on climate change to Australia’s sometimes sceptical farming audiences over many, many years.
Sid runs a 1200 hectare beef and crop farm in Queensland’s Darling Downs, several hours from Brisbane. A life-long farmer, he’s lived on this property since the 1960s. Sid will be sharing his experience of living with a coal mine.

We look forward to seeing you all there.