Up to a few decades ago, many people in the world took the environment for granted. Forests, rivers, mines, the sea or the atmosphere, seemed to be infinite or at least too big to notice any impact due to human activities. This perception started to change in the second half of the twenty century, forests were despairingly, deserts were increasing, petroleum reserves will meet demand for just a few more decades, water is becoming a scarce commodity in many parts of the world and the climate is changing all over the world.

The deterioration of the environment is probably acknowledged by most people in the world and there has been considerable work in trying to reduce environmental problems. Massive reforestation programs are in place in many countries, ozone destroying chemicals are being replaced, cleaner productions methods have been implemented in many industries and many countries have environmental education courses in their schools. As important as all these progams might be, they are usually oriented to deal with the environmental damages, that is with the consequence. They are what we might call: impact reduction strategies; but very often they overlook the causes and if we do not deal with the causes, the consequence are always going to be coming.

How can we stop climate change or mining pollution impacts, if the world economic system, accepted by all countries in the world, promotes the consumption of oil and minerals, particularly now with all the global agreements in trade and investment? What must be clearly understood is that the deterioration of the environment is the logical consequence of the economic system whose main objective is to generate and increase wealth for those who already have wealth. What is known as globalisation is a world wide movement oriented to maximise profits for the large transnational corporations, at the expense of the rest of society and the environment.

This state of affairs is what justifies and generates the need for environmental activism. The environmental struggle is not just a movement for restoration activities, it is mainly and foremost a movement to remove the causes of environmental deterioration. To see an organisation like Friends of the Earth Australia, engaged for 30 years in the struggle to remove the causes of environmental deterioration, generates hope for the world environmental movement and knowing that FoE Australia is a member of our network Friends of the Earth International is also a cause for pride for all of us. Congratulations FoE Australia, keep up the good work.

Ricardo Navarro Chair Friends of the Earth International It seemed like a simple idea: to produce a book on FoE Australia to mark our 30th anniversary. But the more we dug for information, the more the story evolved. There is an incredible depth to the campaigns and people that have been FoE over these last three decades. This publication provides just the most basic of summaries of some of the campaigns and projects of FoE in Australia: there are many people, key campaigns and victories, and entire local groups missing. This is partly due to what was in the ‘historical record’, but mostly due to space constraints. We had a minimal budget for this project, which greatly influenced the overall size of the book. For the many errors, mis-spellings and omissions, I apologise: please send feedback, and we will endeavour to include your information in the second edition of this book.

Churning through old Chain Reactions, newsletters, endless files in various offices and talking with both old timers and newcomers has re-enforced yet again my immense respect for FoE, as a network and an organisation, and strengthened my commitment to this unique and remarkable entity. I need to pass on special thanks to Dave Sweeney for his help in this project and Natalie Lowrey and Valentina la Piana, who stepped in and took on design and negotiations with printers, in between all their other work at FoE.

Thanks to everyone who’s been there over the years: its been an honour to work with you. Here’s to another couple of decades of good work and even better outcomes!

Thanks to Anthony Amis, Peter Barker, Barry Brown, Roz Byass, John Englart, Geoff Evans, Ann Ferguson, Eva Haarburger, John Hallam, Adrian Hann, Dimity Hawkins, John Hepburn, David Hughes, Len Kanaar, Cathryn Kriewaldt, Sarojini Krishnapillai, Stephanie Long, Ila Marks, Linda Marks, Kathleen McCann, Christy Mannon, Eric Miller, Loretta O’Brien, Ricardo Navarro, Roman Orszanski, Jane Rogers, Domenica Settle, Rowena Shakes, Kim Stewart, Dave Sweeney, Lee Tan, Gillian Walker and Elizabeth Wheeler.

Thankyou to David Pope (Heinrich Heinz) for permission to reuse some of his cartoons that appeared previously in Chain Reaction magazine. David has some great books of political cartoons: see http://www.scratch.com.au/ for details

Many thanks to Valentina la Piana for scanning above and beyond the call of duty and taking on production management, and to Elizabeth Wheeler for last minute, and massive, proof-reading.

FoE 30 Years IV ‘We do not forget, we remember. We do not stop, we continue. We dream and we struggle, we will not become tired’ -Friends of the Earth Costa Rica

This is dedicated to three friends we have lost in the struggle: Maria del Mar Cordero, Oscar Fallas and Jaime Bustamante, murdered in December 1994 for their activism. And to their comrades in Friends of the Earth Costa Rica, for their courage after this terrible act; they never wavered in their path or their work in spite of considerable ongoing risk to themselves.

Cam Walker National Liason Officer Friends of the Earth Australia [email protected]

READERS ARE WARNED THAT THIS BOOK CONTAINS IMAGES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DECEASED

FoE 30 Years V The optimism, courage and FoE’s national magazine, has creativity noted by Chain Reaction been published over most of FoE’s in 1986 have been features of lifetime. Some of its rich history FoE’s thirty year history. Whilst is also explored herein. As an these are now organisational organisation, FoE’s structures and qualities, they have evolved from processes have evolved greatly the contributions of thousands over thirty years, and some of of individuals across Australia, in these are described in the section widely varied political, social and ‘FoE Australia structure, decision- ecological contexts. This book is making and management’. As a a tribute to those people, and a national body of an international reminder of all that is possible and organisation, FoE has a broader positive as we seek environmental structural context, so the final justice and more sustainable and chapter looks at FoE International, equitable global social systems. and some of the significant international victories that FoEA is The book begins with an proud to be associated with. overview of some of FoE’s core philosophies and approaches, and For thirty years, FoE members then highlights some of its main and groups in Australia have campaigns and achievements been thinking globally, acting in the context of wider political, locally and working creatively for social and economic issues. Local environmental and social justice. groups have been the mainstay of FoE’s thirty years, and some of these groups are discussed in some depth. Chain Reaction, ...... o 0Yas 1 FoE 30Years developed andheldfirm to sustainable andequitablesocialsystems that recognisedtheneedtomove itselfasaradicalecologygroup identified From itscreation,FoEin Australia guide ourworktoday. based activismandcontinueto for FoE’s grass roots community have providedthefoundations few (notably government). These of manyandthefrustrationa approaches, totheendearment some corephilosophiesand In anarticlefrom simply lobbyingexistinggovernments. effort onachievingthischange ratherthan beginnings, FoEplacedconsiderable the longterm. This meant thatfromits to beableprotecttheenvironmentin Occupying federal government offices in Occupying federalgovernmentoffices chipping licenses,late 1994 Melbourne, afterthe announcementofnewwood Over thirtyyears,FoEhas o 0Yas 2 FoE 30Years Chain Reaction #24, -

...... 1981 EnvironmentandtheEconomy, movement: their visionofFoEanditsplaceinthe Anne CarsonandMarkCarteroutlined To recognisesexismbyadopting These include: principals whichguideouractivities. the Earthiscommittedtoasetof To achievetheends,Friendsof people. and recognitionoftherightsall distribution ofresourcesandpower society basedontheequitable if wearetoachieveasustainable change. Suchactionisessential catalysts foreconomicandsocial resistance andactionarenecessary FoE recognisesthatorganised the environment. inextricable linkbetweenpeopleand the recognitionthatthereisan equitably distributed.Itinvolves renewable resourceswhichare involves arelianceontheuseof is asustainablesociety. This The alternative we seek to implement campaign work. is reflectedinourresearchand of environmentalissueswhich FoE hasdevelopedabroadanalysis fight them. take ontheissues andhowtheywill campaigns, whatpositionsthey will can establishappropriatelocal groups sothattheythemselves To encourage theautonomyoflocal work toinfluence allpoliticalparties. particular politicalpartyandcan will notbeidentifiable withany To remainnon-partisansothatwe decision-making nature. these positionsincludethoseofa are filledbywomenand,further, that guarantees atleast55%ofpositions a positiveemploymentpolicythat of anessential portfolio(inthisinstance the blackmailinherent inlinkingfunding privatisation of Telstra andspokeouton 1996, FoEranacampaignopposing the of theHowardCoalitiongovernment in groups. Forexample,following theelection campaigns nottakenupbyother green have oftenmeantthatithasadopted strong FoE hasalwaysbeenwellknownforits environmental costsofeconomicactivity. profits whileexternalisingthesocialand environmental protection,andinternalises working peopleagainstthosefor and politicalsystemscontinuetoset first centuryasthedominanteconomic become imperativeintheearlytwenty- FoE believesthatthisunderstandinghas on, aswellthewaysitworks. reflect thetypesofissuesthatFoEworks political orientation. These terminologies ‘environmental justice’ todefineFoE’s adopted theterms‘socialecology’ and and thewidernationalnetworkhave broad world-view. Someotherlocalgroups context” todescribeitsworkandFoE’s in theirsocial,politicalandhumanrights “campaigning onenvironmentalissues Today, FoESydneyusesthephrase than justshorttermcampaigngoals. sought profoundchangeinsocietyrather Against NuclearPower’ in apaperfrom1984entitled,‘ outlined byactivistsfromFoECanberra An evenmoreradicalperspectivewas the need for a strategy which specifically the needforastrategywhichspecifically “The goalofstoppinguraniummining sound technologies.” reliance basedonenvironmentally groups, andbringingaboutself political powerintosmaller, local decentralising thedistributionof making ratherthanelitecontrol, include massparticipationindecision for ananti-nuclearmovementmust of labour…thebroaderobjectives capitalism, patriarchyandthedivision basic structuralchangeinthestate, must becloselylinkedtothegoalof political perspectives. These whichdescribed A Strategy

...... mainstream. Forinstance,FoEbegan and actingonissuesbeforetheybecome edge ofemergingthemes;oftenidentifying FoE hasmanagedtoremainonthecutting standing federalfundingshortlyafterthis. a publicasset(Telstra). FoEA lostitslong the environment)withpartialsaleof Indigenous communities over the last three FoE hasworked closelywithmany human inducedclimatechange. forced toleavetheirhomesbecause of refugees, thosepeoplewhoare being the needfor Australia torecogniseclimate recent years,ithasstartedto lobbyfor forces oftheUSA andBritain.Inmore of depleteduraniumweaponsbytheallied highlighted thedangersposedbyuse During theBalkanswarof1995,FoE of nativeforestlogging. for plantationsasasolutiontotheproblem green groupswereuncriticallyadvocating plantations atatimewhenmostother impacts ofherbicideuseintimber working onthehealthandecological catchment, StrezleckiRanges,Victoria Old growthBlueGumgrowinginFlynnsCreek o 0Yas 3 FoE 30Years reality not always without internal conflict. reality notalwayswithoutinternalconflict. important foundationforFoE’s politics,a prominent inFoE’s politicalagenda Women’s EnvironmentEducationCentre. ‘Ecofeminist Actions’ producedbythe (WEF) inMelbourneSeptember2000. meeting oftheWorld Economic Forum ordinate themassiveprotestsagainst in theS11 alliance,whichhelpedco- Australia in1982totakingacrucialrole establish theCoalitionforaNuclearFree throughout itshistory–fromhelpingto Alliance-based politics supported people. Internationally, FoEhasalso Kerrup Jmara,KokathaandKungka Tjuta relationships withMirrar, Yorta Yorta, strengthening itsalreadystrongworking decades. In Australia, FoEiscommittedto set upalow-energy advisoryservice, and projects.In theearly1980s,FoEM FoE hasoftenruninnovative programs use ofdirectactionandcivildisobedience. shareholder activism,research andthe strategic alliances,consumer and policy makers,communityeducation, indirect lobbyingofpoliticiansandother the environmentmovement–directand FoE usesthe in North America. of thefeministorientatedpeacemovement Federation. These modelswereaproduct subsequently adoptedbythenational making structures,andthismodelwas groups beganusingconsensusdecision mine inSouth Australia, anumberofFoE WMC ResourcesOlympicDamuranium In themid1980s,followingblockadesat magazine 1990s andforatime influential inthelate1980sandearly Ecofeminist thoughtwasespecially Feminist thought trade unionallianceinMelbourne1998. to helpestablishEarthworker, agreen- philosophy, asevidencedinFoE’s efforts trade unionsisalsoahallmarkofFoE’s Maintaining goodworkingrelationswith Pacific, Latin America andelsewhere. o 0Yas 4 FoE 30Years

contained aninsertcalled Indigenous struggles spectrumoftactics has alsobeenan Chain Reaction havebeen inthe of

...... Lucas HeightsreactorinSydneytothe radioactive wastewouldtravelfromthe systematically workedtheinlandroutethat Freeways Project(NFW),whichhas and in1999,instigatedtheNuclear public’s opinionsonthenuclearindustry suburban shoppingcentrestogaugethe program in1997bysettingupbooths 15 years,institutedacommunityballot of thenuclearindustryinSA forwellover buildings. FoEhasrun‘exposuretours’ efficient appliancestosolardesignfornew face adviceoneverythingfromenergy providing overthephoneandfaceto in partisanelectoral politics,althoughit products. This meansitdoesnotengage FoE doesnotendorse people,partiesor Under itsinternationalmission statement, ‘Reverse Garbage’ in Brisbane. café andbookshopinMelbourne and These includeafoodco-operative, organic community ownedsustainable business. funds andmodelpracticalexamplesof businesses andotherventurestoraise A numberofFoElocalgroupsoperate threats posedbythistransport. unions andthebroadercommunityto Councils, emergencyservices,farmers, The NFWprojecthasalertedlocalShire proposed radioactivewastefacilityinSA. Nation, Western Victoria adviser toFoEMelbourne,KerrupJmara Aunty Betty–ElizabethKing,ruplongtime tradition ofworking on‘smoggy’ or ‘brown’ However, FoEin Australia alsohasalong maintained aninterestinthis issue. 1990s, whenfewothergreen groups the leanyearsoflate1980s andearly nuclear cyclesinceitsinception, including campaigned againstallaspects ofthe long-standing workonuranium. Ithas FoE isperhapsbestknownforits at 60:40. setting a ratio of women employees to men employment policyintheearly1980s, FoEM adoptedanaffirmativeaction as aresultoflobbyingbyLinnellSecomb, employment intheorganisation.Largely speaking backgroundstoapplyforpaid people andfromnonEnglish has apolicyofencouragingindigenous ongoing reviewsofgenderissues.Italso committed toaddressinggenderthrough policies intheirconstitutions.FoEA is many ofthelocalgroupshavesimilar FoEA hasproactivegenderpolicies,and members ofmostgroupsarewomen. basis, andalargeproportionoftheactive FoEA’s work is mostlydoneonavoluntary such organisations. philosophies thathelpwiththerunningof pressure groups,andoffers guidelinesand support structureisaccessibletosmaller to localissuesandproblems.FoE’s local peoplewillknowbesthowtorespond and themodelisbasedonideathat considerable diversitybetweenthegroups style ofcampaigning. This meansthereis own structure,fundraising,campaignsand local groups,witheachresponsibleforits The bulkofFoE’s workis undertakenby of aseparateGreensparty. they sawwastoadvocateforthecreation bashing isunacceptable.” The solution are ourbestpragmaticoption,theirunion in the short term the “Australian Democrats south easternMelbournestatedthatwhile broader internaldebate,FoEOakleighin a party branches.In1986,reflecting involved inthecreationoflocalGreen individuals andsomelocalgroupswere independent ofpoliticalparties,manykey parties asitneedsto.WhileFoEremains works withandlobbiesvariouspolitical

...... the ‘Ride Against Uranium’ (from structures. Someofthesehaveincluded under manynamesandorganisational of activistshaveworkedfromthere over theyearsandliterallythousands Many groupshavegrownoutofFoE and internationalissues. engagement with a range of local, national, plantations andon-goingcollaboration and climaterefugees,forests agriculture, corporations,population climate justice,foodandsustainable include civilandmilitarynuclearissues, first century, ourkeyprioritiescontinueto campaign priorities.Intheearlytwenty- Federation andexternalfactorsinfluenced the years,asindividualsjoinedorleft Issues havechangedandevolvedover incinerators, urbantransportandenergy. waste minimisation,hightemperature issues, includinghazardouschemicals, communities and workersrights. environmental destruction andabusesof alternative reports oncompanies,outlining large resourcecorporationsand producing Responsibility, attending the AGMs of in establishingShareholdersfor Social or offices.FoEwasalsoinstrumental FoE initiativesorbasedin groups All ofthesediversegroupswere originally Institute. advocacy groupsincludingtheNSWBike various earlyformsoftransportandbike Fund for Animals, ProjectJonah,and (MAUM), the Antarctica campaign,the the Movement Against UraniumMining Melbourne toCanberrainthelate1970s), Anti-Nuclear, rallyinMelbourne,mid1980s. o 0Yas 5 FoE 30Years magazine, grewoutofFoE’s campaigns of the reason FoE has a lower profile than of thereasonFoE hasalowerprofile just shortterm political outcomes,ispart seeks longterm socialchangeratherthan campaigns. This, andthefactthatFoE own groupsthroughindividually ‘badged’ to gainprestigeandrecognition fortheir to workinalliancesratherthan seeking environmental andsocialjustice groups perspective andseestheneed for - ittendstoworkfroma‘movement’ elementofFoE’ssignificant philosophy recognition forthiswork. This isa necessarily seekingorgainingwidespread resources intolocalcampaignswithout meant thatithasinvestedextensive running itsowncampaigns. This has community groupsratherthansimply supporting localenvironmentaland FoE hasalwayshadatraditionof side ofalternatetechnology. was aneedforinformationonthepractical when agroupofpeopledecidedthatthere (ATA), whichnowproduces The Alternative Technology Association much ofthelatershareholderactivism. This groupactedasaninspirationfor o 0Yas 6 FoE 30Years ReNew

...... In recentyears,FoEA hasbecome national representationandlobbying number ofnationallevelactivitiesincluding the localgroupsFoEhasalwayshada In additiontotheworkcarriedoutby Australia. continuity ofenvironmentalactivismin FoE playssuchanimportantroleinthe groups. Itisalsopartofthereasonthat many oftheothernationalenvironmental countries attend. representatives frommorethan30 time inNovember1998,which saw annual meetingin Australia forthefirst programs. IthostedtheFoEInternational of theinternationalcampaigns and meetings. FoEA isactiveinanumber attendance atinternationalforums and sharing theserolesandrotating with DomenicaSettleandCamWalker elected toFoEI’s ExecutiveCommittee, International Federation.FoEA hasbeen considerably moreactiveinthe Reaction positions, thenationalmagazine andnationalcampaigns. Chain

others intheUSA in1969,afterDavid originally setupbyDavidBrowerand The FoEgroupworldwidewas their times. around theworld,wereproductsof were formingacross Australia and broad socialmovementsthat early organisations,basedinthe established inMelbourne.These Action. Inearly1973,FoEwas grew outofagroupcalledSocial number oforganisationsthat in Adelaide in1972,oneofa (FoE) groupin Australia formed Thefirst FriendsoftheEarth that weredescribed in1976byFoE slightly olderenvironmental organisations FoE’s origins contrastedsomeofthe environmental action,tookoff likewildfire. on theconceptofradicalgrassroots Against thissocialbackdrop, FoE, based prominent anddynamic. and gayliberationmovements were of enormousgatheringsandthewomen’s lifestyle counterculturehadheldanumber environmental concerns. The alternate national positiononarangeofsocialand the roleoftradeunionsasittookaleading Jack Mundeywasprofoundlychanging Federation (BLF)undertheleadershipof militant andtheNSWBuildersLabourers movement wasbecomingincreasingly awareness ofecology, thelandrights the 1970s. There wasagrowingpublic by similarmovementselsewherein across Australia thathadbeeninfluenced of thesocialtransformationhappening FoE wasestablishedintheearlystages formed inanumberofcountries. clearly atimelyoneandgroupsquickly contemporary issuesinnewwayswas of anenvironmentalnetworkworkingon strong focusonsocialissues. The idea international initsperspectiveandhada Thus, fromitsbeginning,FoEwas issues orworkattheinternationallevel. organisation wouldnottacklenuclear orientated group)frustratedthatthe and mainstreamnature-conservation resigned fromtheSierraClub(alarge o 0Yas 8 FoE 30Years

