Sutton Forest - Southern Highlands Coal Action Group - Sunday 21 August

We turned on to the road into Sutton Forest (on our way to meet with the local area co-ordinators of the Southern Highlands Coal Action Group) to be greeted by this sign on many many fences. It was great!

We love the sign - and when we come back to the Southern Highlands to do community meetings in a few weeks we are determined to get one to take home.

We had been invited to speak to the local co-ordinators at a planned get together centred around a BBQ lunch.

Peter and Kim Martin, on whose property the get together was held, have planted something over 7,000 trees since they moved there several years ago.

We drove back to Sydney via Moss Vale, Bowral and Mittagong - all very lovely.

Those present were very "up to speed" with the general issues and concerns about CSG mining.

They also reinforced the message we have been hearing in many other communities recently about the impacts of coal mining as well as CSG.

Proposals in the Southern Highlands, and in other areas, for long wall coal mining will have a devastating impact on water aquifers and must be part of the focus of Lock The Gate Alliance.

We are looking forward to getting back to the Southern Highlands in about 3 weeks for a series of community meetings.

We have a welcome couple of days off now and hope to get some minor repairs done on the caravan. We are also working to organise some meetings in Wetsern Sydney for later in the week. Then we head off to Big Sky Country out around Coonamble, Walgett, Moree.

Cheers
Michael & Julie