Dunoon joins CSG-free movement
The community of Dunoon is the latest to join the CSG-free roads movement with 98.5% of the 341 residents surveyed declaring they don't want coal seam gas mining in or around the village.
On Sunday afternoon 100 or so people braved the rain to march from the Dunoon Hall to the Sports Club chanting "Dunoon says no CSG" while kids from the school's wacky band belted out a tune.
Mayor Jenny Dowell was there to accept the road declarations as she has done for other communities including The Channon/Keerrong, Modanville, Goolmangar/Coffee Camp, Nimbin, Jiggi and North Lismore. Several other Northern Rivers communities are in the process of conducting house-to-house surveys to show the level of support for the CSG-free campaign.
"My office is not very big and these road declarations are starting to take up a lot of space now," Cr Dowell said with a smile.
Fellow Lismore councillor Simon Clough was also there and he told the crowd the action of declaring a road CSG-free was more than symbolic.
"It represents the community and it is the most powerful thing we have... It lets mining companies know we are withdrawing their social licence."
He said of all the surveys that had taken place across the region so far, 96.8% of people questioned have said they don't want coal seam gas mining in the region.
For an opinion on the social and political significance of the CSG-free declarations, see On Your High Horse on page 30.
Rock Valley rocks against CSG
The community of Rock Valley will be the next to declare itself CSG free. There will be a family fun day at the Rock Valley Hall this Saturday, June 16, from 10.30am. There will be music from Suavemente, Vic Florrey & The Pepper Boys and Karisha Dalu. There will also be kids' activities, a barbecue and cake stall, before Mayor Dowell receives the road declarations at midday.