...... tradition. firmly basedinabroad,progressive,left some internaldisagreements,FoEwas was diversityofopinionandpolitics ideology wouldberepressive.” a uniformstructureorcommitmenttoan required equallyvariedmethodsandthat argued thatFoE’s manyvaried campaigns attempts atcollectivismweremade.Some authoritarian structure,whileinothers Some campaignswererunonaliberal- to mebesomewhatfragmented. magazine in1982, Jones latercommentedin the networkwerediverse. As Margaret and politicalopinionsstyleswithin broader socialmovementsoftheday, inception, itwasverymuchapartofthe wave’ environmentalism.Fromits FoE isaprominentexampleof‘second national environmentgroups. hierarchical structuresofmanyother it offered analternativetotheoften structure ofFoEwasimportantbecause movement”. Formany, thenewnetwork sprang outofanolderstyle,middleclass government-funded group(s)which activist, NeilBarrettasthe“establishment, “FoE appeared Chain Reaction Whilethere expressed bythe Foxreport” that newspaper, itwastheFoEsubmission for itsthoroughness. According toThe Age long andwaspraisedbytheCommission submission totheinquirywas 300pages the FoxInquiry, was established.FoE’s Environmental Inquiry, commonlycalled by 1978.In1975,theRanger Uranium opposition tomining,millingandexport mining in1973tooneofcomplete policy fromonethatsupporteduranium campaigning ledtothe ALP changingits the 1970s.Massiveantiuranium Uranium wasadominantissuethroughout of anetworkthansingleentity. the organisation.FoEwas,afterall,more independent localgroupsasthecoreof with rapidgrowthwhilemaintainingthe an agreedstructurethatcouldcope took a few years for the network to develop grew almostexponentially, anditprobably In thefirstfewyearsofitsexistence,FoE phones alwaysringingmadly’. people comingandgoingatallhours,the Chain Reaction to suchanextentthat,inthewordsof converged onCanberra,builtFoE’s profile first bikerideagainsturanium,which from 1973onwards.Inparticularthe The FoE Australia networkgrewquickly corporate power. and actionstohighlight campaign toprotect Antarctica renewable energysources,the nuclear expansion,promoting campaign, globalandlocal campaign work:thewhaling issues dominatedFoE’s national Inthe1970s,ahandfulofkey ‘we now work in overcrowded offices, with ‘we nowworkinovercrowdedoffices, “mostly shaped themajorqualms editorRichardNankin, . Itcontinued,

...... advocate, Amory Lovins. FoE oftheprominentrenewableenergy state electionsandatourorganisedby Inquiry, national ALP conferences, various activity withtheFoxCommission’s Ranger (CANE). Uraniumdominatednationallevel as theCampaign Against NuclearEnergy anti-nuclear umbrellaorganisationssuch states, FoEwasinvolvedinforgingbroad unions andothersocialgroups.Inmost issues. Alliances werebuiltwithtrade particularly concertedactiononnuclear The periodfrom1974to1977saw target forFoEactivists. opened in1981andremainsaconstant mine beallowedtoproceed. The minewas recommended thattheRangeruranium the bestefforts ofFoEand manyothers, was presentedinMay1977and,despite Ranger Inquiry. The reportoftheInquiry contracts wereleakedviaFoEtothe 1976, controversialdocumentsonuranium and detailsoncampaignactivities.In weekly 32,pageresumeofnuclearnews FoE published in thecountry”. Throughout theinquiry, be themostpotentenvironmentalgroup “at themoment,FoEcouldrightlyclaimto Uranium Deadline o 0Yas 9 FoE 30Years , asix travelogue’ ofoppositiontothetesting FoE andgives an insightful‘activist flotilla atMuraroa Atoll. Hisbook, Heimann tookhisyachttojoin theprotest and protestsagainstthetests. Rolf involved inanarrayofdirectmobilisations resistance in Australia andFoEwas mid ‘70sprovokedstrongcommunity inthe French nucleartestsinthePacific had theirbasisinthesetypesofvisits. communities nowoftentakenforgranted sharing betweengreensandIndigenous their land.’ of theiroppositiontouraniumminingon stop uraniumminingasweweretohear were aspleasedtohearofourefforts Oenpelli peoplepresentatthemeeting representatives fromOenpelli, later commentedofameetingwith Paul MarshallofFoEinQueensland and metwithtraditionalowners. area, debatedwiththeminingcompany up thebulkofteamthattoured the Northern Territory, FoEactivistsmade Organised bytheEnvironmentCouncilof the RangerUraniumminesiteatJabiru. In 1975,anti-uraniumactivistsvisited on Heaven’s Door o 0Yas 10 FoE 30Years The alliancesandinformation , waspublishedby ‘the Knocking

...... Mining CorporationinWA andtheRoxby Yeelirrie proposalputforwardbyWestern of 1978,theKoongarraproject(1979), Environmental ImpactsStatement(EIS) included detailedcritiquesoftheJabiluka relevant inquiriesrelatingtouranium. This Melbourne, providingconsistentinputtoall in John HallamworkedfromtheFoEoffice From 1977until1984nuclearcampaigner independence inthePacific. and deeperissuesofculturalpolitical shipping terminal. uranium protests attheGlebeIsland funding becauseitwasinvolved inanti- Government cancelledFoE’s federal mobilisation anddirectaction. The Fraser was alsoagreatdealofcommunity official inquiriesandprocesses, there While muchattentionwasplaced on and Jabilukahalted. have seenminingplansforboth Yeelerrie are makingarealdifference –recenttimes nuclear activistsandthecollectiveefforts focus ofattentionforcontemporaryanti- These miningprojectscontinuetobea the RangerInquirywasreinforced. reputation fordetailestablishedbyFoEin Downs projectinSA.Ineachofthese,the serious discussion aroundrenewable price ofoilin1973, createdspacefor by theOPECcountriesincreasing the The internationalenergycrisis, triggered change. to fostersystemicandprofound social but alsousedanapproachthat attempted not onlyonimmediatepoliticalcampaigns understanding meantthatFoEworked causes oftheenvironmentalcrisis”. that thisgrowthethicisoneoftheroot levels ofenergyproduction.We argue associated industrialexpansionandrising of continuedeconomicgrowth,withits concerning thedesirabilityorotherwise there isthemorefundamentalquestion that 1976, concepts ofsustainability. Inaneditorialin the later, althoughgreatlyde-politicised, These viewsformedthebasisformanyof activity. indicators ofhealththanjusteconomic other economic systemthatwouldfind concept ofthe‘steadystate’ economy–an proposal isessentiallybasedonthe ‘being’ over‘having’ orconsuming. This society, asystemthatwouldprioritise of whatcametobecalledtheconserver ecological crisis.Itwasanearlyadvocate consumption asakeydriverofthe over- From itsbeginning,FoEidentified recognition ofIndigenousrights. ensure goodecologicalmanagementand any restrictions,statingthatthiswould ceded tothetraditionalownerswithout in favourofthe Tanami sanctuarybeing heard in Alice Springsin1978.FoEargued Kartangarurra-Kurintji claim,whichwas various claimssuchastheWarlpiri and Territory. FoEputsubmissionsto Indigenous peopleintheNorthern step forwardinsecuringrightsfor Territory) Act of1976wasanimportant The Aboriginal LandRights(Northern communities acrossthecountry. and foundcommongroundwithvarious communities, FoEalsodevelopedlinks of thenuclearindustryonIndigenous Apart fromworkingonthedirectimpacts “underlying thenucleardebate… Chain Reaction magazineexplained This

...... ride’. werenever The Concordeflights ‘British Airways istaking Australia fora to sueFoEfor$1millionover itsleaflet Federal Ministerfor Transport threatened significant roleinadvocatingforenergy significant sources ofenergy. FoEand Impact Statementhadbeenprduced. This Environment Australia beforeafinal into a decisiontoallowConcordeflights environmental legislationbyannouncing Coalition governmentbreachedfederal during avisitbyConcordeafterthe ‘sit-in’ inthetoiletsatMelbourneairport flared briefly. In1975,FoEstageda incredibly expensiveairliner, Concorde, Protests againstthesupersonicand development. areas ofSydneyfrominappropriate and wereresponsibleforsavinglarge broader socialmovementsin Australia, of environmentalism,tradeunionsand stageinthedevelopment and significant Green Bansmarkedahighlysuccessful responsible townplanninginNSW” [was] toobtainopengovernmentand the council.Theaimofthiscampaign a campaignto Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, announced urban campaignandlatertheFederal Robert Tickner, convenoroftheFoE impact assessmentsopposedthem. even thoughtheirownenvironmental Council supportedthedevelopments FoE highlightedthefactthatSydneyCity in supportofthefamousGreenBans. high risedevelopmentsininnerSydney, In 1975,FoEcampaignedagainstmassive them lessenergyconsuming. and waystorestructurecitiesmake conservation, alternativeenergysources Reaction of ‘supersonic’ travel was shortlived. economically viableandthephenomenon FoE to The Age control commercialmediain Australia. reaction –fromthethreefamiliesthat simple actionwasmetwithahysterical “step outofthetoilets” newspaperrananeditorialurging magazineinparticularplayeda “expose whowasbacking o 0Yas 11 FoE 30Years Chain andthe . The o 0Yas 12 FoE 30Years

...... region oftheNT. to developuranium minesintheKakadu Australia’s connectionthroughproposals struggle againstthenuclearpower, and Conference wastheemerging global The bigeye-openerformeatthe builders labourers’ GreenBans. pioneering strugglesof Australia’s ecology movement,includingthe to analyseandcelebratetheglobal urban activists,hippieratbags,students, unionists, scientists,socialists,anarchists, that broughttogetherenvironmentalists, Melbourne in1975wasakeyevent The RadicalEcologyconference,in ANU andsojoinedFoECanberra. then foundanotheralreadybasedoutof We formedacampusFoEgroup,and credible research. for socialjusticewithrigorousand reputation ofcombiningmilitantactivism FoE groupbecauseofFoE’s growing Ellyard suggestedthatweforma Australia’s first,andhisstaffer Peter government’s EnvironmentMinister, We visitedMossCass,the Whitlam choking ofCanberra’s airbythecar. Eden forwoodchipsandtherapid felling oftheSouthEastforestsaround around Canberra,includingtheclear- we hadaboutthedestructionhappening were studyingandthegrowingconcern voice toouralarmabouttheissueswe of usstudentsdecidedwewantedtogive Education (laterCanberraUni). A group at CanberraCollegeof Advanced environmental scienceandconservation In themid‘70sIwasstudying

...... the cornertoaterraceonNicholsonSt, The FoEMelbourneoffice movedaround despatches. man knownasStrider, who’dsendregular proposed Rangermine-siteoccupiedbya a FoEgroup,withanoutpostcampatthe Melbourne andCanberra.EvenDarwinhad Adelaide, BrisbaneandPerthaswell established, withgroupsforminginSydney, The FoE Australia networkwasgetting tiny houseinMacArthurPlace,Carlton. and Nationaloffice ofFoE Australia outof a and otherswhocoordinatedtheMelbourne we connectedwithPeterHayes,NeilBarrett The RadicalEcologyConferencewaswhere leafleting ontheuraniumthreat. with whatwaspossibly Australia’s firstmass Capital Daylighttraintakingusbackhome, we leafletedallthepassengersonInter- we novicesfromCanberraweresofired up first streetmarchagainsturaniummining,and The conferenceconcludedwith Australia’s the venerableHouse. of oldParliament Houseuptheverystepsof hundreds ofuslurchedacrossthe frostylawns Australia’s first‘massmutation’,in which House inmassdemonstrations, and possibly way, andeventuallyconverging onParliament holding meetingsinsmalltowns alongthe Hume HighwayfromMelbourne andSydney, Hundreds ofridersrodeupanddownthe established and Carlton andthelegendaryFoEfoodcoopwas by theMinisterforEnergy, RexConnor. flirtation withauraniumbonanzadriven challenging the Whitlam Government’s was amajoractioninFoE’s earlydays, The BikeRide Against UraniumtoCanberra Chain Reaction o 0Yas 13 FoE 30Years published. uranium issueconsumedmuchoftheenergy line onthreeminesfornearly30years. The uranium mining,whichmanagedtoholdthe bringing togetheranationalcoalitionagainst in its earliest days, and played a crucial part in FoE ledtheanti-uraniumcampaignnationally struggle todrag the Australian conservation FoE activistswere alsoengagedinbitter lamenting brassband. Canberras’ Civiccentreaccompaniedbya hundreds joinedafuneralprocession through to ribbonsbyhotelstaff. Bytheafternoon killing quotas)onlytobebrutally hacked (who wereleadingthecharge toincrease outside theroomsofJapanesedelegation the whalewasinflated inthehotelhallway campaigning tostop. The nextmorning in themiddleofafreewaywewerealso by windacrosstheLaketolandsmack-bang Burley GriffininCanberraonlytobecarried 10-metre blow-upwhalewasfloated onLake Whaling CommissioninCanberra1977a During theprotestsatInternational fun andmusic. In themidstofseriousstuff,there was activist. prominent anti-nuclearandurbanprotection Development inthe Whitlam governmentand Minister forUrbanandRegional Opposition andbeforethattheinspirational by Tom Uren,thenDeputyLeaderofthe My workasFoENLOwasgreatlyassisted Affairs intheHawke/Keatinggovernment. of SydneyandlaterMinisterfor Aboriginal aid lawyerandsoontobeDeputyMayor by Robert Tickner, thenan Aboriginal legal terrace inCrownSt,SurreyHills,leased out oftheFoESydneyoffice,athreestorey I movedfromCanberraandbasedmyself persuasive phone-mannerimaginable. who keptthebestfiles andhadthemost ground-breaking workofDavid Allworth, after finishingmystudies,andbuiltfromthe I becametheNationalLiasonOfficer (NLO) whaling, andotherissues. campaigning againstlogging,freewaysand of ouractivists,butwestillhadtimefor o 0Yas 14 FoE 30Years

...... living centrein West End,andwasorganising FoE Brisbaneranafoodcoopandurbaneco- ACTU tostopnewmines. Queensland, ledthecampaignwithin shipments fromtheMaryKathleenminein and theRailwaysUnion,afterbanning first shipmentsofyellowcakefromRanger, In Darwin the wharfies had refused to load the wharves withinanhour. that couldgethundredsofprotesterstothe mobilised throughelaborate‘phonetrees’ alerted bytheLucasHeightscampers,and exposed byanelaboratenetworkofactivists suburbs inthedeadofnight,onlytobe convoys oftrucksspeedingthroughSydney’s secretly spiritedoutinmassivelyguarded of yellowcakefromLucasHeightsbeing wharves at White Bay, protestingshipments point withtheseriesofblockades nuclear campaigninSydneyreacheditshigh the gatesofLucasHeightreactor. The inner cityfreeways.Otherswerecampedat houses inthepathwaysofsoon-to-be-built in Darlinghurst,soon-to-bedemolished Many FoESydneyactivistsweresquatting unsustainable lifestyle. the economicandpoliticalstructuresdriving indigenous andgaystruggles,challenged and linkedecologywithunion,women, one thatfocusedonabroadersetofissues, nature conservation-focusedorganisation to Foundation (ACF)fromaconservative, What markedFoE’s earlydaysstill liveson. grassroots education,organising andactivism. marked the‘punkera’. The spiritofradical of ecology, solidarityandsexualpolitics.It Yes, FoEinthe‘70s wasanexcitingmix of massarrestsandfinesdissidents. the BjelkePetersengovernment’s campaign busting andotherbasicrightsbeingstifled by Aboriginal, womenandgayrights,union rights toprotesturaniummining,abuseof Protest. These weretoupholdthedemocratic Right toMarchandtheOrganise and was heavilyinvolvedinthecampaignfor bikeway andpublictransportcampaigns In thesameyear, FoEVictoria was support, thiscampaignwasakeyactivity Eastern Freeway).Withstrongcommunity construction oftheF19(laterrenamed Collingwood (Melbourne)toopposethe Alexandra Paradeintheinnersuburbof In the1977barricadeswerethrownupon functions forFoE Australia. and undertakepoliticaladministrative help newgroupstobecomeestablished, communication betweenthelocalgroups, NLO positionwasdevelopedtofacilitate Geoff Evansfrom1976to 1977. The first persontofillthisrole,followedby was created.David Allworth wasthe (NLO)position National LiaisonOfficer Somewhere around1975or‘76the basic energyusage/wastage). to cleanair”(aswellasthrowinglighton the principlethatitiseverycitizen’s right onNewportand had been“standingfirm affected unions,statingthattheunionists fines of$500,000.FoEMcollaboratedwith trade unionsopposingtheprojectwith used theVital ProjectsBilltothreaten Melbourne, wheretheStateGovernment against theNewportpowerstationin In 1976,therewasastrongcampaign ‘‘Music ontheBlockade’ F19(EasternFreeway)campaign, Collingwood,Melbourne,1977

...... (Chain Reaction,1977) injuries todemonstrators” arrests andcausingseveralveryserious the Governmentandpolicemaking58 impacton residents makingasignificant guerrilla warragedforsixweeks,with and callingin400police.Theensuing the roadoutofcouncils’ control Government reacted“furiously, bytaking road totheendoffreeway, theState head bynarrowingtheintendedapproach freeway extension,broughttheissuetoa Councils, whichstronglyopposedthe for FoEM.WhenFitzroyandCollingwood Bauxite mining,Western Australia,. May1979 Protests topreventJarrahforestsbeingclearedfor . o 0Yas 15 FoE 30Years . community pressure wasrequiredtoforce the StateGovernment andFoEfeltthat limited remediation ofradioactivesitesby FoE groupin1977. There hadbeenvery risks fromthetailingsdamsand setupa got togethertocampaignonthe radiation a groupofconcernedpeople in thearea enclave ofenvironmentalactivism. Yet thebillas atraditional Port Piriehardlyfits the country. As abluecollarminingtown, urban areaswithgroupsformingacross FoE wasalsogrowingbeyondinner Victoria. the firstfewyearsofFoE’s operationsin of organisationaldevelopmentduring this timeandcontributedstronglyinterms were alsokeypeopleintheorganisationat Barrett, Alison Parks andEmma Young ECOM.Neil were appointedtothefirst Andrews, MarkCarterandLinnellSecomb power). PeterVeljens, MaxSmart,John local groupshadultimatedecision-making groups (generalmeetingsofthecombined Australian FoEgroups,andsupportnew activities, maintainlinkswiththerestof (ECOM) wassetuptohelpco-ordinate that state. An executivecommittee activities ofthemanylocalgroupsacross established, tobetterco-ordinatethe o 0Yas 16 FoE 30Years way) campaign ‘AttheBarricades’ -F19(EasternFree -

...... absorption andespecially, possibleharmful During thisperiod,miningcompanies for this. politicians. FoEprovedtobethemedium level onlocalissues[and]putpressure citizens mustjointogetheratgrassroots by notingthat broader FoEperspectiveoncampaigning effects onchildren”. environs”, passing fromthesmelterintotown controls overleadburningmaterials King, According tolongtermFoEactivistBert considerable healthrisk. was tooclosetothetownandposeda turned itsattentiontolead,asthesmelter metre ofslagfromnearbymines.FoEthen stabilised in1982bybeingcoveredwitha and Energy, thedamswereeventually FoE’s lobbyingoftheMinisterMines were flushedouttosea. As aresultof of thetailingsdamandsomematerials exceptionally hightidesbreachedthewall respected FoEveteranBertKing.In1981, Harm Folkersand Tinky Folkersandthe were IanHall, Ally Fricker, JudithSherry, Among thosewhoestablishedthegroup the governmenttotakeresponsibleaction. approach of the group, which reflects a approach ofthegroup,whichreflects Long termFoEactivist BertKing “much controversyledtotighter which hadbeenleadingto ‘thelessonswerethat Bert summedupthe “lead groups, formed ASOC –the Antarctica and and togetherwiththe ACF andother and theLastWilderness narrowly defined treatyonminingwasalso narrowly defined mining foratleast50years. A more The MadridProtocolthatfollowedbanned occurred overthetreaty, wasasuccess. international meetingswherenegotiations the publicrealmin Australia andthrough the continent. The campaign, wagedin it wouldallowafootholdforminingon this proposalfromthestart,fearingthat Activities. FoEandotherNGOsopposed Regulation of Antarctica MineralResource living resources:theConventionon to establishatreatymanagenon- treatment ofanimals. The ATCP attempted in Antarctica, whichdealswiththe There isakeytreatythatgovernsactivities governing groupthatincludes Australia. Treaty ConsultativeParties(ATCP), aself- Antarctica iscontrolledbythe Antarctica international actiontoprotect Antarctica. Southern OceansCoalitiontoco-ordinate FoE published Antarctica: commercial operationsonthecontinent. treaty orconventionthatwouldstopany campaign activityfocussedongaininga - the‘lastgreatwilderness’.International began tojostleforaccess Antarctica The antiwhaling,campaignbyFoEand othergroupsledtotheendofwhalingin , byKeithSuter, World Law

