A NEW Border action group is bringing home the message of environmental threats on the Great Barrier Reef.
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Stop Adani Albury-Wodonga will host its first public forum in Wodonga on Wednesday to raise awareness about the proposed Adani Carmichael mega mine in Queensland.
Stop Adani Albury-Wodonga spokeswoman Tracey Esler said the group was worried about the detrimental impacts of Adani’s coal mine on the reef, climate and the future.
“The Great Barrier Reef is already in danger and making climate change worse is what’s killing the reef,” she said.
“It’s disastrous for the Great Barrier Reef and Great Artesian Basin; it’s bad on all fronts.”
Stop Adani Albury-Wodonga will start the forum with a 30-minute documentary, Guarding the Galilee, about the battle to stop Adani’s Carmichael mine project.
The coal mine would be the biggest in the southern hemisphere including six open cut pits and five underground mines.
About 30 kilometres long, the mine would be seven times the size of Sydney Harbour.
A former accountant, Mrs Esler said she had long been concerned about climate change.
“My first grandchild is due in August and I’m motivated to do anything I can to prevent a climate catastrophe,” Mrs Esler said.
“One day my grandchild will say ‘Nan, how did you let this happen?’ and I want to be able to say I did everything I possibly could to prevent it.”
Albury’s Kay Bennett said Adani had a track record of environmental vandalism.
“At least 12 major international banks have refused to fund their Queensland project,” she said.
“The mine will become a stranded asset due to falling global coal demand. Yet our federal government is offering Adani a $1 billion taxpayer funded loan. It beggars belief.”
Border environmentalist Lizette Salmon said Adani was pushing the case for jobs.
“While Adani creates 1464 jobs, the Great Barrier Reef employs 65,000 in tourism jobs,” she said.
The film will be followed by talks from solar renewables expert Bobbi McKibbin, 350.org’s media and communications coordinator Cam Klose and Ms Salmon and an audience Q and A.
Stop Adani Albury-Wodonga and Wodonga Albury Towards Climate Health invited federal MPs Sussan Ley and Cathy McGowan to the film night.
The event will be held at Hothouse Theatre on the Lincoln Causeway from 7pm.
Entry is free but tickets must be booked via eventbrite.com.au.