Activists protest government’s extension of three NSW coal mines

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Climate activists have brought a coal train bound for the Port of Newcastle to a halt. They're protesting the federal government's decision to extend three coal mines in New South Wales.

Transcript

00:00I'm here at Sandgate on the outskirts of Newcastle, where dozens of protesters have gathered after

00:08three mine lease extensions were given the green light.

00:12Activists as you can see behind me have climbed onto a coal train, prompting police and rescue

00:16responses.

00:18They say they're frustrated at the federal government's approval for these mine extensions,

00:22two of which are in Musselbrook, not far from here.

00:25They include the Max Energy Mount Pleasant Optimisation Project and the Ashton Coal

00:29Operations Ravensworth Underground Mine, both near Musselbrook.

00:33The third is at Narrabri Underground.

00:36I spoke to a rising tide activist, Bryony Coghlan, about what action they want to see.

00:41These three projects alone will emit three times Australia's current total emissions.

00:47We've got every leading scientist and expert in the world telling us that the only way

00:51to stop these extreme weather events and to make sure that we've got a planet that's safe

00:55for our children is to stop burning fossil fuels and yet here we are with the government

00:59making decisions like this and we're here as a last resort, we're absolutely desperate.

01:04Police are in the process of removing protesters, but what will happen next we'll just have

01:08to wait and see.

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