...... commercial operations. protection forallspeciesofwhalefrom in internationalforumstosecureglobal and for Australia totakeaproactiverole a banontheimportofwhaleproducts sanctuary in Australian territorialwaters, close down,FoEcampaignedforawhale station at Albany (WA) wasgoingto the announcementthatlastwhaling Whales andWhalingin1978.Following of thefewofficialpartiestoInquiryinto the onetoprotect Antarctica. FoEwasone in Australian waterswasassuccessful The campaignagainstcommercialwhaling defeated inthelate1980s. Australia, 1970s. o 0Yas 17 FoE 30Years Dr. Peter Brotherton

The bike wheel was so mangled it could have services outside the Albany whaling station, made one of those impossible skid marks you displays and (limited) dialogue in the Albany see on ‘Slippery When Wet’ signs. For several town hall, media, education, petitioning, years it hung on the wall of the Environment lobbying, bike pranging, and so on. By 1997- Centre of Western Australia, captioned ‘ In 78, polls were showing around 90 percent of the memory of three Friends of The Earth who Australians opposed to whaling, although it ran into each other 25 km north of Albany, was only about 50-50 in Western Australia 26 January 1976’. As it was my bike wheel, - a long way from the vehement pro-whale I remember that Australia Day much more sentiment there now. clearly than my then lack of patriotic fervor would normally permit. The Fraser Government announced an Inquiry Into Whales and Whaling in 1978, The three cyclists who collided so and FoE was among the handful of official spectacularly were part of an 800 km protest major parties to the Inquiry. Members of FoE ride from Perth to Albany, port of Australia’s Perth and then Chain Reaction editor Barbara last whale-killing fleet. It was one of many Hutton were there in Albany on the freezing actions undertaken by FoE until Australia opening day of the Inquiry, when the whaling stopped slaughtering whales in 1978. company announced it was going to shut down by the end of the year. FoE began in Australia in 1972, the year following the landmark United Nations It got even better. FoE continued its active Conference on the Human Environment at participation in the Inquiry as it moved to which the great whales became the unofficial other cities, pursuing our other goals: a whale symbol of humans estrangement from the sanctuary within Australia’s territorial waters, planet. The initial concern over the plight a ban on importing whale products, and for of the whales came after populations and Australia to pursue with vigor the protection species were hunted to commercial and, of whales internationally. The inquiry reported in a few cases, actual extinction. However, strongly along these lines and successive as the campaign developed worldwide, this Australian Governments have adopted a pro- was profoundly influenced through growing whale stance. understanding of the majesty and intelligence of these extraordinary creatures. As witnessed at the recent International Whaling Commission meeting Adelaide in The first time I heard the sounds on the radio July 2000 the last vestiges of the commercial I had no idea what they were, but the longer whaling industry are being clung to I listened I grew more convinced that it was tenaciously in Japan, Norway and the North communication in an incredibly complex Atlantic, and the arguments seem not to have way. Upon learning that it was a humpback changed in 20 years. Distressing indeed, whale I knew I had to do something to help but I’m just optimistic enough to believe we whales swim free of human tyranny (oh dear, can see the end of this industry from bygone not another one of those early 70’s hippie centuries sometime in the next 20 years, conversion experiences!) although I fear it may be towards the end of that period. FoE established its whale campaign under the banner of Project Jonah. At quite an Dr. Peter Brotherton is a Director of Sustainable early stage we recognized that there were Solutions Pty Ltd, an environmental consultancy some people passionately concerned about specialising in energy and materials efficiency, the plight of the whales who weren’t, greenhouse, eco-design, environmental education unfortunately, in the least bit passionate and public involvement processes. He is Vice- about some of our other major campaigns, President of Australian Conservation Foundation. such as anti uranium. The game plan was to When his hair was brown and his body skinny, establish Project Jonah as a separate single- he worked for Friends of the Earth as an anti- issue group, while FoE would continue to nuclear/energy worker and National Liaison work on the issue as part of its broad suite of Officer. campaigns. I acted as coordinator for a couple of years while that transition occurred. Originally published in Chain Reaction, #83, Winter 2000

Over the next few years we did all the things you’d expect of an activist campaign: picketing whaling nations’ consulates, dawn ......

FoE 30 Years 18 Keith Suter

The future is never as bad as you fear and never as good as you would like. After 25 years of campaigning to preserve Antarctica as an international wilderness, the result is a good one. But we were hoping for an even better one.

In my Friends of the Earth books on Antarctica, I argue that Antarctica should be proclaimed as an international wilderness area, run under an international system, with no mining on the land and no oil drilling or fishing in its waters. After years of campaigning we have ensured there will be no mining or oil drilling in Antarctica, but the living resources in the Antarctic waters are still being over exploited.

Antarctica is controlled by the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties (ATCPs), which is a self-governing group comprising the original claimants of the region, which includes Australia. All attempts to change this unique control system to create a more democratic International organisation have failed.

The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources is a treaty which governs the treatment of the living animals in Antarctica, but it is not fully observed. When the ATCPʼs finalised this treaty in 1982, they decided to create one on non-living resources to be titled the Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities.

FoE and other non-government organisations (NGOs) opposed this treaty project from the outset as it would have allowed a foothold for mining in the region. We were ultimately successful, when public opinion forced the ATCPʼs to stop work on the treaty and instead create the Madrid Protocol, which banned mining for at least 50 years (effectively forever).

We were good opportunists. We knew how to make the most of each incident. The mining treaty is probably the best example of this. It had seemed at first that the mining treaty, opened for signature in November 1988, would go ahead. Its defeat was one of the environment movementʼs greatest successes in the 1980ʼs.

FoE and other NGOʼs were able to make the Antarctic issue come alive. We were able to convince people that the ATCPʼs could not be relied upon to run Antarctica out of the public eye. This encouraged a new era of transparency in which governments were becoming accustomed to being far more accountable for their policies.

Antarctica remains a de-militarised zone, with no nuclear weapons, the military under civilian and scientific control, and probably far greater international co-operation than any other place on Earth. There was never a cold war at the South Pole. People learned to work together or they would perish separately.

There are still some challenges ahead, including the need to create a more democratic international system for controlling the continent. We also have to safeguard against its being ʻloved to deathʼ with too many tourists eager to visit it, but overall we can be pleased with our campaign. We may not have ʻsavedʼ Antarctica completely – but we certainly didnʼt ʻloseʼ it.

Keith Suter was FoE (Sydney) International Law Adviser in the 1970s and 1980’s and is the author of Antarctica: Private Property or Public Heritage? Originally published in Chain Reaction #83, winter 2000. “... [FoE] must be studied ... in order to appreciate the fanaticism amd coercive fantasies that romantic primitive and anti-industrial philosphies contain, and to understand the sources of appeal to the most primitive and irrational emotions.”

The Australian Journal of Mining, 1987

PanContinental’s firstEnvironmental mines, including theKoongarraProject, statements (EIS) foranumberofuranium succession byenvironmental impact The RangerInquirywasfollowed inquick to thenuclearfuelcycleknown. made theirpresenceand opposition where literallythousandsofbike-riders was thevariousbike-ridestoCanberra consciousness oftheactivistcommunity time whichmadeabigimpactonthe The othermajoractivityofFoEatthat Barrett wasprofound. Wieslav Lihacz,PaulMarshallandNeil Inquiry viatheefforts ofpeoplesuchas was published.FoE’s impactonthat as thesecondreportofRangerinquiry I joinedFoEinMelbourneMay1977, mining, whichsatfrom1975till1977. Inquiry intonuclearpoweranduranium time came just a little later, with the Ranger What putFoE Australia onthemapatthat nature ofnucleartechnology. ignoring hisadviceabouttheproliferative with thedangerousconsequencesof proved correctandwearehavingtolive in India,IranandNorthKoreaareallbeing predictions concerning nuclear proliferation likely standformanydecades:alreadyhis the Lovinsimpactonenergypolicywill energy policyingeneral.Ibelievethat analysis ofnuclearpowerinparticularand his technicallydetailedyetcrystalclear Lovins particularlyimpressedmewith course, Amory Lovins. - manufacturerGeneralElectric,andof over safetyissuesfromnuclearreactor Three’, threeengineerswhohadresigned bringing to Australia the‘GeneralElectric fuel cyclegenerallywasresponsiblefor against nuclearpowerandthe was thenlargelyknownforitsstand Brotherton inPerthabout1975.FoE I firstbecameawareofFoEviaPeter o 0Yas 22 FoE 30Years

...... by whichtheyweretobejudged. The in thequalityofEIS’s andinthestandards trace aprocessofconsistentdeterioration impact statements.Overtimeonecan various uraniumprojectenvironmental own workconsistedofcommentingon Much ofFoE’s activityandmostofmy never seenthelightofday. Downs andBeverley, havethankfully these projects,withtheexceptionofRoxby on theplanetatRoxbyDowns.Mostof an EISforthelargesturaniumorebody intheearly80s in Queenslandandfinally Ben LomondprojectnearCharters Towers EISs forHoneymoonandBeverley, the WMC’s Yeelirrie projectinWA, thefirst Impact Statement(EIS)forJabiluka, interview afterinterview. I recallthatthenextweekwas basically Plant, WomenandChildren flee’ ‘Death CloudSpewsfrom Atom as theheadlinescreamedinblackletters I didn’tevenneedtoopenthenewspaper you upandtakingto3CR”. a newspaperimmediatelyandI’mpicking make ofhisurgentdirections. the radioanddidnotknowquitewhatto time lookedatanewspaperorlistenedto Against UraniumMining.Ihadnotatthat the trade-unionistchairofMovement when thephonerang.ItwasJohnSpeight, because IwasintheFoEFitzroyoffice I clearlyrememberthedayithappened accident of1979. nuclear powerwasthe Three MileIsland the likesofFoEwererightinrelationto safe. Whatreallyconvincedthepublicthat reinforced ourbeliefthatreactorswerenot checking forairleakswithacandle, due toafirecausedbytechnicians reactors werebroughtclosetomeltdown in theUSA in1975,wheretwolarge reactor safety. The BrownsFerryaccident nuclear powerhasbeentheissueof A majorfactorinFoE’s oppositionto ahead. proposed duringthe1970sneverwent the majorityofthoseuraniumprojects believe thatitwasduetoFoE’s efforts that EIS wasunceremoniouslyrejected.I confining layersdidn’texist. That particular diagram conclusivelyshowingthattheclay of theleachsolutiondespiteadetailed confining layers’ wouldpreventtheescape but didn’tandwhichclaimedthat‘clay columns thatweresupposedtoaddup difference betweenfeetandmetres,had project whichseemedunabletotellthe first EISfortheBeverleyin-situleaching remember doingcommentaryonthe a majorissueforFoEatthetime.Iclearly downright rortingoftheEISprocesswas overall qualityoftheEISand “Get yourself .

...... The Three MileIslandaccidentislargely Seems wewerewrong.Nothingprepared power plantcan’tblowuplikeabomb’. like ThreeMileIsland-butanuclear power plantcanundergoacoremeltdown plant safety. We wouldsaythat‘A nuclear thought weknewaboutnuclearpower power safetycriticshadbeentaughtor it violatedeverythingthatweasnuclear When Chernobyltookplacein April 1986 the CoupdeGrace. nuclear industry, Chernobylwasperhaps If Three MileIslandhadcrippledthe crippling theindustry. increased attentiontosafetyandultimately over thenuclearindustryworldwideforcing regulatory andsafetyimpactrippledout where itreceivedmaximumpublicity. Its power reactorandithappenedintheUSA nuclear coremeltdowninafull-scale complete Three MileIslandwasthefirst nuclear powerwasindeedbadnews. consciousness thatanythingtodowith the US.In Australia itcementedapublic the nuclearpowerindustry, especiallyin more thananythingtohaltthegrowthof However itisgoodtorememberthatdid much moreseriousChernobyldisaster. forgotten nowasitwaseclipsedbythe us Three Mile Island. Pressurised Water reactorthathadgiven safety ofthisreactortypeover thatofthe Energy Agency reportsthatvauntedthe and thediscoveryofInternational Atomic find outabouttheRBMKreactor type to aspecificreactor, amadscrambleto of Ukraine,thepinpointing the radiation of vastamountsradiationcomingout grow overaperiodofdays,withreports Chernobyl asamediastoryseemedto environmental catastrophe. industrial wastelandandaspreading might havehelped,withlotsofdeserted Andrei Tarkovsky’s sciencefictionmovies going tobe,thoughalookatsomeof anyone forhowbadChernobylwas o 0Yas 23 FoE 30Years internet andtheonlywayyoucould widespread accesstoemailandthe It wasinthedaysimmediatelybefore German ones. UK reactors,aswellsomeFrenchand graphite moderatorwassharedwithall of allCanadianreactorsandthatthe ‘postive voidcoefficient’ wasaproperty and virtuallyallUKreactors,thatthe reactors, onehalfofallJapanesereactors was sharedwithroughlyonethirdofUS pointed outthatthelackofacontainment and myownmediainterviewsinwhichI that onlytheawfulRussianscoulddo industry to portray Chernobyl as something I remembertheattemptsofnuclear would everbe a serioussolutionto immediate prospect thatnuclearpower Worldwide, Chernobylputpaidtoany existed from Three MileIsland. the publicantipathytonuclear thatalready contemplated in Australia, andtoreinforce domestic nuclearpowerwillnever be of Chernobyldidmuchtoensurethat I believethatFoE’s efforts inthewake decide’ ona$1.2billionloanpackage. Development (EBRD)to‘decidenot European BankforReconstructionand Rovno andKhmelnitskyinducedthe Paxus Calta.Ourefforts onsafetyat International underthewatchfuleyeof and UkraineforFriendsoftheEarth issues inRussianreactorsSlovakia 1996 and1997whenIworkedonsafety Much ofthiscameinhandylateron nuclear industryworldwide. a “Soviet”failure,itwasfailureofthe be communicated–Chernobylwasnot The lessonwasclearandneededto are inherenttothetechnologyperse. to pointoutthefactthatsafetyproblems or Russianones,andwithourrolebeing to presenttheproblemsaspurelySoviet Chernobyl withthenuclearindustrytrying reactor typesintheimmediatewakeof desperate crammingtookplaceonSoviet read thetechnicalliteraturethere.Much Technology Organisation’s libraryand to the Australian NuclearScienceand get holdofvitalinformationwastogo o 0Yas 24 FoE 30Years

...... and withSydney Town Hallwhowere and withwhomIneverhadanyproblem the policewhowereentirelyreasonable organiser Ihadthejoysofdealingwith fashion deputisedme. As theprincipal happen andintimehonouredmovement rally andtwoweeksbeforeitwasdueto States inthemiddleoforganising Cameron decidedtogotheUnited organiser. myself, withCamerontheprincipal Nuclear Disarment(PND),Jennyand - CameronEdwardsfromPeoplefor There wereinfactthreeorganisers that metinthehomeofJennyBlack. Initially therallywassetupbyacommittee people. nuclear testingthatattractedsome30,000 the 1995BastilleDayRallyagainstFrench we essentiallybecametheorganisersfor nuclear powerissuecamein1995when nuclear weaponsasdistinctfromthe FOE Sydney’s firstinvolvement inthe greenhouse pollutionareagainontherise. attempts tore-inventitselfasananswer as theindustrygetsmoredesperateits industry aredoomedtofailure–although moves torevitalisethenuclearpower antipathy issogreatthatevennow, global warming,andIbelievethatpublic than Ihadever seenbefore. Then there a singlepolice car andthenmoremedia shepherding people.Infrontthere was banner withBobBrownandPeter Garrett Somehow, thepoliticiansgotbehind be themiddle. the rallywouldbebutwhichturned outto been placedwherewethoughtthestartof politicians togetbehindabannerthathad done thisbefore.Ihadadozenorso loudhailer withadodgybattery. Ihadn’t from thetownhall.Ihadateenyweeny the policetoleaddemonstrationaway The culminationcamewithbeingaskedby demented novels. like achapteroutofoneKafkasmore millions ofpeople toPresidentClinton campaign has resulted inlettersfrom Since thattimeFoE’s nuclearweapons weapons beremovedfromLoW status. European Parliamenturgingthat nuclear and aunanimousresolutionin the mentioned Australian Senateresolutions, millions ofpeople,thetwoabove organisations worldwiderepresenting Presidents Yeltsin andClintonfrom520 This campaignresultedinaletterto (Y2K) rollover. status overtheDecember1999-2000 weapons off Launch-on-Warning (LoW) campaign totakestrategicnuclear the worldwasworkingonaninternational and thattheyareindeedabouttheendof weapons areaclearandpresentdanger What cementedaconvictionthatnuclear 2000 rollover. Launch-on-Warning statusoverthe Year that strategicnuclearweaponsbetakenoff and finallypassingtworesolutionsurging the UNGeneral Assembly andtheCTBT, supporting theNew Agenda Coalitionin disarmament measures. This involved series ofimportantinternationalnuclear urging thegovernmenttosupporta Allison topassaseriesofresolutions firstly viaJoVallentine andlaterviaLyn managed togetthe Australian Senate, work ataparliamentarylevelinwhichwe FoE Australia didconsiderablelobbying From 1995to2000FOESydneyand to dominatemyowncampaignactivity. 1995 -2000,nuclearweaponshavecome nuclear weaponsissue,andovertheyears This wasaspectacularintroductiontothe the Iraqwar. that broughtSydneytoahaltinprotestat since wasthemarchof500,000people The onlythingthathasbeatenevent people thatseemedtogoonforever. dozen politiciansfollowedby30,000 Then therewasahugebannerwith that I’dfalloveracameracable. was me,walkingbackwardsandpetrified

...... nuclear testing. Pakistan andthepossibilityofrenewedUS General Assembly, NorthKorea,Indiaand 2005), theupcomingsessionofUN Nuclear Proliferatio Treaty review(Year Current prioritiesaretheupcoming(NPT) up with. the resultthatlastNPT Reviewcame VI obligations. And thatwasmoreorless weapons powerstoabidebytheir Article last NPT Reviewtourgethe nuclear ALP, CarmenLawrenceaskingthe and thecurrentfederalpresidentof Canberra bySenatorsBrownand Allison India, PakistanandIsraellaunchedin addressed toeveryNPT signatoryplus was alsoamassiveletterinMay2000 (North Korea)nuclearstandoff. There Democratic People’s RepublicofKorea letters andmotionsontheUS/(DPRK) motion ever)urgingthesamething,and (the mostheavilysubscribedearlyday an ‘earlydaymotion’ intheUKparliament urging themnottoincinerateeachother, the IndianandPakistanigovernments Further internationallettersfollowedto Bush. have sincebeenreversedbyPresident less whatwehadaskedfor, butwhich announcing decisionsthatweremoreor responded totwoweekslaterbyactually on MissileDefence-aletterthatClinton o 0Yas 25 FoE 30Years

nuclear weapons proliferation.Itwasa dangers ofuranium, nuclearpower, and and renewableenergyasopposed tothe of thebicycle,andpotential forsolar a movingjoyousprotestandcelebration I firstjoinedtheridein1976. The ridewas meeting toco-ordinateactivity. provided anopportunityforanational organised byFriendsoftheEarthand subsequent ridesin1976and1977were by about150riders. This rideandthe and SydneytoCanberraattended in May1975fromMelbourne, Adelaide first Ride Against Uranium. This washeld somehow missedbeinginvolvedwiththe in otherradicalgrassrootsactivity, soI of FoESydney, beingheavilyinvolved I wasneveroneofthe‘coremembers’ nuclear fuelcycle. and dangersofuraniummining,the educating thecommunityaboutrisks still initsinfancyandwasprimarilyabout campaign againsturaniumminingwas Government, wasatthatmeeting. The for Aboriginal Affairs intheHawkeLabor bookshop. Robert Tickner, lateraMinister and later becametheFoESydneyoffice in CrownStreet,SurreyHills. The building meeting inanupstairsroomaterrace 1975 islikely. Iattendedatleastone ‘joined’ theorganisation.Sometimein meetings ofFriendstheEarthand I amnotsurewhenstartedattending harbor. the RainbowWarrior in1985 Auckland precursor toFrenchagentsblowingup by theviolenceofFrenchState,a Greenpeace III. They were metagain nuclear testzone:Fri,SpiritofPeaceand of peaceshipspicketdownwindinthe Navy. The following yearsawaflotilla and impoundedatMoruroabytheFrench Greenpeace IIIbeingrammed,boarded Atoll. Irememberthenewsin1972of the FrenchNuclear Tests atMoruroa letter-writing, vigilsandprotestsagainst own eyes. As ateenagerIparticipatedin and seenthenucleardevastationwithhis occupation forces,hadvisitedHiroshima war. Myfather, asamemberoftheallied I grewupwiththethreatofglobalnuclear

