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Warragul & Baw Baw
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L @WARRAGULCITIZEN Protesters outside the Warragul Commonwealth Bank branch last Friday. Photo: William PJ Kulich
TWICE MONTHLY // FRIDAY 29 MAY 2015
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From Barrier Reef to Baw Baw By William PJ Kulich
IF YOU spotted the flash of a yellow banner in Warragul on Friday or a bright sticker somewhere along Smith Street, chances are you saw the work of 350.org campaigners. Last week a dedicated group of locals took part in the international Raise the Heat campaign protesting against the Commonwealth Bank's potential funding of expansions to the Abbot Point coal terminal in Queensland. The issue may seem far from home but, according to
local group leader Kate Wattchow, the people of Baw Baw are involved much more directly than they might think. "You know, you live in Warragul, you don't think your money is going to damage something on the other side of Australia, but it will," the Trafalgar resident told the Warragul & Baw Baw Citizen. "We've just been having a great time talking to people, getting their thoughts on the issue and getting them thinking of the issue as well." Local protesters staked out the
Commonwealth Bank's Warragul branch with signs and stickers cal ling on the bank to not support the expansion. Ms Wattchow said the bank was the target because of its close involvement in the project. "They've already funded Adani... $700 million for the original Abbot Point coal point, and now Adani wants more money to create this expansion and the Commonwealth Bank has been advising them on this," she said. "They're also the closest to fund ing it, and so that's why this campa
ign’s focussing on the Commonw ealth Bank. "It's one of the largest banks in Australia, and so they could have a great role as a leader in sustainable investment, but at the moment they're failing their customers and they're failing Australia." But what exactly is the proposed project that has provoked this response? Ms Wattchow explained: "The Indian mining company Adani wants to make a coal point expansion on Abbot Point, which would open up the Galilee Basin,
which is a large coal field," she said. "It's a set of mines. Some of them will be huge, some of the biggest mines in Australia." "The emissions from that would be equal to the seventh largest in the world, so that's more than whole countries. "This would obviously be devastating for the reef and the climate. "All of that would be shipped out through the Great Barrier Reef. These coal port expansions, which is what we're
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Council ends Drouin Bellbird Park spur to become Golf Club agreement official Baw Baw parkland THE SECTION 173 agreement on the Drouin Golf Club's land was officially removed by councillors on Wednesday. The agreement was applied to the land in 1989 by the Shire of Buln Buln, which was amalgamated into the Baw Baw Shire Council in the 1990s. It allowed for rural reside ntial housing to be developed on a section of the golf club's property as part of a larger country club develo pment. The full plan was to create a 36
Story continues on Page 4 ► hole course, but only 27 holes were completed before the Drouin Golf and Country Club placed itself under voluntary administration in August of last year. The club now has no intention of ever finishing the project outlined by the Section 173. There has been some conjecture as to whether the agreement was ever legally implemented in the first place. Neither Buln Buln or Baw Baw councils ever registered the agreement with the state
CAMPAIGNERS opposed to the sale of de facto parkland adjacent to Bellbird Park in Drouin are celebra ting after Baw Baw councillors reje cted a motion to sell the land for development on Wednesday. Council officers had recomme nded the land be subdivided and sold as it was considered surplus to need, but Drouin ward councillor Tricia Jones moved an alternative motion calling for the land to not only be retained but zoned as park land.
"We have over the last few moths received emails, letters and phone calls showing why this land is a well used and appreciated area," Cr Jones said on moving her motion. "The parcel of land was bought [by the Shire of Buln Buln] almost 50 years ago. It was bought for enjoyment as well as passive and recreation. "I believe it should be used for enjoyment. "Let's look forward to the future and keep our asset."
The public gallery was packed with over 60 people during the meeting, most of them Save Bellbird Park campaigners. They cheered and applauded as Cr Jones' altern ative was passed with support from Drouin ward councillor Terry Will iamson, Warragul's Gerard Murphy and Mikaela Power and North Ward's David Balfour and Debbie Brown. Warragul's Joe Gauci and Mount Worth's Murray Cook and Peter Kostos voted to sell.
5 2 Drouin CBD speed down: P2 Government reviewing Pakenham commuters: P3