KNITTING NANNAS CONFERENCE IN NEWCASTLE

Knitting Nannas against Gas and Greed from around NSW attended the fourth annual Knitting Nanna Conference in Newcastle from 7-9 September. The conference was hosted by the Hunter Loop, Central Coast Loop and the Mid Coast Loop. (“Loop” is the Nanna term for a local group or branch of the movement.)

Included in the program were updates on:

• Lock the Gate's Hunter region transitioning away from coal campaign, 
•  the NSW  Government's changes to forestry regulations which will lead to clearfelling and biodiversity loss in the state's north, 
• the Acland coal mine expansion in Queensland and the threat to Bimblebox further north,
• protest law and the Knitting Nannas in NSW and Lancashire in the UK

These speakers gave the Nannas a great deal to be concerned about.  There is, without doubt, a great deal more for the Nannas to do to ensure that, as their Nannifesto states, they leave "this land better than we found it, for our children, grandchildren and future generations.  They deserve to have a future with a clean and healthy environment, natural beauty and biodiversity."

The conference gave those attending the chance to network with Nannas from other Loops as well as to workshop issues to assist them in their campaigns. In addition the Nannas were able to admire the craft work of some very talented Nannas and to buy items such as jewellery and Christmas decorations which were available for sale.

On Sunday the Nannas left the conference venue for an action at Bar Beach which gave a great opportunity for the display of their many banners and placards as well as the chance to talk with some of the  beach-goers and walkers who were in the area on that sunny, but windy, day. After a picnic lunch the Nannas visited one of the many coal loaders in the Newcastle port area.  Non-Newcastle Nannas were astounded at how much coal there was in immense heaps and how much infrastructure there was for loading the coal onto ships.

Some of the Nannas outside the coal loader