...... hamburger atthenextcafestop).Manyof (while someofusalsolookedforwardtoa and eatingthegreatvegetarianfood enjoyed doingrhythmicdrummingrounds, were adedicatedteamwhotalkedpolitics, By thetimeridereached Yass we about uranium. growing concerninthelabourmovement Moss Vale. Itwasaconcretesymbolofthe cyclists upthesteepIllawarrapassto the ridewithatrucktohelptransportmany The Trades andLabourCouncilassisted Labour CouncilSecretary, MervNixon. a meetingwithSouthCoast Trades and FoE activistColPollardandIattended too farbehind.WhileinWollongong, local materials, andtopickupanyonefalling equipment, bicyclespares,educational rides, tocarrypacks,foodandcooking Support vehiclesaccompaniedthe passed through. and engagewiththecommunitieswe in energyuseandenvironmentalpractice could. Itwasawaytoeducateourselves convened publicmeetingswhereverwe and townsonroutetoCanberra.We smoko inPortKembla,andonthestreets Visitor ontheir Centre,infrontofwharfies Atomic EnergyCommissionLucasHeights organisations. We didstreettheatreinthe by BicycleVictoria andothercycling the ‘great’ touringridesnoworganised era ofcitycriticalmassbikeridesand festival onwheels,beforethemodern corroboree. laughter andcyclingstories. A cyclist’s A meltingpotofmusic,food,politics, tribes whohadbeentraveling for9days. Melbourne riders.Itwasaminglingof Yass waswherewemetupwiththe social movementsandcampaigns. have beenimportantinmanyprevious important toourmovement,justasthey as entertainment.Musicandsongswere provide musicandanti-uraniumsongs only meninthepubs)andsometimesto we stayedintotalkthelocals(mostly those over18attendedpubsinthetowns o 0Yas 27 FoE 30Years o 0Yas 28 FoE 30Years

...... o 0Yas 29 FoE 30Years

The May 1977 Anti Uranium ride to Canberra. The bike ride converged on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra more ridersthan fromSydney, which Melbourne always managedtohave keep itup! and saidweweredoingagood jobandto Government, Tom Uren,cameup to me for awhile:formerMinisterin the Whitlam odd politiciancameovertheroad tojoinus talking tovisitorsandtourists. Eventhe drumsingingsongsand around acampfire France, andJapan.Eveningswerespent the USA,GreatBritain,USSR,Germany, engaged inthenuclearcycle,including parliament, andacycletourofembassies street theatreinCivicandonthestepsof protests inthepublicgalleryofparliament, the Aboriginal EmbassyonMuggaWay, While inCanberra,therewerevisitsto Embassy. welcomed byactivistsfromthe Aboriginal front ofparliamenthouse,wherewewere across thelawnstosetuptentsin a roadblock,butcyclistssimplyraced lanes oftheroad. The police hadsetup Avenue Bridgeoccupying thefullthree feeling comingoverCommonwealth numbers further. Itwasatremendous Local cyclistsfromCanberraswelledthe Melbourne, andanother70fromSydney. 1976, over350peoplehadridenfrom Canberra, wasamassofbicycles.In The finaldayofriding,from Yass to o 0Yas 30 FoE 30Years

...... action protestskepttheissuepublic. although educationalactivityanddirect For threeyearsnoridesoccurred, the campaigntoStopUraniumMining. popular andapowerfulmanifestationof the police. proving The ridewasdefinitely Canberra duetoconfrontationaltacticsby arrested whenthecyclistsarrivedin decentralised groups.Eightcyclistswere also tookdifferent routes in self-sufficient different routes.Ridersfrom Melbourne from Sydneywaslargeenoughforthree involved. The 1977rideagainst Uranium is surprisinggiventhelongerdistance the world. page newsnot onlyinSydneybutaround demonstrators occurred whichmadefront arrests andquite brutalpoliceattackson through nonviolentdirectaction. Mass stop thetrucksreachingwharf by telephonetreesandattempted to Several hundredpeoplewere mobilised at highspeedthroughinnercity Sydney. reactor nearSutherland,and traveled police escort left the Lucas Heights nuclear Late atnightconvoysoftruckswitha to stoptheexportofUraniumyellowcake. the nightatWhiteBayContainer Terminal civil disobedienceprotestsinthemiddleof was arrestedduringSeptember1977in of shipscarryingyellowcake.InSydneyI demonstrations onEastSwanstonDock For example,inMelbournetherewere a NuclearFree Disarmament and ride forPeace, idea: aWorld Bike spawned another but ithadalready an itinerantprotest, Embassy became The Atom Free in July1972. Aboriginal Embassy of theremoval slightly reminiscent time, inscenes for onlythesecond a 1932ordinance 31st 1981,using embassy onJuly and dismantledthe 71 policeattacked Canberra winteruntil persisted throughthe called the Atom FreeEmbassy, which setup ontheparliamentHouseLawns great dedication. A permanentcampwas Although itwasasmallgroup,there and Canberra. to Goulburn,Bungendore,Queanbeyan Blue MountainsanddownthroughOberon the AAEC NuclearReactor, thenoverthe Heights, wherewespentthenightoutside the environment.We traveled firsttoLucas having funandlookingafterourselves there hasalwaysbeenanelementof never beensolelyaboutseriouspolitics, it wasacohesivegroup. The rideshave It wasasmalleraffair, about30people,but of therideinMay1981. President ofthe ACTU, spokeatthestart support. CliffAccording toaleaflet, Dolan, although FoESydneyprovidedinformal of anyenvironmentalorganisation, to Canberra,didn’thaveendorsement in supportoftradeunionbans,Sydney ride. The 1981Ride Against Uranium discussion anditwastimeforanother We felttheissuesneededmorepublic - approachedmeaboutanotherbikeride. Uranium 1975-1977-MaryElliottwasone had organisedtheFoERides Against In late1980acoupleofpeoplewho The 1977bikerideagainstnuclearpower.

...... and Nagasakiattendingapeace to JapanvisitingthecitiesofHiroshima me. After Darwintencyclistswenton album founditsway, somehow, backto on theride. A coupleofyearslaterthe of theridesagainstUraniumwascarried My photoalbumthatdocumentedsome later fortyfourcyclistsrodeintoDarwin. women towarandviolence.Fivemonths a scrollsymbolisingtheoppositionof International Women’s Dayrallypresented to taketheworld.Women atan message sticktofiftycyclistsinCanberra elder Gabu Ted Thomas handed overa In CanberraonMarch6,1982, Aboriginal Isa: thestartofWorld BikeRide. to Darwin,viaBrisbane, Townsville andMt promote the6,000kmridefromCanberra in New York. Itusedtheseeventsto of BP, andevenoutsidetheUNbuilding House, to Adelaide tolaunchaboycott Heritage CouncilmeetingattheOpera week vigilinMartinPlaceandtheWorld in October, andtoSydneyforaone Melbourne toprotestoutsideCHOGM The Atom FreeEmbassytravelledto was discussed,butneverparticipated. of anepicanti-nuclearbikeridetoDarwin Woobora tribe.Iwastherewhentheidea Future, whichlaterbecameknownasthe o 0Yas 31 FoE 30Years meet andinteractwith. And theyareabout both theparticipantsandpeoplethey an alternativevision. They areeducativeof Blockade). The ridesareabout providing (1998 -Melbourne, Adelaide toJabiluka to theCycleagainstNuclear - Sydney, Adelaide toRoxbyDowns), to beheld:fromtheRideRoxby(1984 the Earth,ridesagainsturaniumcontinue the aegisofanorganisationlikeFriends Whether independentlyorganisedorunder Marshall. reports beingpublishedin the ridecontinuedthroughEurope,with around southeast Asia. In1983and1984 conference. Othercycliststravelled people takingpersonalresponsibilityfor by veteranFoE Townsville activist,Paul o 0Yas 32 FoE 30Years Chain Reaction

...... the Earth. have participatedasalifelongFriendof critical massinourcities.Iamproudto the anarchicconvergenceofcyclistsas political ‘GreatVictorian BikeRide’ and touring whichismanifestedinthenon- a legacyofinterestincyclingandcycle The originalRidesagainstUraniumleft of eachotherandtheearth. They areaboutlivinglifeandtakingcare their lives. They arebothseriousandfun. more locallyfocussedactivityandgreater focus onnationalcollaborationtowards in thewayFoEoperated,awayfroma of operations. This seems tomarkashift acknowledged localgroupsasthefocus FoEA acceptedanewconstitutionwhich In 1982therewere20localgroupsand during thelater1980s. received greatestattention peace anddisarmamentissues war andnuclearproliferation, With thebackdropofcold Australian indigenousissues. and growingcampaigningon in Latin America andelsewhere, links withliberationstruggles struggle againstapartheid, the FoodJusticeCentre, campaigning withtheriseof to moretargetedsolidarity Inthe1980s,therewasashift Shipboard protest againstnuclearweapons,Melbourne, early1980s.

...... years. Nuclear FreeZonesSecretariatforseveral nuclear freezonesandFoEhostedthe encouraging themtodeclarethemselves Local councilswereafocusofcampaign influence governmentwhereverpossible. street levelmobilisationsandattemptsto cold wartensions,therewerewidespread proliferation ofweaponsasaresult industry in Australia andtheglobal Given theexpansionofnuclear the struggleincomingyears. partof unions wouldbeaverysignificant to moveforward.Henotedthatthetrade could refocus,consolidateandcontinue believed thattheantinuclearmovement there hadstillbeensubstantialgains.He on themovement.” and thatthishada and NabarlekintheNorthern Territory, with twonewuraniumminesatRanger there werealsopressingdomesticissues some redirection” new focusforthemovementrequiring of nuclearwar. Thiswillbeanimportant the communityatincreasinglikelihood There isarisingtideofconcernthroughout renewed activityandbroadeningsupport. uranium movementisenteringaperiodof that ”gloom orguts” Chain Reaction movements. strategic engagementwithothersocial government was fiercely pronuclear,government wasfiercely “there isaclearsignthattheanti- andFrankMullernoted declaredthisayearof . Henotedhoweverthat ButwhiletheFraser “dampening effect o 0Yas 33 FoE 30Years about themost effective waytoinfluence at theFoEA nationalmeetingin1984 of uraniummining. There wasdiscussion policy wasmoremixedonthe question on arangeofenvironmentalissues, its dams’ campaign.While initiallyproactive 1983 onthebackof Tasmanian ‘no The Hawkegovernmentwas elected in and exportofuraniumfrom Australia. campaign workaimedtohaltthemining in thenuclearfuelcycle.HenceFoE’s could makewastobreaktheirinvolvement contribution to world peace that Australians materials (uranium)andthegreatest needed tobesourcedfromradioactive understanding thatnuclearweapons to disarmamentwasbasedonthe FoE’s mostsignificantcontribution uranium movement. that FoEwasmoregroundedintheanti- In thissimplisticanalysisitcanbesaid inter-connected, yetessentiallydifferent. disarmament movementsweresimilarand anti uraniummovementandtherising Australia. Itcanbearguedthattheolder Europe thatreverberatedherein enormous resistanceacrossWestern weapons inNATO countriescreatedan In theearly1980splanstoplacenuclear Peace flotillaboat,protestingvisitsbyUSwarships,Western Australia. o 0Yas 34 FoE 30Years

...... the party. Somefeltthatthebestcourse In late1983,barelyninemonthsafter of theindustry. uphill battletostoptheloomingexpansion mining andeveryoneknewtheyfacedan supportive ofanextensionuranium implementing existingpolicy. Hawkewas pressure thepartyleadershipintoactually grassroots oppositiontouraniumand ALP branchesinorderto help maintain was tobecomeinvolvedinlobbying awareness. delay completion andtoraisecommunity frustrating’ workatthe mine, inorderto actions concentratedon‘hindering and a NuclearFree Australia (CNFA). These umbrella groupingcalledtheCoalition for Downs, in1983and‘84,organised byan Honeymoon inSA in1982andRoxby of newones.Blockadesfollowed,at mines andabanontheestablishment – thephasingoutofexistinguranium many believedwasstatedin ALP policy (NT). This markedadeparturefromwhat the RangermineinNorthern Territory South Australia andthecontinuationof Olympic DammineatRoxbyDownsin voted toallowthedevelopmentof it hadbeenelected,FederalCabinet as partofasuccessful campaigntostop the Aboriginal MiningInformation Centre surface forprocessing.FoEM workedwith chemicals, thenpumpingthe slurry tothe river beds,bydissolvingthegold with gold in‘deepleads’ – undergroundancient mining companieswerehoping toextract mining ofgoldinVictoria. CRA andother forleach In 1983,planswerealsofloated proposal. and farmersgroupstodefeatthelarger nuclear andenvironmentalorganisations worked withabroadcoalitionofanti- surface andgroundwatersystems.FoEM land, withhugeimpactsonlandandboth covering morethan40,000hectaresof could haveledtocommercialoperations major mineralsandsminingproject. This to beginthe‘demonstration’ phaseofa a subsidiaryofCRA gainedapproval In theWimmeraregionofwesternVictoria, across theBasin. and ageneralreductioninwaterpressure comes tothesurfacenearMarreeinSA, arid zonewetlandscreatedwheretheGAB the MoundSprings,acomplexofunique been causing‘irreversibledegradation’ of actual userates,criticsmaintainthishas Great Artesian Basin(GAB).Evenatlower to 33millionlitresofwateradayfromthe licence thatallowedtheminetoextractup operators ofRoxbyDownsaspecialwater In 1984,theSA Governmentawardedthe groups. Corporation) andselected Aboriginal proponent, WMC(formerlyWestern Mining door deals’ beingdonebetweenthemine opened. There weresuggestions of‘back and unresolvedissuessincetheminewas Olympic Damminehavebeencontinual impacts ongroundwaterfromWMC’s resistance. Indigenouslandrightsand after 12yearsofexistenceandcreative South Australia (SA).Itwoundupin1987 organising oppositiontouraniumminingin others in1975,playedapivotalrole (CANE), originallysetupbyFoEand The Australian MiningJournal the Campaign Against NuclearEnergy these blockades. Through thistime, that FoEplayeda‘leadingrole’ in noted

...... Over thisperiod,FoEMplayedakey subsequently built. were destroyedandthesmelterwas the sitewasbulldozed, Aboriginal artefacts successful HighCourtchallenge,butsadly of thesitefromSeptember1980anda Jmara people. There wasanoccupation local traditionalowners,theGournditch- tothe This areawasofsignificance heathland andadjacenttothetownitself. was selectedonasectionofcoastal west ofthestate. A siteatPointDanger aluminium smelteratPortlandinthefar multinational Alcoa overplanstobuildan signed ajointventureagreementwiththe under theleadershipofJohnCain, In 1984,the ALP governmentinVictoria, this destructiveformofmining. Chain Reaction constant theme withinFoEinthe1980s. Issues ofgender andsexismremaineda threats posedbydioxins. undertook groundbreakingwork onthe Island inMelbourne’s innerwestand the bulkchemicalfacilitylocated atCoode Di Masi,campaignedonissues including Henderson, CliveRosewarneandPaul a numberofpeopleincludingClare by Chemicals Collective,influenced in 1983. At thesametime,Hazardous lead contentbeingintroducedinVictoria This resultedinpetrolwithadecreased children’s healthandmental development. focussed ontheimpactsofleadpetrol role inamajorcommunitycampaignthat 1983. The firstblockadesatRoxbyDownsSA, actedasanimportant o 0Yas 35 FoE 30Years However, ingeneraltherewasaclear women …feelinsulted” Reaction” about severalaspectsofthelatestChain FoE Collingwood Denise Chevalierwroteonbehalfof helped fuelinternaltensions.In1982, work inthegreenmovement. This debate lack ofactionmeanttheywouldnolonger its internalstructures” continually failedtoexaminesexismwithin movement overthelast10yearshas of MargieKaye,whosaid many womenexpressedopinionslikethat aired. Inaseriesoflettersandessays, forum wherediffering opinionscouldbe homosexuality” political issuessuchasfeminismand CR fromenvironmentaltowardssocial/ everyone, social justicewasnotappreciatedby FoE’s strongandgrowing emphasison campaigns”. the foreindecisionmakingallour working withus.Thewomenarenowat We havefarmorewomen thanmen fought hardforwhatwehaveachieved. movement. “We, thewomenatFoE,have behaviour wasrifeinFoEandthebroader Kimberley O’Sullivanthatsaidsexist A numberofwomendeclaredthatthe o 0Yas 36 FoE 30Years , highlightingthefactthat “I amdismayedattheshiftin wroteonereaderin1983. “we …arenothappy . byanarticle “the environment “many

...... ability tomobilisepeople,organise to beaverycomplexdebate.FoE’s latest developmentsinwhatturnedout interested peopleinformedofthe played animportantroleinkeeping general public. A regularnewsletter councils, governmentsbodiesandthe to childcareorganisations,local were producedandwidelydistributed booklets andmultilingualleaflets materials fordistribution.Stickers, nationally andproducingeducational role inco-ordinatingthecampaign Friends oftheEarthplayedamajor 1985. introduction ofleadfreepetrolbymid reduction ofleadlevelsandthe to adoptaprograminvolvingthe federal andstategovernments public concernandpersuadethe environmentalists managedtostir lobbying bytheoilandleadindustries, in Australia. Despiteextravagant situation relatingtothesaleofpetrol managed tocompletelyreversethe and fundedbylocalgovernment, campaign, spearheadedbyFoE space oftwoyears,acommunity and itsstyleofcampaigning.Inthe success forFriendsoftheEarth lead to Australian petrolwasamajor The campaigntostoptheadditionof LEAD FREEPETROL Chain Reaction. From anarticle by Andrew Herrington, of leadlevels. need forquickactiononthereduction occupational exposuretolead andthe industrial pollution,indoorair pollution, work, includingleadinbabyfood, reaching it,leadontoothercampaign This victoryandthealliancesbuiltin anti leadmessageinthemassmedia. success oftheefforts toconveythe on previousissueswerevitaltothe had beenpickedupbycampaigners a continuingcampaign. The skillsthat stalls wasveryimportantinmounting meetings, demonstrationsandstreet The NDP attracted 10,000membersand election wascalled forDecember1984. dominated theheadlineswhen asurprise conference whereprotestover thisissue pro-uranium policyatarowdy national The ALP hadrecently re-endorsedits Australian uranium. • Terminate allminingandexportof airspace; weapons through Australian watersor weapons orpassageofnuclear • Prohibitingthestationingofnuclear Australia; • Closureofallforeignmilitarybasesin included: to nucleardisarmament’.Itskeydemands politicians …thatprioritymustbegiven Australians anopportunitytoshowour party withtheaimofgiving‘concerned set upinJune1984asasingleissue Disarmament Party(NDP). The NDP was and equallydramaticfall,oftheNuclear these discussionswasthemeteoricrise ecology’ (eco-socialism). A backdropto strategies forachievinga‘socialist series ofmeetingsaimedatdiscussing In 1984,CRmagazineorganiseda organisation. spite ofthisspeaksvolumesaboutthe the factthatFoEcontinuedtothrivein other. Although traumaticatthetime, becoming increasinglyisolatedfromeach rights andtradeunionmovementswere the women’s, peace,environment,land only tobeexpected. This was atimewhen conflict anddifferences of opinionwere happening throughoutthe1980s,internal divergence ofsocialmovementsthatwas eco-feminists amongothers.Giventhe communists, proto-typegreensand from theleft;socialists,anarchists,former organisation, FoEattractedmanypeople a socialjusticeenvironmentalactivist the sameistrueofanyorganisation. As cannot beeverythingtoeveryone,and as theobservationthatonemagazine doing. Perhapstheissuehereisassimple the ‘corebusiness’ ofwhatFoEshouldbe sense thattheseissuesformedapartof

