Effective community organising - Lock the Gate style!!

Workshop- 6pm, Wednesday the 19th of November@ Bulimba Bowls Club

Lock the Gate's community strategy is acknowledged as one of the most effective movement building strategies in the Australian environmental movement, we would like to share our experience and strategies with you.. our valued membership, volunteers and local groups.

LTG's Community Engagement Coordinator, Annie Kia will be in Brisbane next Wednesday evening, the 19th of November to facilitate a free movement building workshop for those of you who would like to get more involved in Lock the Gate and our numerous campaigns in Southern Queensland.

Don't miss this opportunity to meet and work with some of our most experienced campaigners.

Please contact me to hear more about this important event.

Good Campaigning!

Michael Kane
Clean Air Queensland
Community Organiser
0438 766 2300438 766 230
[email protected]

See The ABC TV interview here.

The Port of Brisbane has banned a security guard for displaying an anti-coal industry sign in her car.

Kym Garrick's employer Corporate Protection Australia Group fired her from her job at the port earlier this month, telling her it was because she displayed a sign that read "Coal Dust Free Brisbane".

Ms Garrick said she was warned about the sign by staff at the Port of Brisbane and initially removed it, then changed her mind and put it back.

"I felt angry, frustrated and belittled. Also, this is a democracy and I wanted to have my say on something that I truly believe should happen," she said.

The security guard has now been banned from all five of the Port of Brisbane's sites. "I was ruffling their feathers with the sign in my car. Because of that, it's got nothing to do with my performance as a worker, I'm now unemployed".

Kym Garrick

It's official: air pollution at Jondaryan is regularly exceeding national and international health standards including total suspended particles (fine suspended dust or TSP) and small particulates (PM10).  Both these measures prove serious ongoing pollution arising from the huge New Hope Coal stockpile next to the railway line, at levels known to be injurious to health.

Clean Air Queensland, Griffith by election candidate survey results.

Broad political support for a coal dust free Brisbane.

Media Release 4.2.2014.

Clean Air Queensland have released the result s of a candidate survey which asked candidates running in the Griffith by-election their views on mitigating the health impacts of coal dust in residential communities.

In Queensland coal train wagons and coal stockpiles do not have to be covered when near or passing through residential communities.  More than 9 million tonnes of uncovered coal is currently transported in open train wagons through Toowoomba, Ipswich &  21 Brisbane suburbs including suburbs in the electorate of Griffith.

Clean Air Queensland community organiser Michael Kane expressed his appreciation of the positive responses from both major parties and the majority of minority parties on the coal dust issue.

Of the 11 candidates running in the Griffith By-election seven candidates responded to the survey with all seven candidates supporting covering coal trains and best practice dust mitigation policies.

Candidates from Labor, LNP, Greens, Katter’s Australian Party, Secular Party, Stable Population and The Pirate Party all responded positively to the 4 policy positions posed by the candidate survey.

Candidates were asked if they agreed with putting lids on coal wagons, best practice dust mitigation for mines and stockpiles, health impacts studies before approval or expansion of new coal mines and a limit on the number of coal trains passing through residential areas.

All of the responding political parties agreed with the 4 policy positions without exception.

Mr Kane said that removing the health risk of coal dust in residential areas had broad political and community support and though some candidates gave more detailed responses than others all of the candidates who responded were concerned about the health impacts of coal dust on the community.

Mr Kane said that coal dust is a carcinogen and can cause heart and respiratory diseases. Best practice dust mitigation for trains, mines and stockpiles will help to ensure that people are safe from what is often an invisible pollution.

“It’s time we stopped talking about this issue and got the job  done, governments have been aware of the health  impacts of coal dust for a long time”. Said Mr Kane..

Mr Kane said there were multiple health concerns in SE Queensland from coal dust pollution including the uncovered coal stockpile next to  Jondaryan and the Port of Brisbane  and uncovered coal wagons travelling through Jondaryan, Toowoomba, Ipswich and 21 suburbs of Brisbane.

For more information please contact.
Michael Kane
Clean Air Queensland
Community Organiser
0438 766 230
[email protected]
www.cleanairqueensland.org
https://www.facebook.com/cleanairqld      

Clean Air Queensland, an alliance of community groups, today announced the results of their community air quality monitoring study at the Jondaryan stockpile, to coincide with a feature report on the national program The Project.

Using industry-standard air quality monitoring equipment, members of Clean Air Queensland monitored particle pollution levels beside the coal stockpile. The equipment measures respirable particles of ten microns in diameter (PM₁₀). With expert assistance to deploy the monitoring equipment and analyse the data, Clean Air Queensland is today launching their report ‘Off the Scale: Peak pollution events at the Jondaryan coal stockpile’.

The report reveals that PM₁₀ pollution levels in the area, just 550 metres from the nearest home in Jondaryan, peak at over 6000 micrograms per cubic metre. This is compared to the national standard of 50 micrograms per cubic metre over a 24 hour average

Tomorrow Clean Air Queensland will be launching their campaign for a Coal Dust Free Brisbane, with a public forum in Yeronga on the health impacts of coal dust.

Paediatric doctor Dr Merryn Redenbach will be speaking at the forum, along with Oakey landholder Peter Faulkner. Parents Marnie and Kerry will be attending to show their support and voice concern about their children’s health.

“The impacts of air pollution on health are documented by a huge body of international evidence.  Children are particularly vulnerable because their lungs are still developing and they breathe more air relative to their body size than adults,” said Dr Redenbach.

A new alliance of community groups today announced plans tackle the issue of particulate pollution along the West Moreton coal train line.

Clean Air Queensland, a community alliance of groups and individuals including the Lock the Gate Alliance, Friends of the Earth, Rosewood District Protection Organisation, Oakey Coal Action Alliance, and Parents Against Coal Dust has formed as a result of community concern on the health impacts of coal dust.