C A M P L I B E R T Y BENTLEY - NSW - AUSTRALIA
victory for the people against fracking
coal seam gas mining
by Maya Poole
Anti –Fracking protestors in the small town of
Bentley NSW, Australia, gathered together earlier
this year. Thousands upon thousands of activists,
farmers, knitting nanas, school children, housewives, hippies, environmentalists, artists and
international travellers packed their bags, camping gear and outdoor woollies, braving the cold
and the unending threat of police arrest, to set up
a “Guardians Camp – Camp Liberty” in the rolling
hills of Bentley. Unified by One cause, to protect
the land and waterways against Coal Seam Gas
Mining.
The Blockade at Camp Liberty was set up in direct
response to the State Government of NSW, Australia, issuing a Fracking Licence to Mining Company Metgasco without proper community consultation. Metgasco Mining Company had been
issued a license to drill and inject a 200m steal
pipe into the land to explore for gas. On the finding of gas, several pipes would have been laid
across hundreds of kilometres of countryside and
neighboring farms and chemical waste pumped
into the earth via the mining company would
have had a massive run off, polluting the pristine
water ways, local farms and public water supplies
nearby.
The 1000’s of protestors holding vigil at Camp Liberty would indicate that we do indeed live in times
where “showing up” to protect the land from
contamination due to mining, in a Non-Violent,
Creative and Co-operative Unified way is possible. Community Consultation is a basic Human
Right, Clean Water is a basic human righ