...... branches formedaroundthecountry. FoE activists. The futureofthealternative over bid’. The SWP’s JimPercyresponded with manyaccusingtheSWP ofa‘take and manyothersresignedfromtheparty, Victorian SenatecandidateJeanMeltzer and eventuallyVallentine, Garrett, walkout onthethirddayofmeeting and allowopendebateofdifferences” as avotingblocdidlittletoeasetensions aggressive meetingtacticsandpresence Goodfield ofCRmagazine, the meeting. According toJonathon Party) wasaccusedoftryingtostack forerunners totheDemocraticSocialist and theSocialistWorkers Party(the meeting confusinganddisheartening structure andpolicy. Manyfoundthis the electionandclarifyNDP’s party attempt toconsolidateadvancesmadein the followingautumn(April1985)inan A nationalconferencewascalledfor disarmament. closely withhimonmanyissuesrelatingto campus atMacquarieUniversityworked Senator fortheNDP and the FoEgroupon seat inNSW. RobertWood becamea Garrett narrowlymissedoutonaSenate Liberals agreetoexchangepreferences, last minutedealthatsawthe ALP andthe was electedinWA. As aconsequenceof activist andpeacebuilderJoValentine, Senator,candidates anditsfirst veteran first preferencevotesforitsSenate national impact.Itreceivedalmost500,000 and achieved remarkablemediaprofile as oneoftheSenatecandidates,NDP profile MidnightOilsingerPeterGarrett dynamism andtheinvolvementofhigh Through acombinationofgrassroots two conferences heldinSydneyover and leftmovements wasdiscussedat the pagesof building receivedprominentattention in for changeandthenotionofalliance continued toexplorenon-party avenues disillusioned bytheseevents, others While manyindividualsfeltgreatly achieve disarmament’. differences inregardstostrategies by sayingthesplitwasover Vallentine andabout80othersstageda Chain Reaction o 0Yas 37 FoE 30Years ‘political “certainly their andamong . Jo USSR, FoEwaseffectively onthesideof in thestrugglebetweenUSA andthe berthed in Auckland harbourkilling the Greenpeaceboat 1985, twominesexplodedonthehullof movement intheseyears.OnJuly10, organisation andbroaderenvironment alsoaffectedExternal influences the support”. our commonidealstostrengthenmutual in Australia, andtofindwaysofusing various facesofthealternativemovements “the commongroundsharedbetweenthe Together’ conferenceattemptedtoshow meet thischallenge’. The ‘Getting Australia andhowtheleftcouldeffectively rightwingin extreme andconfident addressed theemergenceofa‘more Easter 1986. The ‘BroadLeft’ conference so stronglytothe Chernobyldisaster article failed to explain why FoE responded - astheprimethreattoworld peace”. and themultinationals–not theUSSR the SovietUnion: Journal ofMining In termsofglobalpolitics,the could donothing. a remotethreatoroneaboutwhichthey many inthebroadercommunityaseither continued, yettheseissueswereseenby and thethreatofnuclearannihilation in styleandstructure.ColdWar conflicts These actionswereconsciouslyanarchist business ofmilitarismandoppression.’ WMC andothersitesto the City’,targetingstockexchange, Global Violence ‘Stop organised thefirst In Melbourne, Young People Against protests startedtooccur. disruptive actionssuchas‘StoptheCity’ picture decisions,morespontaneousand mobilisations tohaveimpactonbig and disillusionedattheabilityofmass bypunkculture became influenced war continuedand,asmoreactivists tricks’ campaigns. The threatofnuclear and‘dirty more carefulaboutinfiltration Pereira. Greengroupshadtobecome Greenpeace photographerFernando peace organisationswhichregard theUSA of financialinstitutionsintheir…profitable o 0Yas 38 FoE 30Years (AJM) suggestedthat “it ispartofanetwork Rainbow Warrior ‘expose therole Australian The

...... beyond claimingthatpreviouslyFoE paid ondrinkcontainers. South Australia on demandsto legislatefordepositstobe dominant campaign ofthetimefocussed carried outexcellentworkinthis area. The of FranMcDonaldandMurray Keeble recycling campaign,throughthe efforts in particulargrewasissues. The FoEM minimisation ingeneralandrecycling As thedecadeworeon,waste disinformation themes’. Chain Reactioncontained Journal alsoclaimedthatsomearticlesin particularly toFoEcontinuedwhenthe to theroleofenvironmentalgroupsand The AJM’s conspiracytheoryapproach as being‘socialist’ andtherefore‘good’. had viewedtheSovietnuclearprogram network forthefime. In 1998,FoE Australia hostedtheinternational ‘many Soviet litter taxputforwardin1984becauseof cautious ontheissueofaproposed schemes. FoEcampaignersremained the employmentpotentialofrecycling Training), whichcarriedoutresearchinto Victorian MinistryofEmploymentand Employment project(fundedbythe FoEM establishedtheRecyclingand state. NSW ifCDL wastobeimplementedinthat an extra3,000jobswouldbecreatedin good recyclingandCDL,estimatingthat thatwouldbecreatedthrough benefits strong argumentabouttheemployment this situationcontinued.FoESmounteda long andwellfundedcampaigntoensure (CDL) andthebeverageindustryfoughta state withContainerDepositLegislation was (andremainstothisday)theonly implications andpoliticalstructures. deeper contextofconsumption,social consistently placedsimpleissuesina In approachingitscampaigns,FoE throw awaypackaging”. serious disposalproblemscreatedby wasted resourcesandenergythe without “addressingtheproblemsof Nankin’s words, the possibilitythatitwould,inRichard “victimiseconsumers”

...... Urban or‘brown’ issueswereconsistently were thedominantpriorityofmuch Forestcampaigns more narrowlydefined. as ‘environmental’ concernsbecame mid andlaterpartofthedecade,partly The profileofFoEstartedtowaneinthe analysed majorurbanissues”. groups ofthe1970sand1980s,regularly most sociallyradicaloftheenvironmental conservationists” issues whichhavepre-occupied Australian always beenpoorcousinsinthatfamilyof Forests debate. IanWatson, in issues continuedtodominatepublic eighties, whiletraditionalbiodiversity covered byFoEactivistsduringthe issues, FoEcontinued toploughon more popularand ‘sellable’ biodiversity on As othergroups gainedprofile Tasmanian economy’. dams destroysjobsinothersectors ofthe which drewtheconclusionthat ‘building Reaction onemploymentin Tasmania, River campaignwasacoverstory inChain main publishedcontributiontotheFranklin across themainland.Intrueform,FoE’s Wilderness Society(TWS),withbranches in 1983,transformeditselfinto The successful FranklinRivercampaign Wilderness Society, throughthebrilliantly the 1980sand90s. The Tasmanian media attentionandfundingthroughout the movementandreceivedbulkof , wrotethat butnotedthat “urban issueshave Fighting forthe o 0Yas 39 FoE 30Years “FoE,the happened ifFoEhad‘professionalised’ is interestingtoimaginewhatmayhave action overconsolidationoffunctions.It infrastructure andprioritiseddecentralised contrast, neglectedtoestablishthistypeof separate fundraisingdepartments.FoE,in aggressive membershipprogramsand They alsohadlargerinfrastructure,more FoE’s nationalpresencewaned. continue to build profile and influence while green campaignsthattheywereableto and balancedenoughbytheir‘traditional’ and Greenpeace,werelargeenough that didsimilarwork,particularlythe ACF temperature incinerators.Othergroups uranium, hazardouschemicalsandhigh with itsworkonwasteminimisation, wider environment movement’s lackof ‘elitist’ and‘highlightedthe worker’, direct actionintheforestswas ‘anti much ofthe‘90s.SomeinFoE feltthat as ‘environmentalism’ inthe1980sand what thebroadercommunity perceived operations becamethebenchmark of In manyways,theconflictover forestry industry. working classpeoplefromthetimber ‘greenies’ settingthemselvesagainst growing tensionthatsawmiddleclass movement in Australia. This relatedtoa in thedevelopmentofenvironment at whattheysawasabackwardsstep 1980s, someinFoEexpressedconcern public’s attentionintheearly andmid Victoria, andelsewherecapturedthe Franklin, Daintree,Errinundraineastern As forestblockadesatNightcap,the purchasing policy. national targetsforarecycledmaterials consistent voicecallingforthesettingof FoEwasanearlyand were significant. of DavidVincent andothers onrecycling to yieldresults. As oneexample,theefforts influence, FoE’s campaign workcontinued and In spiteofdecreasednationalprofile structures andpolitics. at thistime–whilemaintainingitsradical happening elsewhereinthemovement development functions–aswas its fundraising,lobbying,andmembership o 0Yas 40 FoE 30Years

...... groups keepingawatchfuleyeon continued withFoE,the ACF andother Uranium miningoperationsatRanger movement. green increasingly narrowlydefined broad-based alliancesoutsidethe these changesandsoughttocontinue environmentalism. FoEgrappledwith apolitical analysisandmiddleclass was increasinglybeingeclipsedbyan Environmentalists forFullEmployment, epitomised bytheGreenBansand engaged environmentalactivism,as Earlier class-conscious,socially on thosewhoweresettingthem. implementing forestpolicies,ratherthan focus thebulkoftheirattentiononthose Government, manyactivistsdecidedto disinterested andunresponsiveFederal destruction’. Facedwithanincreasingly which bringaboutenvironmental of understandingabouttheprocesses from othersocialmovements,andlack strategy forsocialchange,isolation

Ila Marks

The first Nuclear Expose Tour was organised in 1990, six years after the Roxby Blockades of 1983 and 1984 where hundreds of people blockaded and hindered the establishment of Olympic Dam Operations, the copper/uranium mine at Dave Sweeney talking at the FoE International Roxby Downs in northern South Australia. meeting, Melbourne, November 1998 During these blockades people had the powerful experience of seeing a uranium the situation until the mid 1990s, when mine and listening to Aboriginal people plans to release contaminated water who were opposed to the mine. Blockaders from tailings dams into the wetlands also had the opportunity of showing their opposition to uranium mining in creative, of the World Heritage listed Kakadu colourful and sometimes dramatic ways. National Park sparked broader community awareness. The Federal Government It was in this tradition that the idea of had denied a previous request in 1987 Nuclear Exposure Tours evolved. The by Energy Resources of Australia to Anti-Uranium Collective at Friends of the release contaminated excess water Earth organised the tours with the aim of held on the mine site. This decision was letting people witness and experience the widely regarded as an attempt to maintain nuclear industry at first hand, to see and the green vote in an election year. But, walk on the country affected, hear what Aboriginal people had to say, learn about with the environment disappearing as a the anti-nuclear movement and strengthen significant issue in federal politics, and opposition to the nuclear industry. We many in the ALP believing that the green wanted to give people the opportunity movement would have to remain closely to support traditional owners in their aligned with the ALP because they had ‘no opposition to the nuclear industry, for tour where else to go’, it was getting harder to participants to return to their colleges, achieve environmental outcomes. work places and communities with the story of their experience and to encourage This new announcement about the release them to play a role in the anti-nuclear of waste water helped refocus Indigenous movement. opposition to the existing Ranger mine The first tour was carefully planned and and raised concerns about future mining with members of the Friends of the Earth operations planned for the region. A new anti-uranium collective doing a “dry-run”. generation of Indigenous people were Such a trip was not new; members of the coming forward to campaign for their collective had been visiting the Mound country, including John Christopherson Springs area in northern South Australia and Christine Christopherson who spoke and working with the Marree/Arabunna on behalf of their uncle Big Bill Neidjie. community since 1987. The Mounds Springs are 120 Kilometres north of the Olympic Dam copper/uranium mine hbDave Sweeney, an anti-nuclear at Roxby Downs. Water for the mine, campaigner with FoE Melbourne began metallurgy plant and town was, and still is, to visit the region, laying much of the being taken from the Great Artesian Basin basis for the relationship that eventually and unique springs have dried completely manifested as the alliance between the and others have had a drastic reduction of Mirrar people and environmentalists that flow. A trip to the Springs area naturally culminated in the famous blockade at led to a round trip to the Roxby Downs Jabiluka in 1998. Dave, who had come town, mine and tailings dam. Members of

FoE 30 Years 41 nuclear waste dumpintheWoomera area proposal foralowtointermediatelevel of CooberPedy. Inmorerecenttoursthe Tjuta, campingatTen MileCreekjustout at theinvitation oftheKupa PitiKungka Mine andtheHoneymoonProject, Later tourstookintheBeverley Uranium the Rare EarthTailings dumpatPort Pirie. development nearHorshaminVictoriaand included CRA’s proposedmineral sands nuclear activitiesintheirareas.These though toorganisejointactionsagainst with communitiestheywouldbepassing behaviour. Theyalsoneededtomeet information onculturally appropriate owners forcampingintheircountryand permission was neededfromtraditional The “dry-run” was importantbecause an organisedandconstructive way. share thisexperiencewithotherpeoplein was anothermotivation forthetour, to familiar withthespringsandRoxby; this the anti-uranium collective werebecoming while duringthe day therewerecultural nights tocelebrate theMound Springs, where amusicfestival was heldover three Alberrie CreekonFinnisSprings Station days atRoxby theprotestors moved to Hovey inthe Roxby Library. Afterthree paintings by theMelbourneArtistLyn Roxstop alsoincludedanexhibition of radiation exposureonnuclearworkers. about hisworkandtheeffectsoflowlevel Richarson asthekey notespeaker talking the UnitedStatesepidemiologistDrDavid meeting attendedby over 120peoplewith of themine.Heretheyhostedapublic Roxby toprotestagainsttheexpansion 1997, whereover 300peoplegatheredat ‘Roxstop ActionandMusicFestival’ in formed acollective andorganisedthe Following atourin1996theparticipants local environmentalists. organised many stallsandactionswith as wellthepeopleontour, and School thatinvolved allofthestudents a performanceattheWoomera Primary and community healthissues,produced leafleted theentiretownonworkers’ at theRoxby DownsCommunity Centre, meetings onradiation exposurelevels back adventure, wehave organisedpublic to make them morethanjustanout- In organisingthetoursweendeavoured has alsobecomeafocus. o 0Yas 42 FoE 30Years

...... the Kupa PitiKungka Tjutasaying, organised Roxstop received afaxfrom In August 1998thecollective thathad Dodd andKevin Buzzacott. the Arrabunna community includingReg workshops andtoursgiven by membersof There have beenmany greatandrewarding even thoughwewerefourhourslate. Adnyamathanha community atNepabunna being warmly greetedby membersofthe to bepumpedbackintotheaquifer;and chemical structureofthewaste solution participants asked questionsaboutthe Honeymoon Uranium Projectsquirmas Centre; seeingtherepresentatives ofthe protesting outsidetheWoomera Detention of exposuretolowlevels ofradiation; leaflet onworkers’ heathandtheeffects the moonrisingover Lake EyreSouth;the to Ten MileCreekjustoutsideCooperPedy; the first timetheKungka Tjutainvited us a protest.Andtherehave beenhigh-lights: campsite whilepeoplewereinPort Pirieat scattered cereal,breadandfruitover the Rangers emusraided ourcampand Mambury CreekinthesouthernFlinders impassable duetorain. Anothertimeat buses foronenightwhentheroadbecame Roxby Downswithforty peopleandthree Road betweentheOodnadatta Track and year wewerestranded ontheBorefield Things didnotalways rumsmoothly, one and metwithAboriginalpeople. Pedy, heldapublicmeetingonthedump people travelled fromMelbournetoCoober In Septemberthatyear agroupofover 12 whitefellas fromherewhowanttocome)”. meeting withAboriginalpeople(andany come upheretoCooberPedyandhavea We wantyourhelp!youto active wastedump.Wedon’twantthat...,. trying hardaboutthisrubbish-theradio- the anti-nuclearmovement. have madeaconsiderable contribution to many oftheparticipantsfromvarious tours never-to-be-forgotten experienceand a tourhashadanamazing,memorable, in tours.Every personwhohasgone on and many individuals whohave taken part communities withbothFriendsoftheEarth working relationshipbetweenAboriginal acknowledged isthestrengtheningofclose Tours, butwhatstandsoutandmustbe outcomes fromtheNuclearExposures “We’re Bicentenary ‘the yearofshame’ and was and poetJohn Renshaw labelledthe people andtheirsupporters.FoE activist by ayearofmajorprotests Indigenous settlement of Australia andwasmarked 1988 wastheBicentenaryof European position. an anti-nuclearandproenvironment potentially forcethemainpartiestowards a red/greenelectoralalliancethatcould party, thisagainraisedthepossibilityof before thecreationofanationalGreens argument ontheenvironment.Indays Federal Cabinetseemedimmunetoany take thesupportofleftforgranted. centre oftheelectorate,andfelthecould officials, BobHawkewasinterestedinthe environment. According tomanyparty to secureanygreatadvantageforthe climate oftheday, thesemeetingsfailed before theelectionand,givenpolitical the partyandenvironmental‘heavies’ was excludedfromnegotiationsbetween involvement inthenuclearfuelcycle.FoE path forachievinganendto Australia’s signalling anevenharderandmorelimited In 1987,the ALP wasre-electedtopower, in thepast’. and poormanagementmaintenance Springs, ‘alreadydegradedbypastoralists reported ontheimpactsMound voracious demandforgroundwater. They Olympic Dammine,particularlythemine’s catalogue theecologicalcostsofWMC’s working withlocaltraditionalownersto to theregionaroundRoxbyDownsinSA, anti-uranium collectivemaderegulartrips Miller andothersfromtheMelbourne Ila Marks,LindaJanWhyte,Eric proposals tofurtherexpandtheindustry. SA andtheNT andhighlightingvarious industry, focusingonexistingminesin activists keptpressureonthedomestic on nuclearissuesin Australia, FoE At atimewheretherewaslimitedattention fuel cycle. movements thatwereresistingthenuclear indigenous communitiesandothersocial strong relationswithtradeunions,other also helpedFoE’s efforts tobuild from acommunityradiobackground,

...... argue thatconsumers’ choiceswillalways politicians ‘off thehook’. FoEcontinuesto as itpotentiallyletbigbusinessand seeing thisasbeingthecoreofmatter, deterioration, FoEcautionedagainst problem andthesolutiontoenvironmental consumers aselementsofboththe Whileacknowledgingtheroleofindividual solution toenvironmentaldestruction. individual consumerswasseenasthe changing thepurchasingchoicesof consumption patterns.Inthisanalysis, environmental deteriorationonindividual focussed attention,andhence‘blame’,for was intenselynon-politicalandprimarily This ‘thirdwave’ ofenvironmentalism consumerism’ that marked the early 1990s. created thebriefwaveof‘green These threeinterconnectedphenomena advocates fortheenvironment. of famouspeoplebecomingvocal issues, aswellwithagrowingnumber awareness andconcernforenvironmental and thisintersectedwithgrowingpublic media attentiongiventotheenvironment, period, therewassuddenlyfargreater concepts ofenvironmentalism.Inalimited phase inthedevelopmentofmodern intersected toformanewandunexpected Around thistime,threenoticeabletrends of GovernorPhillipatBotanyBay. day ofthere-enactmentfirstlanding the survivaldaymarchinSydneyon one ofaround45,000peoplewhojoined including FoE. surge inmembershipofallgreengroups, wave ofconcernwasanunprecedented thinking. ofthis An unexpectedbenefit as adominantforceinenvironmental short time,greenconsumerismsubsided economy theylivein. After arelatively options presentedbythecommunityand be largelydictatedbytherealitiesand o 0Yas 43 FoE 30Years FoE 30 Years 44 FoE 30 Years 45 this island. campaign thatledtotheend of loggingon direct actioncamponFraser Island inthe This includedhelpingtomaintain the conservation forestsaroundthe country. campaigns toensureprotection ofhigh the early1990s,FoEcarriedout extensive became moreprominentinthisdecade.In FoE’s involvementinforestissuesalso in westernVictoria. blockades ofloggingoperations (Minjeribah) inQueenslandand on NorthStradbrokeIsland campaigns againstsandmining communities continuedwith with variousIndigenous campaign-orientated alliances mine inKakadu.Practical, the proposedJabilukauranium with theMirrarpeopletooppose FoE playedakeyroleworking following itselectionin1996. Australia’s nuclearindustry an aggressiveexpansionof government embarkedon especially aftertheHoward continued todominate, Inthe1990s,nuclearissues o 0Yas 46 FoE 30Years

