{mining on the Liverpool Plains = sacrilege}

Locking us out - we should lock them up!

The guts of the earth ripped out...

and left spilling all over the place

to leave a big, empty hole...

literally across the other side of the road, what it would
have once looked like - rich, productive, alluvial soils
- will these paddocks be next?

Perhaps from my post yesterday you could get a glimpse into why I love the country so much. It is my home and my escape. There are so many things I love about the country and reasons why I'm passionate about sustainable agriculture - so it was with great sadness and lots of anger that I saw the beautiful countryside being ripped open at it's very heart. I never thought I would see the day that this atrocity would occur on this beautiful, productive land I once called home.

The above photos were taken just a few km's outside the town of Quirindi. It was a property once owned by a friend of my father and had been in his family for generations. The land had provided many families with a livelihood and a place to call home. When they owned this land they abided strict rules and regulations, for example they were not even allowed to chop down a tree without prior permission - now look at what is being done to it. Thousands of trees have been cut down, the house that sat atop the hill was bulldozed and the guts of the earth have been ripped out and spilling over. It is not an individual case - this is only one instance that I saw, but there are many more across the countryside and they are increasing in number as large mining companies buy up more and more land. It is not land that should become mines - it is land that provides us with food to feed our families. It is such a short-term gain that will have long-term effects. Once all this land is ripped apart it will be left barren, no longer able to support crops or sheep and cattle - where will we produce our food then?

While I feel it is a David and Goliath effort to stop this progressing further, I feel somewhat comforted by the fact that I'm not alone. It is a sentiment shared by many others, and was one recently featured in the March issue of Country Style magazine. The story of the Andrews family was one which touched my heartstrings - a family fighting to save their property 'Tarwyn Park' from coal mining explorations. The property, like so many, has been in the family for generations and they have put their heart and soul into developing sustainable agricultural methods to care for the land and the many generations of the family to come. I strongly urge you to read more about their plight and do what you can to spread their story. Read more here: 'Save Tarwyn Park'

My father's property is not safe either, he's chased mining company helicopters off his land and we even saw a 'Spy-in-the-Sky' plane overhead one afternoon when we were out checking on the cattle. They'll be back with their big, fat cheque books but they can whistle. They may be big and they may throw their weight around with their big, fat cheque books - but I HATE bullies and that's what they are. We need to stand up to them and put our foot down, stamp both of them down loud and firm on the earth that belongs to us and the generations of our families to come. 

I strongly encourage you to read more here:
The Greens: Liverpool Plains 'No New Coal'
Caroona Coal Action Group
Landcare NSW

{for clearer images, please click on the picture or right click and open in new window}