From Christmas Day to New Year I was at the Woodford Folk Festival, listening to some of Australia's best musicians and comics, in between experiencing something of the deluge that is still inundating Queensland.
Amid the torrents of culture and rain, I managed to attend some excellent talks and discussions in the Greenhouse, including an eerily familiar account of the Queensland experience of coal seam gas exploration and mining, from Drew Hutton (prominent member of the Queensland Greens).
Their experience seems very similar to ours: little government regulation, scant and secretive assessment and approval processes, and a huge propaganda campaign by industry and government in support of coal seam gas), except that they don't have the marine version of the problem - yet.
Affected Queensland communities are on the verge of direct action via a "Lock the Gate" campaign against the gas exploration and mining companies.
Stay posted.