...... corporate behaviour. to regulateinternationalinvestmentand would restrictwhatgovernmentscoulddo would haveestablishedasetofrulesthat Agreement onInvestment(MAI),which campaign againsttheMultilateral FoEM wasactiveinthesuccessful active roleinmobilisingagainstthese. on tradeoccurredandFoEMtookan A newroundofinternationalnegotiations the decade. campaignsinthelaterpartof high profile climate changealsobecameincreasingly Melbourne in2000.Climatejusticeand World EconomicForummeeting heldin with themassiveprotestsagainst defined globalisationreachedahighpoint Community organisingagainstcorporate implementing thisagenda. street leveloppositiontothestructures on tradeissuesgrewdramatically, asdid liberalisation oftraderegimes,FoE’s focus entered anewphasewithsystematic On agloballevel,asneo-liberalism established at all gatestotheexhibition, Exhibition Centre. Picketlineswere people demonstratedoutside theNational manufacturers, andseveralthousand was effectively atradefairforweapons of selling‘defenceequipment’, this Although billedasbeinginthe business Exhibition (AIDEX)washeldin Canberra. 1991 the Australian InternationalDefence concern ofFoEgroupsandinNovember Peace hasalwaysbeenafundamental many years. forFoEAInternational LiaisonOfficers for Poland andSpainactingasthe network, attendingFoEImeetingsin involvement intheFoEInternational with DavetoincreaseFoE Australia’s nuclear “Jabiluka”handsymbol,worked Kathleen McCann,thedesignerofanti- late 1980sonward.FoEMelbourneactivist in almostallantinuclearactivityfromthe Dave Sweeneyhasplayedapivotalrole later asnuclearcampaignerwiththe ACF FoE Melbourneantiuraniumcollectiveand Through histimeasco-ordinatorofthe site, abovegroundstorageofwastes. in theproposal,andcallinginsteadforon- external opportunitiestohighlighttheflaws process, usingproceduralinterventionand the ACF workedrelentlesslytoslowthe eightpossiblelocations.FoEand identified physical locationofthewastefacility. It outlining aselectionprocessforthe Government releasedadiscussionpaper level wastedump.In1994,theFederal forward withplansforalowandmedium ALP andCoalitiongovernments moved In termsofthenationalwastefacility, both in the companyclosingitsoffice Australia. Pangea’s planslead,soonafterwards,to in Australia. This prematurereleaseof England andthentoFoEotherNGOs dump in Australia wereleakedtoFoEin to locateahighlevelradioactivewaste by acompanycalledPangeaResources simmered forthenextdecade,untilplans reactors aroundtheworld. This issue at LucasHeights,butalsofromnuclear not onlyfrom Australia’s researchreactor term storagesiteforradioactivewaste, started tomakepublicitsplansforalong In theearly1990s,nuclearindustry

...... political persuasions. As aresult,tactics with eachoccupiedbypeopleofdifferent with theKokathatraditionalowners.It near Woomera sawclosecooperation US baseintheSouth Australian desert protest actionheldoutsidetheNurrungar In 40,000 leaflets. April 1993,anational (‘AIDEX onwings’),handingoutover Expo at Avalon, westofMelbourne organise actionsoutsidethe Aerospace Disarm theSkiesCampaignCoalitionto range ofgroupsundertheumbrella In thefollowingyear, FoEworkedwitha security andpeaceissuesin Australia. the profileofarmsindustry, regional raising was importantinsignificantly attempts toderailit. The AIDEX protest and whichsuffered fromunsuccessful was calledbysomethe‘nonviolentaction’ ordinated the‘environmentaction’,which defined ‘orthodox’ non-violence.FoEco- and somepractitionersofanarrowly unpopular withsomemilitantgroupings dogmatic approachtoactions,FoEwas With astronglynon-violent,butnon- exhibition. camp establishedforthedurationof actions attheblockadesandrun from Melbournehelpedco-ordinate of theorganisingeventsandpeople presence wasenormous.FoEdidmuch etc) tostandupfights. The police through forestblockadetactics(tripods, varied fromclassicGhandianapproaches access, andthis geographicalisolation of affordable, widelyavailableinternet Queensland. This wasbeforethedays Willunga (SA)andStanthorpe insouthern Maitland, theSnowyMountains inNSW, including Maryborough(QLD), Cessnock, of FoEgroupswereinruralareas, number In theearly1990s,asignificant actions. in Melbournethebuild-upto AIDEX ever bannerdropoff the Westgate Bridge Dimity Hawkins,whoco-ordinatedthefirst was influencedbymanypeopleincluding base. This strongfocusonmilitarism the deploymentoftroopstosecure nature ofouralliancewiththeUSA and also increasedpublicdebateoverthe o 0Yas 47 FoE 30Years Dimity Hawkins

(Australia’s International Defence Equipment Exhibition) was billed by the defence industry and government as “the forefront of defence shows in the entire Asia-Pacific region”. The Stop AIDEX campaign touted it as “Australians trading in death and destruction”, certainly a little The ‘Gungalidda embassy’ outside the CRA AGM in less of an up-pitch, but far more accurate. Melbourne.1994. AIDEX exhibitions were held in both meant there was only limited connection 1989 and 1991, displaying wares from between the groups. While there was some of the largest and deadliest defence a spirit of co-operation and a sense of and offence contractors in the dead-heart being part of a national network, physical of our very own capital city, Canberra. collaboration on specific projects was The ‘91 exhibition attracted a strong and often quite limited. Despite this, FoE sustained national focus of opposition local groups carried out significant and and around 1,000 protesters to the huge often very diverse local campaigns, from physically blockading logging operations 24 hour on-site protest camp from 22-28 on Fraser island to the work of FoE November. Maitland in lobbying local councils on the need for municipal recycling programs Context is everything and the context in and collecting, propagating, planting and this case was that AIDEX was held at the maintaining indigenous vegetation. tail end of a year that had seen the first Gulf War rage short, sharp and furious In 1993, FoEM began working with across our TV screens and brought us Wadjularbinna, a Gungalidda woman marching to our feet (thirteen years later from the Doomadgee community in the Gulf country of north Queensland. Many we are still marching to the same beat and within the Gungalidda community were the Iraqi people have endured twelve more opposing plans by CRA to develop the years of continuing tyranny at the hands Century Zinc deposit at Lawn Hill, about of their own leader along with sustained 250 kilometres north-northwest of Mt Isa. bombings and crippling sanctions from FoEM held actions outside the CRA AGM “coalition” forces before this current in Melbourne and raised the issue in the chapter in the sad tale). AGM itself as part of a campaign that ran for several years. It was also the year that saw the Dili Largely through the efforts of Lee Tan, massacre in East Timor. A nation whose these campaign links developed into a plight was systematically ignored and broader informal alliance. FoEM activists belittled by the majority of our parliament subsequently helped establish the and media, again in the name of that Bugajinda/ Moonlight outstation project great political silencer, oil. For many, which included the construction of basic the Dili massacre brought to the fore the facilities that allowed members of the ugly and damning truth of the situation Moonlight clan to visit their country on a in Timor. (Again, how tragic that it took more regular basis, acted as a base for a nearly another decade before the Timorese series of cultural exchanges and formed the beginnings of an eco- and cultural- people could find freedom.) tourism business.

FoE 30 Years 48 the Aerospace Exhibition. This huge Melbourne helped organise against The yearfollowing AIDEX’91, FoE of theGulf War of‘91. it’s roleincallingforapeacefulresolution attacks, bothphysicallyandpolitically, for was seriouslytargeted, sustainingserious some ofthebigones.FoEMelbourne that peaceanddisarmamenthavebeen on manyissuesandweshouldnotforget FoE hashadaproudhistoryinworking Police. were madeagainstthe Australian Federal participants beingthrownintothegutters) bleeding wounds,towheelchairbound hired securitypersonnel. by the Australian FederalPoliceand hundreds ofpeopleseriouslywounded duty. However, AIDEX ‘91alsosaw when warmongeringisseenaspatriotic its kindsoblatantly, eveninthesetimes stupidity) toholdanotherexhibitionof has neverhadtheguts(orperhaps the Australian governmentandindustry AIDEX ‘91wasahugesuccessinthat simple message“Stop AIDEX”. drop off the Westgate Bridgewiththe Canberra. There wasevenahugebanner sent astrongcontingenttotheprotestin institutions. We coordinatedtraveland some ofMelbourne’s keywarmongering time, weheldsmallerprotestsoutsideof other anti-militarygroupsaroundatthe logistics aswelllobbying. Along with to AIDEX in‘91,organising trainingand pulling togethertheresponseofpeople FoE Melbourneplayedabigrolein saw. And generally, wedidn’t likewhatwe both inourregionandmoregenerally. notice ofwhatourrolewasinwarfare, community satupandtookparticular on ourdoorstep,manyinthe Australian With theGulf War andtheDilimassacre official complaints(frombrokenbones,

Several hundred

...... always. Flyingtheflag, neverflagging. be evident. Ask around.FoEwasthere,as stories abound;somescarsmayevenstill of footageexistonthe1991campaign; campaigns ineither‘89or‘91.Hours began withwarandtheStop AIDEX all thisanti-military, pro-peacerah-rah For manyofussemi-oldtimersFoE, been vital. and everyoneofthesecampaignshas go toprint.FoE’s participationineach War in2003andcontinuetodosoaswe who vigorouslyopposedthesecondIraq maintain arethemajorityof Australians years FoEhasjoinedwithwhatmany the USA. And ofcourseinthelastfew the crazymissiledefenceproposalfrom Gap in2002andhasbeenlookinginto the protestsagainstUSspybasePine More recently, FoEhelpedcoordinate now obsoleteandabsorbedintoPineGap. a desert-basedUSmilitaryspyfacility, part oftheCloseNurrungarcampaign, of peopletoattendadesertprotestas national groupstoorganise thousands FoE Melbourneagainjoinedwithother selling militarytechnology. In1993, a sinisterunderbellydisplayingand crowds intheirthousands,butalsohas technology, attractsweekendfamily exhibition, displayingaircraftandrelated shut downthe AIDEX armsexhibition,1991 Thousands ofpeople descendedonCanberrato o 0Yas 49 FoE 30Years

the partialprivatisationofapublicasset Coalition’s approach,arguing thatlinking sought tounitethegroupsagainst of thekeygreengroupsinCanberra,FoE the disappointing’. At ameetingwithmost mixture of‘thegood,theuncertain,and circumspect, labellingthepolicyasa Australian LaborParty(ALP),wasmore and closerhistoricallinkswiththe (ACF), withabroadersocialawareness The Australian Conservationfoundation environment. privatisation of Telstra, a‘greatday’ forthe were linkedtothecontroversialpartial its environmentelectionpromises,which declaring theCoalition’s announcementof Society (TWS)openlycourtedtheLiberals, deliver onforestissues, The Wilderness Disillusioned withthe ALP’s inabilityto and valuesofkeyenvironmentgroups. major differences between theapproaches The 1996FederalElectionhighlighted FoEA networkinthelate1990s. south westWestern Australia, joinedthe group workingtoprotectnativeforestsin Friends oftheForests,alongestablished Victoria. Bridgetown–Greenbushes tablelands andatStawellinwestern Northern NSW, ontheNewEngland become re-establishedincludingin groups inruralandregionalareashave from about1994.Inrecentyears,FoE andactivity persistent growthinprofile FoEA experiencedaperiodofslowbut provision ofhealthservices. discrimination aroundpolicingandthe incidentsof community andspecific endemic racismagainstthe Aboriginal in themainstreetofPortland,toprotest Jmara community to set up a tent embassy In 1994,FoEMworkedwiththeKerrup

...... telephones and the environment, I’d flog telephones andtheenvironment, I’dflog package. A numberofthenationalgroups the Coalition’s proposed environment Region andCanberratodenounce Conservation CounciloftheSouthEast Lands EnvironmentCentreandthe FoE wasultimatelyjoinedbythe Arid activity. simply thatitfelloutsidetheirsphereof the Telstra or issuewouldbetoodifficult groups arguedthattakingapositionon provocative socialissues,someother position. Unwillingtoengageonpotentially later refusedtosignajointmovement initially positiveaboutthismove, ACF drip feedsfromassetsales. Although deserved coreandassuredfunding,not FoE alsoarguedthattheenvironment and restoration,wassimplyblackmail. with fundingforenvironmentalprotection Telstra’. deserves funding regardlessofthesale TWS said‘it’s anexcellentpackagethat the phoneseverytime’, of theWWFstated (the government)getsit’. the environmentandwedon’t carehow …all weknowisthatneedmoneyfor stated The directoroftheSurfriderFoundation time. through theircommentsorpositionsatthis completely lackinginsocialperspectives complicit inthis‘privatisationbystealth’ or marked themselvesaseitherbeing selling Telstra oreconomicrationalism, FoE wasoneofthefewgreengroupstovoiceop position tothesaleof Telstra. ‘(surfers) don’tgivetwohootsabout

‘if itcomesbetween and Alec Marrof o 0Yas 51 FoE 30Years David Butcher - all environmentalistsnow’ as theNECF, theNationalEnvironment Organisation. This wasreconstituted re-casting thePeakConservation job ofecologicalrestoration–included to rollupoursleevesandgetonwiththe approach totheenvironment–thatwe The politicaltrajectoryoftheCoalition’s the salemorepalatable. was createdbyHoward’s staffers tomake government adviserwhosaidthatthelink as a‘cynicalpoliticalfraud’ byasenior andlaterrevealed was alwaysartificial the Telstra saleandenvironmentalfunding hindsight isthefactthatlinkbetween What makesthesecommentssadderin about whatenvironmental sustainability development that raisedmanyquestions towards theendofdecade, a Environmental NGOsandcorporations pattern ofincreasedcollaboration between this trend.Butitisclearthatthere wasa certainly thereweremanyexceptions to apparent. This wasnotuniformand corporations, subtlepoliticalshiftsbecame and closerco-operationwithvarious alliances’ withnon-traditionalpartners movements. As theysought‘unlikely isolate themselvesfrombroadersocial environmental NGOsincreasingly This periodsawmanyofthelarger government. able todevelopusefullinkswiththenew (WWF) andtheHumaneSocietywere some suchasWorld WildlifeFoundation contacts withthecorporatesector, while Others, includingthe ACF, expandedtheir financing destructionofoldgrowthforests. activism andtargetingthecompanies moving moretowardsinvestment-based some, forexampletheWildernessSociety, evaluated theircampaignfocuswith increasingly elusive.Manygroups lobbying theFederalGovernmentbecame gains through‘traditional’ methodsof government, environmentvictoriesand With theelectionofHoward Australia BeautifulandCleanUp Australia. ‘non political’ organisationssuchasKeep membership ofcorporatefundedand Consultative Forum,withanexpanded o 0Yas 52 FoE 30Years and justneed ‘are

...... sector. However, FoE’s assessmentof ‘old fashioned’ viewsofthecorporate dismiss FoE’s concernsasbeingabout some inthemovementcouldanddid corporate polluters”. were actually close collaborationwithlargecorporations the sameeditionthatNGOsengagedin More pointedly, JimGreencommentedin conflict intoandbetweenNGOs.” corporations, engagementtransfersthe with campaigning wouldcreateconflicts and volunteers.Whereonce,independent conflicts resultinginthecostlylossofstaff corporate processesledtodivisiveinternal and therealityofpassivelyengagingin rhetoric ofaccountabilityandtransparency, “ …oftenthetensionbetweenNGO’s focused oncorporateengagement(#87) noted inaneditionof Journalist andcommentatorBobBurton problematic. of companies,wereconsideredtobe in verifyingtheenvironmentalclaims companies, andthebroaderuseofNGOs specific environmentNGOsandparticular Both bilateralarrangementsbetween relationships forgedduringthisperiod. actual ecologicalvalueofmanythe some ofthecompaniesinvolvedand deeply suspiciousofthemotivations True toitspoliticaltraditions,FoEwas achieve it. meant andhowwemightbeableto opportunity and hencejustbeconsidered pragmatic choice inatimeoflimited While engagementcanbeseen asa community-based organisations. agents’ neededtobefirmly focussedon the environmentmovementand ‘change argued thatprimaryalliances between resting inthehandsofcommunities.FoE engagement, sawpowerasultimately others, whoweremorecautiousabout that powerrestedwithcorporations,many of thoseengaginghadeffectively decided society are.Itrecognisedthatwhilstmany on whothefundamentalchangeagentsin issues ofcorporateengagementfocused the dynamicsthatsurfacedaround “providing politicalcoverfor Onasimplisticlevel, Chain Reaction that At thistime,with astrongclimatejustice Environmental Rights Action/ FoE Nigeria. Fiji, andNnimmoBasseythe director of Pacific ConcernsResourceCentre in International, PatrinaDumaru ofthe Ricardo Navarro,thechairperson ofFoE and globalisation. The seminarfeatured seminar onthethemesofclimate justice In April 2001,FoEhostedaninternational economic costsofglobalwarming. a disproportionateburdenofthesocialand the factthatpoorercommunitieswillbear aspects oftheclimatedebate,highlighting of thisworkhasbeentoincludetheequity dimensions ofclimatechange. A key part roleinhighlightingthehuman a significant justice campaign.Sincethenithasplayed In 2000,FoEA establisheditsclimate World SocialForumsheld eachyear. Social Forums,whicharemodelledonthe creation ofthehighlysuccessfulBrisbane In another, FoEBrisbanewaspivotalinthe and styleofoperationFoE. remains indicativeofthetypesinitiatives is yettorecover. The Earthworkerproject loss ofmomentumfromwhichEarthworker Otway Rangesin2000causedadramatic blockade ofagreenprotestcampinthe following aforestworkersunioncounter overforestissues years, aseriousconflict few considerable momentuminitsfirst and tradeunions.’ Despitebuilding co-operation betweengreengroups interventionist’ forumto‘allowforgreater aimed tobea‘nonfactionalandnon to launchtheEarthworkeralliance.It Nursing Federationandothersin1998 Electrical Trades Union,the Australian social organisations,FoEjoinedwiththe section ofprogressiveunionsandother Reflecting growinglinkswithacross conflict withbigbusiness. encouraged collaborationratherthan this helpedcreateapoliticalclimatethat Australian environmentmovementand amongst somekeyindividualsinthe capitalism gainedconsiderablefavour approach. The ideaof‘green’ or‘natural’ also philosophicalunderpinningstothis as atacticamongstothers,therewere

...... collective and Alan Hobanworking dimensions ofclimatechange.FoE were heldtohighlightthehuman public meetingsanddirectactions issue, aseriesofstreetevents, as theFoEcampaigneronthis that wasestablishing plantations. being destroyed byacompany Red Tail BlackCockatoo was habitat ofthecriticallyendangered FoE highlightedthefactthat For instance,inWestern Victoria, negative elementsofthisland use. impacts ongroundwaterand other including useofherbicides, the establishmentofplantations, ecological andsocialimpactsof even moreattentiontothe From 2000onwards,FoEdevoted environmental (climate)refugees. began advocating for recognition of ecological debtintoitsworkand started combiningtheconceptsof FoE International. Ricardo NavarroofFoEElSalvador. thechairof o 0Yas 53 FoE 30Years o 0Yas 54 FoE 30Years

...... on theCoodefacilityshouldoccurwithin Groups. FoEMarguedthatanydecision the bannerofCombinedEnvironment the re-locationofthesefacilitiesunder parallel stateandfederalinquiriesinto a rangeofothergroupsthroughoutthe Armaments Complex.FoEMworkedwith on thesameheadland,EastCoast by planstolocateanavalarmscomplex Geelong. The situationwas complicated a headlandonPortPhillipBaynear relocation ofthefacilitytoPointLillias, city. An inquirywasheldintothepossible toxic clouddescendedovermuchofthe Melbourne suffered amajorfireand facility atCoodeIslandininnerwestern In August 1991,thebulkchemical domestic situations because of heath risks. place abanontheuseofCCA incertain Authority announcedthatitintendedto Pesticides andVeterinary Medical relevant authorities.In2003,the Australian green groups,thebroadercommunityand issue wasfinallytakenseriouslybyother years thisstartedtoyieldresultsasthe preserving softwoodtimber. After several (CCA), themostcommontreatmentfor threats posedbyCopperChrome Arsenate FoE alsostartedtoraiseawarenessofthe being adoptedbymuchofthemovement. and holisticpositionontimberproduction position, resultinginamoresophisticated these samegroupscametosupportFoE’s by allgreengroups,butovertheyears This criticalapproachwasnotappreciated campaign. In 1992,FoEFitzroy launcheditsforest

...... Industry Councilandwasbasedonthe initiated bythe Australian Chemical such asthe‘responsiblecare’ program against abackdropofvoluntaryprograms call forRTK legislationwas occurring emissions fromindustrialactivities. The existence, quantitiesandeffects of people toaccessinformationonthe early 1990s.RTK referstotherightof Right To Know(RTK) legislation inthe were prominentnationaladvocatesof Clare HendersonandLarryO’Loughlan dependence. the costsandimpactsofourchemical and FoEMcontinuestoworkhighlight in theinnerwestsuburbsofMelbourne facility remainsadangertoresidents moved toPointLillias. The CoodeIsland chemicals. Intheend,neitherfacilitywas overall reductionintheuseofhazardous a contextthatsoughttoachievean ernment departmentresponsibleforlogging(DNRE). FoE maintainedaregularpicketoutsidethestategov form theEastGippsland Forest Alliance. Concerned Residents ofEastGippslandto FoEM joinedthe WildernessSocietyand forests. Overthesummerof1993-94, intense campaigningtoprotect Victoria’s yearsof activists resultedinmorethan five and theenergyofanewgeneration of The creationoftheFoEMForest Network Rainforest Action Groupinthelate1980s. EGFN haditselfgrownfromMelbourne Network (EGFN)mergedwithFoEM. The 1992, whentheEastGippslandForest FoEM beganworkingonforestissuesin programs. operations throughvoluntarydisclosure could notbetrustedtomanagetheir correct assumptionthatlargecompanies o 0Yas 55 FoE 30Years - ‘celebrate anddefend’ forestsgathering The campaignwaslaunchedwitha the OtwayRanges EnvironmentNetwork, In 1994,FoEM helpedestablishOREN– sections arestillbeinglogged. blockade andassociatedcampaigning, through moratoriumsbecause ofthe Goolengook foresthasbeenprotected forest blockade.Whilesomeof the the focusof Australia’s longestrunning The followingyearGoolengookbecame adjacent totheErrinundraNationalPark. temperate andwarmrainforest Gippsland -ararecombinationofcool forests oftheGoolengookvalleyinfareast a groupfromGECO‘discovered’ the working withFoEMForestNetwork,and In 1996JohnFraser, someotheractivist licenses. buildup totheannualrenewalofwoodchip lobbying oftheFederalGovernmentin that enabledintensecampaigningand good collaborationwithothergreengroups woodchipping campaign. This periodsaw Louise Matthiessoninthenationalanti of ForestNetworkactivistssuchas years also featured the strong engagement in termsofforestprotection. The early efforts havehelpedwinconsiderable gains every yearsincethatsummerandthese has continuedinEastGippslandalmost the-ground blockadesandcampaigning elsewhere ontheErrinundraPlateau.On- headwaters of the Delegate catchment and and featuredasummerofactionsinthe in theGoongerahvalleynorthofOrbost offices ,1994 Action outsidethestategovernmentforestry o 0Yas 56 FoE 30Years

...... now the highest profile greengroupinthe now thehighestprofile forestry sector, eventuallydecidedtoseek Hancock’s, amajorplayer intheplantation As aresultofcampaignpressure, decade. campaigning inVictoria overthepast environmental outcomesachievedinforest produced someofthemostsignificant especially intheStrezleckiRanges,has Anthony’s workwithcommunity groups, US-based insurancecompanyin1998. Kennett governmenttoHancocks,a once itwasprivatisedandsoldbythe of theVictorian Plantation Corporation monitored forestry operations on the estate on privateland.Healsorelentlessly highlight oftendisastrousloggingregimes much oftherestdecadeworkingto The ForestNetwork’s Anthony Amis spent movement. largely unmonitoredbytheenvironment land acrossthestate,anissueatthattime scale ofproblemsfromloggingonprivate government. This victoryhighlighted the to athenStateMinisterintheKennett targeting atimbercompanywithlinks and Administrative Tribunal, successfully FoEM tookacasetotheVictorian Civil of theEnvironmentalDefendersOffice, the DandenongRanges.Withsupport domestic drinkingwatercatchmenteastof land inVictoria atMcCraesCreek,a for abreachofloggingpermitonprivate prosecution In 1996,itachievedthefirst Otways andGeelongregions. operations. independent accreditationoftheirforestry The useofpressure pointtactics,1994. involvement of staff andmembersinpicket struggles, both intermsofphysical role inmany FoEM playedasignificant the government. colleges aftertheywere‘rationalised’ by of NorthlandsandRichmond secondary Niddrie andWerribee, andtheoccupations the proposedhazardouswastefacilitiesat Park, tothesuccessfulstrugglesagainst Prix carraceinapublicspaceat Albert from oppositiontothesitingofGrand movement. Campaignswereeverywhere, into abroad-basedandwellconnected or policydecisions,increasinglymerged government projects,cutbackstoservices variety oflocalcampaignsagainstspecific In thenextfewyears,whatstartedasa wavered. these rallies,theleadershipof Trades Hall, dissipated afterthekeyorganisersof of remarkable‘generalstrikes’,butthese by theGovernment. There wereaseries and environmentalprojectsputforward the sheernumberofdestructivesocial community sectorwasoverwhelmedat the state.Inearlydays,muchof grassroots levelinMelbourneandacross and unprecedentedresistanceatthe time ofsignificantcommunitypoliticisation State Government(1992-99)markeda The yearsundertheVictorian Kennett and theLakeEyreBasin. Australia’s extensivearidzonerangelands campaigning onthemanagementof which plannedtohelpco-ordinate creation ofanationalaridlandscoalition, 1993 FoEnationalmeetingproposedthe Rosewarne inMelbourne. The January of StephenBakerin Adelaide andClive localised impacts,largelyattheinstigation on landmanagementratherthanjust in anewway, withastrongeremphasise also startedworkingonaridzoneissues In thefirstfewyearsof1990s,FoE and thebroadertimbertrade. FoEM continuestomonitorthisprocess the ForestStewardshipCouncil(FSC). of forestryoperationsin Australia through manager togainindependentcertification In 2003,theybecamethefirstlargeland

...... operations on Alexandra Paradeforover CAFE activistsblockadedroadmaking and localresidents’ organisations. individuals, studentsandpublictransport Greenpeace anddrewtogetherarangeof transport seminarorganisedbyFoEMand struggle of1977,wasformedaftera earlier CAF–Citizens Against Freeways (CAFÉ), consciouslynamedtohonourthe Coalition Against FreewayExtensions northern suburbsofMelbourne. The of theeasternFreewayintoinner community oppositiontotheextension In 1994,FoEMactedasafocalpointfor Australian environmentalpolitics. the developmentofthisnewstagein Australia Justice: CommunityCampaigningin FoEM producedthebooklet aspects ofcommunityorganising. police liaison,facilitationskillsandother the scenestraininginnonviolentaction, lines andcampaigns,alsoinbehind in1999asacontributionto o 0Yas 57 FoE 30Years Environmental festival outside oftheUK. organised thethird ReclaimtheStreets creative action. In1998,StreetsforPeople focussing onproactive,positive and a newtransportcampaignat FoEM Streets forPeoplewasestablished as approved theEasternfreeway. In1999, the StateGovernmentwhenit originally Doncaster, whichhadbeenpromisedby for thelightraillinkfromMelbourneto the RingwoodBypassandcampaigned Mullum creekvalleyinRingwoodtostop supported localsbyoccupyingtreesinthe freeways. Various FoEMcampaigners unsustainable infrastructuresuchas often concentratingonopposing theme forFoEMactivistswithcampaigns Transport issueshavebeenacommon dropped. during thecampaignhadtheircharges Eventually allbutonepersonarrested actions thatobstructedroadworks. activists joinedinaseriesofarrestable at leastsomeofthetrees.FoEMandother were abletogetthesiteintimesave local residentsalertedCAFEactivists,who happened atdawnonaSundaymorning, stage oftheactualroadworks.Whenthis a seriesof90yearoldtreesasthefirst where VicRoads contractors cutdown more than50police,costingover$60,000, the campaign was an early morning raid by a month.Perhapstheseminalmomentin o 0Yas 58 FoE 30Years

...... Transport issueshavealsobeen express’ –atraincarryingwholelogs these wasablockadeofthe‘extinction the group.Oneofmoredramatic more than50directactionsorganisedby 1996 wasabusyyearforFoEM,with rail link. publicly fundedParramatta–Chatswood to successfullyadvocateforthe$1.4B worked withotherlocalandstategroups Distributor Expressway. In2000,FoES the last20years,suchasEastern most majorfreewaydevelopmentsover years. The groupcampaigned against prominent intheworkofFoESover chip pileatthe adjacentMidwayssite. much ofthedayhaltingproduction atthe training exercise,andactivists thenspent being a woodchip ship – still it was a useful itas Geelong afterlocalscoutsidentified occupied ariceshipintheharbour at moments in1996waswhenactivists for woodchips.Oneofthelessglorious fate ofournativeforestsbeinglogged occasions, raisingawarenessofthe the Midwayswoodchipmillonmany from GeelongandtheOtwaystooccupy FoEM workedwithcommunityactivists export tobeusedinpaperproduction. Midways woodchipmillnearGeelongfor from BairnsdaleinGippslandtothe subject toseventeenspecial commercial loggingoperations which allowedthemtocarryout breached a1983planningpermit because theybelievedthatSTYhad Government. FoEtookthisaction then aMinisterintheKennett partly ownedbyRogerPescott*, S.T.Y. Afforestation.was (AAT) againsttheloggingcompany Administrative AppealsTribunal order intheVictorian application foranenforcement Friends oftheEarthlodgedan On the14 Anthony Amis inspection of thelandinquestion September 1995 andaTribunal The casewas heard on4and5 and MichelleQuigley. gained accesstoStuartMorris QC who,inturn, Defenders Office Chris LoorhamoftheEnvironment of theEarthwasfoundthrough Legal representationforFriends documenting breachestotheCode. land inquestionnumeroustimes the Earthcampaignersvisited Creek. During1994Friendsof a catchmentauditoftheCockatoo of theEarthWaterCollectivetodo at thetimewasemployedbyFriends Loris DuclosinFebruary1994,who The loggingoperationwasfoundby Menzies CreekandThePatch. Gembrook, Kallista,Macclesfield, Avonsleigh, Clematis,Cockatoo, supplied drinkingwatertoEmerald, McCraes Creekcatchmentatthetime forest utilisationplan.The and alsofailingtoadherethe out ofseason,sloperestrictions drainage, streamcrossings,logging requirements, roadinfrastructure, severely breachedbufferzones (Parish ofBeenakinVictoria) in theMcCraesCreekcatchment The privateloggingoperations supply catchment. conditions inagazettedtownwater th ofDecember1994, Indigenous photos

...... company byaformerheadofthe met. Reportswrittenforthe of theenforcementorderwerebeing to determinewhetherthedetails ofthesiteinMay1996 do aflyover Friends oftheEarthwasforcedto concerning theEnforcementOrder. neglecting itsresponsibilities soon evidentthatthecompanywas more problemsemerged.Itwas Following thedraftingofOrder drawn, quarteredandshot!” “These people(FoE)shouldbehung, heard tosayduringthecasethat Legal representationforS.T.Y.was Newspaper andlocalnewspapers. by theABC’s7.30Report,TheAge compliance. Thestorywascovered guilty ofenvironmentalnon- a loggingcompanyhadbeenfound in Victorianlegalhistorythat time Apparently thiswasthefirst paid outapproximately$40,000. – andthecompanywhoeventually who hadneverevenvisitedthesite Ranges –thesupposedauthority awarded againsttheShireofYarra Tribunal. Costswereeventually enforcement orderwasmadebythe the 19 case waseventuallywonbyFoEon occurred on7September1995.The case. known byFoEatthetime of theSTY Edlow since1980.Thiswas not Pescott hasbeeninvolved with largest uraniumbrokersince. Mr of EdlowInternational,the world’s Roger PescottisalsoaDirector *It hasrecentlycometolightthat Enforcement OrderinDecember1998. AAT agreedtoAmendtheoriginal resolved untilthe were notfinally legal wrangling,theseissues the case.Afteraseriesoffurther when FoEknewthatthiswasnot remedial workhadbeencarriedout, Department ofForestrystatedthat th ofOctober1995,wherean o 0Yas 59 FoE 30Years o 0Yas 60 FoE 30Years

...... Over 500 people attended the Second Gathering over three days. The Gathering made a big impact with many doors being opened and featured more indigenous speakers from Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and international speakers from the United States, the Philippines, Costa Rica Anthony Amis and Ecuador. Of special interest was the attendance of almost 20 Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta In 1997 and 1998, Friends of the Earth women from Cooper Pedy who were building Melbourne hosted two significant gatherings momentum to stop the nuclear waste dump with Indigenous People. The first, held in March being proposed for their lands. The ISG was 1997 was entitled “A Gathering in Solidarity with given only a day or so warning that the women Indigenous People and the Earth”. The second, were attending the Gathering. Remarkably held in November 1998 was entitled “Global as their train pulled into Spencer Street, local Survival and Indigenous Rights”. Wurundjeri dancers who were at the station for another arrival, did a welcoming dance for the The idea behind the first Gathering came Aunties. in June 1996 with the establishment of the Indigenous Solidarity Group (ISG). This group Networking of indigenous and non-indigenous had three advisors, Elizabeth King (Kerrup people at this gathering was very important. Jmara), Lionel Foggarty (Wakka Wakka) and Many relationships were established at this Joan Wingfield (Kokotha). The goal of the gathering which in turn blossomed into important ISG was to provide a forum so that indigenous friendships. For many grassroots environmental people could speak to non-indigenous people campaigners this gathering was the first time and educate them about the real history of many people had even met indigenous people, Australia. The two day March 1997 Gathering let alone heard such passionate and powerful was held at the North Melbourne Town Hall speeches. Of special importance was the and was attended by about 150 people and speech made by Wadjularbinna Nulyarimma, featured 16 Aboriginal people from Australia and from the Gulf Country in Queensland, which had 12 speakers representing issues overseas. A enormous emotional impact on all who heard it. large contingent of Ngarrindjeri women attended the Gathering to discuss issues relating to the Arabunna man Kevin Buzzacott, speaking at the Hindmarsh Bridge debacle. The key resolution conference gave a word from his language to for the Gathering was “this meeting recognises the ISG - the word ‘Nuyumunda’, which means Aboriginal sovereignty and accepts the rights of ‘Beginning the process of coming together/being indigenous people in upholding Customary Law whole. in Australia.” A recurrent theme at the Gathering was the Unfortunately for the ISG costs blew out need to recognise traditional lore/law and by $7,000 on the first conference due to Indigenous decision-making structures. This complications of travel arrangements of people was highlighted by the resounding support from the United States. Much of the work for using the Treaty process in Australia of ISG over the following months was spent and elsewhere to acknowledge pre-existing fundraising to repay the money back to FoE. Aboriginal Sovereignty. This was a serious hardship for those who remained with ISG. A third ISG gathering was tentatively planned to go ahead - possibly in Brisbane in 2000, but In February 1998, the ISG then got a burst of unfortunately never eventuated. The stress of energy with a number of new people wanting organising two Gatherings had taken its toll on to get involved. The group again decided the volunteers of the ISG and after a couple of to arrange another Gathering for November months the ISG dissolved, although many of 1998. This time the organising group was the people involved in ISG have continued to significantly larger and more time was spent be involved in solidarity work with indigenous planning the event. A great deal of support for people. ISG had hoped that the Gatherings the second Gathering came from Larry Walsh, could be organised in a different area of who suggested that the Gathering could be held Australia, however noone has, as yet, taken up at Maribyrnong on the Grounds of Pipe Makers that offer. Park......

FoE 30 Years 61 Murray andGoulburn Rivers. other publicland abuttingtheDhungalla/ a Native Title claimovertheforestsand locally. In1994, the Yorta Yorta lodged some 4,000–4,500 Yorta Yorta stilllive policies overthelasttwohundred years, resettlements duetowhitegovernment on wetlandhabitats.Despiteforced supports arangeofspeciesdependent camaldulensis) forestintheworldandit It isthelargestriverredgum(Eucalyptus nationally andinternationally. Barmah-Millewa forestaresignificant of Echuca. The ecologicalvaluesofthe the Murray/DhungallaRiverupstream hectares offloodplainonbothsides Millewa forestswhichcoveraround70,000 traditional landsaretheBarmahand The coreofthe Yorta Yorta Nation’s into oneofFoEM’s strongest. The relationshipsubsequentlydeveloped Yorta community. session hostedbythe Yorta to anIndigenous-onlystrategy travelled totheBarmahforest in Melbourne,manydelegates conference hostedbyFoEM the 1998Indigenoussolidarity regular andformalised. After this connectionbecamemore years, from1997onwards Yorta Yorta Nationformany intermittent contactwiththe While FoEMhadenjoyed forest, Victoria. The firstmeetingoftheDharnya Alliance, Barmah o 0Yas 62 FoE 30Years

...... currently underthreatfromtheproposed of theircountryinSouth Australia thatis Aboriginal womenworkingindefence The KupaPitiKungka Tjuta, senior organising group. provided politicaldirectiontothe the KokathapeopleofSouth Australia, from of QueenslandandJoanWingfield Foggarty fromtheWakka Wakka people Jmara peopleinwesternVictoria, Lionel included Aunty BettyKingfromtheKerrup committee ofIndigenouspeople,which strategies andcampaigns. A steering Indigenous peopletogethertodiscuss brought hundredsofIndigenousandnon- hosted thesegrassrootsevents,which A largeanddiverseorganisinggroup with Indigenouspeopleandtheearth. conferences; thegatheringsinsolidarity Solidarity Grouphostedtwonational In 1997and1998,theFoEMIndigenous involved withsuchclaims. human rightsandsocialjusticeissues also recognisedtheimportanceof their localenvironments.FoEMmembers indigenous peopleshaddevelopedwithin knowledge, skillsandpracticesthat they recognisedthespecialecological other Aboriginal) landclaimsbecause FoEM memberssupportedtheir(and the Yorta Yorta strugglecontinuedand High Courtin2001and2002.However subsequent appealstotheFederal The claimfailedin1998,asdid gathering anddevelopedastrongnetwork the journeytoMelbourneforsecond national radioactivewastedump,made claim, Shepparton, 1999 Rally insupportof the Yorta Yorta nativetitle of campaign support that continues to grow today. In 2003 FoEM successfully nominated the Kungkas for the prestigious Goldman Environmental Award, commonly referred to as the ‘green Nobel prize’.

When FoEM participated in a Yorta Yorta occupation of the Dharnya Cultural Centre in Barmah State Park in 1999, elders formally requested that FoEM assist them further in their main objective of regaining management of traditional lands. The FoEM representatives immediately grasped the significance of a request Monica Morgan and Henry Atkinson, Yorta Yorta that might open the way for FoEM to Nation. support Indigenous justice in an area with strong ecological values. The Barmah- Millewa campaign was born, largely through the work of Peter Barker, who was a driving force in the development of the Barmah-Millewa collective from its formation through until the end of 2001. The Barmah-Millewa campaign had three explicit goals:

1. To achieve a joint management system over Barmah-Millewa as a means to achieving control over land that has been denied the Yorta Yorta through the courts;

2. To sustainably manage the whole forest (both sides of the Murray/ Dhungalla) for the protection and Indira Narayan and Lindy Orthia, Barmah Millewa conservation of its ecological and collective, FoE. cultural values; and

3. To gain real and diverse employment opportunities for the Yorta Yorta people. This campaign continued over the years and in 2004, the Victorian government launched a Co-operative Management Agreement with Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation to increase involvement of traditional owners in managing the Barmah forest.

Jono La Nauze (FoE) and Phil Ingamells, Victorian National Parks Association......

FoE 30 Years 63 o 0Yas 64 FoE 30Years

...... FoE 30 Years 65 Barmah Forest “Thin Trees” Barmah Forest “Thin organisations. Many files onindividuals, organisations. Manyfiles outside theofficesofnon-government be parkedneardemonstrationsand van withdarkenedwindowsthatwould with aspeciallyadaptedHoldenpanel strange KeystoneCops-typeoperation, In hindsight,itallreadslikeaslightly Melbourne. keycommunitygroupsin and infiltrating operations whichinvolvedmonitoring Intelligence Unit)carriedoutcovert (at thatpointcalledtheOIU–Operations with theVictorian PoliceIntelligenceUnit From 1985until1992,undercoverofficers even spenttwo daysofpolicetimehelping membership lists. Oneundercoverofficer and updated offices, maintainedfiles infiltration... thattheyhelpedstaff their that theofficers“weresosuccessful at received alotofattention:the Age noted FoE wasoneofthosegroups that (The Age volunteers worriedabouttheenvironment” conservation groupsbyposingas “using fakeidentities,...penetrated who, placing undercoverpoliceofficers searches withoutwarrants,aswell It carriedoutelectronicbuggingand Council forCivilLibertiesandFoE. Rainforest Action Group,theVictorian Society, 3CRcommunityradio,the groups asdiversetheWilderness with communitygroups”.Itmonitored beyond itsofficialroleofopenlyliaising According toThe Age sinister undercurrenttothiswork. names. But,ofcourse,therewasamore reference shortenednameswithfull simply becauseno-onebotheredtocross forthesameperson were separatefiles spoke atthatmeeting.Sometimesthere as“groupleaders”becausethey identified attended asinglemeetingofgroupwere incorrectly recorded.Oftenpeoplewho sloppy, withnames,affiliationsandactions newspaper in1997,wereappallingly subsequently leakedto o 0Yas 66 FoE 30Years , 1997). , theOIUwent“far The Age Police Infiltration ofFoE

...... a new blade for the electric saw the officer a newbladefortheelectricsawofficer FoE. The groupwassogratefulitpaidfor of build shelvesattheCollingwoodoffices dirty jeans, T-shirt andsandals,notto (Adelaide) university;togodressedin planning committeemeetingsatthe Coca Colain Adelaide to“attendF.O.E. by thePRandadvertisingmanagerof packaging, acompanyemployeewastold campaignonbeverage after ahighprofile people intheorganisation.Forinstance, And variouscompanies,haveplaced reported onFoEactivitiestothecompany. company BHP. An InspectorNorton “keep aneyeonFoE”bysteelandmining Victorian SpecialBranch was askedto services. As earlyasthe1970s, came underattentionfromsecurity This wasnotthefirstorlasttimeFoE being destroyed. and intoahouseinordertoavoidthem (and illegally)movedoutofapoliceoffice individuals. However, theyweresimply on meant todestroythehundredsoffiles Intelligence Group–PSIGwhowere OIU laterbecametheProtectiveSecurity and also Australian Army intelligence. The with thenationalintelligenceagency, ASIO Information gainedbytheOIUwasshared OIU”. borrowed fromacolleagueinthecovert organisation, FoEhasnothingtohide. is thefactthat,asanopen,grassroots What isperhapssaddestaboutallthis shave” (The Australian, 6/11/1973).

FoE 30 Years 67 National Park andwerepushingtheMirrar Ranger minesurroundedby Kakadu Australia (ERA)alreadyoperated the was ontherise.EnergyResources of further uranium mininginMirrar country Territory. Acommunity campaigntostop In 1996Iwas inJabirutheNorthern Kathleen McCann brought ittolife. Noonegroupwas seen fought theanti-nuclear fight. Theyhad its collective useby thecommunities who “retro” appealbutitsrealstrength was in theseventies itmaintainedits cute and arejectionofnuclearenergy. Created a positive promoterofsolar technology in Europeandwas adoptedworldwideas thought oftheSmilingSunthat originated used beforeinanti-nuclearcampaigns I Sitting inJabiruconsideringtheimages a difference. rights itisalsowherewecanhopetomake waste, butby exercising ourdemocratic uranium thatultimatelygenerates nuclear this process.Thisiswherewedigupthe we shouldnotbeinvolved inany partof It madesensetoconvince Australians that the deadlyspin-offsofnuclearindustry. it necessarytobeginathomehelpstop towards theanti-uranium cause,believing and aspirations. Ihadespeciallygravitated environment andsocialjusticeactivities posters andflyers tocommunicateour have madebanners,cartoons,stickers, Throughout my involvement withFoE I and ledby, theMirrar Traditional Owners. to formacollective force,insolidarity with to galvanise thevarious pockets ofsupport were nearlyexhausted.Therewas aneed of theprocedural avenues ofresistance and cons of a non-violent blockade as many and Gundjehmiwereweighingupthepros Others intheroomfromFoE, ACF,ECNT traditional landsatJabiluka. people toagreeanothermineontheir o 0Yas 68 FoE 30Years

...... yellow circleradiating outfromacentral their ownhieroglyphicforhazard,adivided nuclear industrywas easilygleanedfrom The ideaoftheinherentdanger a palmdenotesSTOP inmany cultures. directly andtheoutstretchedhandshowing of meaningsandability tocommunicate images ofhandsmaintaintheirwealth other Aboriginalpeople.Contemporary afactoflifefortheMirrarsignificance and are atestamenttothis,theirunbroken hand stencilsontherocksofKakadu in theearliestmark-making. Aboriginal has universal symbolicpowerisevident That therepresentationofahumanhand foundation. him askingpermissiontobuildonthis heritage ofAustralia, Gundjehmicontacted pivotal contributiontothesymbolic movement. Respecting HaroldThomas’s it toourownhistoryintheenvironment the yellow, redandblackconnected incidence thattheSmilingSunshared choice was bolsteredby thehappy co- with thefirst nationsofAustralia. This and logical,resonatingacallforsolidarity Harold Thomasin1971,seemedpowerful colours oftheAboriginalflag, createdby story andtotheanti-nucleartradition. The needed torelatetheTraditional Owners campaigners, bannerpaintersandkids.It to beeasilyreproduced–by printers, reject thenuclearthreat.Itneeded needed tobesimpleandunmistakably The graphic fortheJabilukacampaign appeared inmany languages. aspect ofthecampaignitpromotedand encircling thegraphic changedtosuitthe to claimitonceincirculation.Thetext and fundraising initiatives astheblockade paraphernalia, web-sites,publications to usetheimage inJabilukacampaign there. Requests camefromfarandwide using thehandimageandittook offfrom more substantialcampaignmaterials made simplepaperstickers andlater Originally theFoE Anti-Uranium collective nuclear reactors,weaponsand waste. of any nuclearthreat:uranium mining, - ofcommunity resistanceandrejection struggle butitsmessagewas universal too door. Itworked specifically fortheMirrar’s immediately welcomedby thosenext blockade discussionandtheimagewas symbol inaJabiruroomadjoiningthe handprint impressedupontheradiation I puttogetherthefirst version oftheblack core. their logo. not forasingle grouptoappropriatefor idea needstobe ownedby thecommunity, specific groupsinabranding exercise. The campaign messages,notthenames of • thetextencirclingdesign onlycontain benefit. anti-nuclear workbutnotforcommercial community andcampaignersintheir • thehandimagebeusedfreelyby copyright holder, werethat: The requestsImade,asartistand as Argentina,theUKandNetherlands. flotilla andatactionsinplacesasfarflung to appearingonthesailsofaPacific peace reactors, dumpsandotheruranium mines broadly fromdomesticcampaigningagainst The imagewas progressively appliedmore Kakadu’s overwhelming escarpment. unfurled onagiantbannerdwarfed by moments remainsseeingthehandsymbol gathered steam.Oneofmy proudest

...... reclaiming ofMirrar controloftheirland huge collective creative effort.Therecent that minewas asmallcontributionto the artistwhodeveloped theimage,Iknow not performedby theartistalone” andas Marcel Duchampsaid“thecreative actis for anunequivocal anti-nuclearmessage. nuclear causes.Ithasbecomeavehicle their supportforMirrar andforotheranti- its acceptanceby peoplewanting to signal The powerofthesymbolhasgrownfrom of community. resistance andasimultaneous celebration generated anicon–enduring symbolof movement hastaken thehandsymboland I designedanimagebuttheanti-nuclear fought campaign. at Jabilukaisastunningresultofhard o 0Yas 69 FoE 30Years

FoE 30 Years 70 FoE 30 Years 71 original activitycanbeseenin creativity thatmotivatedthis the concern,commitmentand Thirty yearsdownthetrackand nuclear testinginthePacific. environmental impactsofFrench of concernoverthehumanand In the1970’sFoEAwasbornout by nucleardevelopments. communities opposingorimpacted Australia andactivelysupported critic ofthenuclearindustryin been atenaciousandeffective From itsearliestdaysFoEhas Dave Sweeney NT, Queensland andWestAustralia proposed for otherplacesinthe critiques of uraniumprojects FoE’s detailedandscathing Yellowcake publications as production ofsuchinfluential the nucleardebatethrough the in Canberraandhelpedto shape in amassRideAgainstUranium end thenuclearcycle,converging their bikesandpedalledoffto country. FoEsupportersjumpedon of uraniumfromportsaroundthe mine andthesubsequentexport took directactiontodisruptthe Territory, FoEregroupedand for developmentintheNorthern the Rangerminewasapproved concerns wereoverriddenand When environmentalandAboriginal – theFoxCommission. Ranger UraniumEnvironmentInquiry to appearateverysessionofthe activists travelledthecountry and contaminatingindustry.FoE widely seenasacontroversial ensure thaturaniumminingbecame anti-nuclear movementandhelped played akeyroleinthevibrant and protests.Inthe1970’sFoE Australia’s anti-nuclearprocesses FoEA activistsinvolvedinmanyof The pastthreedecadeshaveseen weapons. but everpresentthreatofnuclear Sydney andtheoftenforgotten a plannednewnuclearreactorin mining, radioactivewastedumping, FoEs currentworkagainsturanium o 0Yas 72 FoE 30Years and Ground forConcern Red Lightfor ...... of TheNuclearEnvironment,an continued withtheproduction information andcommunity FoE’s commitmenttoeducation, and armedwarships. posed byvisitsofnuclearpowered bases inAustraliaandtherisks targeting theissuesraisedbyUS regular protestsandpublications military alliancewiththeUS hidden realityofAustralia’s FoE workedtoexposetheoften involvement inthistoxictrade. calls foranendtoAustralia’s provided itandleadtorenewed Chernobyl nucleardisasterof1986 position waseverneededthe If anyfurtherproofofthis peaceful atomwasaviolentmyth. worked tohighlightthatthe Palm Sundaydemonstrationsand FoE mobilisedaroundthemassive Cold Wargetdistinctlychillier, Administration intheUSAsaw As theactionsofReagan (Olympic Dam). sites ofHoneymoonandRoxbyDowns at theSouthAustralianuranium communityblockades of significant politics andwasanactivepart the forefrontofanti-nuclear In the1980’sFoEremainedat mining. secret silentpoisonofuranium community knowtherealityof andthe was inforaseriousfight served tolettheindustryknowit through plans foranewnuclear to expandthe nuclearindustry successful opposition toattempts political policypositions and with astrongfocusonfederal pattern ofthepreceding years The early1990’sfollowed the mining. remove restrictionsonuranium concerted industrypressure to strengthened positionandresisted nuclear activistspushedfora national conferencesasanti- federal ALPpolicyforumsand uranium issuedominatemany This decadealsosawthe RadioActive show. radio networksgreatlyrespected and inputtothenationalpublic important secondaryschoolbook minesite in Kakadu, acommitment works atthehaltedJabiluka have seenmajorrehabilitation been fertileandrecent times This resistancehasindeed – universe. in aparallel–nuclear free names writteninbrightlights Krishnapillai aresomeofthemany Bert King,JimGreenandSarojini Daniel Voronoff,LenKenaar, Marks, EricMiller,GavinMudd, Dimity Hawkins,JohnHallam,Ila Bruce Thompson,LorettaO’Brien, governments atomicagenda. derailing muchofthefederal role indeferring,delayingand tidal waveandhaveplayedakey community resistancetothistoxic at theforefrontofspirited FoEA groupsandactivistswere Bush Administration. self-defeating politicsofthe for thedangerousandultimately Queensland andknee-jerksupport irradiation plantsinsouthern in theAustraliandesert,food zones radioactive wastesacrifice reactor insuburbanSydney, South Australia,anewnuclear Uranium minesinKakaduand repackaged andsetloose. mad basketswereretrieved, silly, too-costlyortoo-barking consigned tothetoo-hard,too- and blueprintspreviouslylong in Australia.Policies,plans nuclear politicsandactivism saw adramaticescalationin federal Coalitiongovernment the aggressivelypro-nuclear In March1996theelectionof (www.sea-us.org). comprehensive webresource Energy andAnti-UraniumServices including throughtheSustainable to conveyananti-nuclearmessage, organisation alsosoughtnewways use ofrenewableenergy.The andtheincreasing and efficiency increased energyconservation of energypoliciesbasedon credible callfortheadoption technology withaconsideredand link itsrejectionofnuclear irradiation. FoEcontinuedto reactor ortointroducefood Yeerlirrie site inWA,stateanti- to rehabilitate andretirethe

...... threaten orabuseit. the Earth,butFoEsofthosewho The namesaysitall-Friendsof build anuclearfreefuture. to seeingitendedandhelping tarnished andFoEiscommitted the glossofnucleardreamis asbestos andhightarcigarettes decades agocontinuestoday.Like commitment thatlaunchedFoEthree and thepassion,optimism priority andakeyconcernofFoE Nuclear issuesremainahigh nuclear wasteacrossNSW. oppose thesecretivetransportof Women’s Associationmobilisingto ranging fromFoEtotheCountry passed inWAandSAgroups radioactive wastedumpinglaws campaign, StKilda Road,Melbourne,1998. Picket outsideNorth buildingduringtheJabiluka o 0Yas 73 FoE 30Years before thematter couldbeheard. delays meantthat theshiphaddocked a USnuclearpoweredship,but procedural Supreme Courtinjunctiontostop entryby to thePortofMelbourne,FoEM soughta nuclear poweredand/orarmed warships suburbs. In1996,afteraseries ofvisitsby for LucasHeightsinSydney’s southern against thenewnuclearreactorplanned Parliament, andalsoforcampaigns Australian SenateandtheEuropean for resolutionsonJabilukainboththe this issue.FoESwasalsoresponsible the World HeritageCentre’s attentionto campaign thatwasinstrumentalindrawing John Hallamco-ordinatedaglobalfax with Alec MarroftheWildernessSociety, Jabiluka uraniummine.Working closely list becauseofthethreatposedby the World HeritageCommittee’s InDanger other groupstohaveJabilukaplacedon In thelate1990s,FoEScampaignedwith campaigner JohnHallam. through theeffortsoflong-term on nuclearweapons,largely for itsrelentlesscampaigning the big Australian greengroups (FoES) wasalsonotableamong Friends oftheEarthSydney March attheJabilukaminesite,NT, 1998. o 0Yas 74 FoE 30Years

...... subsequent workwiththe APC helped to MarreeinnorthernSouth Australia. Her Melbourne antiuraniumcollective,moved since themid1980s.JanWhyte,of run regularexposuretourstotheregion uranium activiststhathascontinued central figuresamongstagroupofanti- the area.IlaMarksandEricMillerwere region and carried out field trips throughout feasibility studyforanationalparkinthe unique MoundSprings,conducteda impacts ofuraniumminingontheregions Committee (APC)onmonitoringthe worked withthe Arabunna People’s Heritage listingfortheLakeEyreBasin, collaborated inaneffort togainWorld FoE in Adelaide andMelbourne World CourtProjectandBASIC. organisations especiallytheIPPNW, the close collaborationwithinternational Pakistan andNorthKorea. This involved on the‘nuclearblackspots’ ofIndiaand Review inMay2000andcontinuingwork on theNonProliferation Treaty (NPT) de-alerting campaignof1999,work Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)in1996,the included lobbyingfortheComprehensive weapons inthe Australian Senate.Work and numerousresolutionsonnuclear nuclear weaponsoff hair-triggeralert Parliament resolutiontotakestrategic campaign includedthe1999European campaigner JohnHallam.Highlightsofthis by DimityHawkinsandveteranFoE nuclear weaponsprojectco-ordinated nuclear campaignwastheinternational A spin-off fromthehighlysuccessful world. thousands in Australia andaround the owners, Mirrar, withthesupportof many the resistanceofregion’s traditional new mineatJabilukawashalted through in South Australia, theplantoopena approved foruseattheBeverley mine rejected inanumberofcountries, was leach (ISL)mining,amethod of production industry didnotallgotoplan.Whilstin-situ facilitate theexpansionofnuclear Attempts bytheFederalGovernmentto concerns. owners overminingandlandrights groups likeFoEandlocaltraditional facilitate productiverelationsbetween lived attheJabilukacampforfourmonths Sarojini KrishnapillaiisaFoEmemberwho remote protest campwere covered. that theenormous costsofrunningthe gigs, benefit T-shirts, donations –ensured an incrediblescale –artauctions,raffles, and internationalforums.Fundraising on community in legal,political,financial, to stopJabilukaunfoldedaround Australia on attheblockadesiteand campaign As thecampgotunderway, arrestsrolled points out: done behindthescenes,asKirstenBlair exciting, therewasmuchgruntworktobe Although theblockadewasindeed indigenous rights. stood uptoprotectenvironmentaland owner, Yvonne Margarula–aspeople – includingtheregion’s seniortraditional Australia. Over500peoplewerearrested camp washometopeoplefromallover 1998 andforthenexteightmonths, Jabiru, theblockadekickedoff inMarch about 20kmfromtheminingtownshipof Located insideKakaduNationalPark, the linetostopJabilukauraniummine. Australia’s Top Endtoputtheirbodieson Over 5,000peoplemadethetrekto was anythingbutboring.” “Colourful, creative,chaotic…camplife A messybutcrucialjob!” dirt overthe10foothighsides. shovels fullofrottenleavesand (between downpours)chucking WA] andIspenttwohotdays out. KatieVallentine [from it neededsomeseriouscleaning tank hadn’tbeenusedforyears, cost $5,000toredrillandasthe cattle grazingdays.Thebore a boreandtankleftoverfromits supply organised.Thesitehad task wasgettingthewater “The first andmostimportant Living attheJabiluka Blockade Camp

...... their namesandaddressesas“John were frustratedasthearresteesallgave masks. Downatthepolicestation, the JabilukaleasewearingJohnHoward More than100peoplewerearrestedat arrived atcampforaweekofactions. Country Celebration”,andover300people Election, blockadersorganisedthe“Strong In theleadupto1998Federal humour. resourcefulness andmostimportantly, themselves incamplifewithenthusiasm, trying attimes,mostpeopleimmersed topped 40°C.Whileconditionscouldbe season wherehumidtemperatures up’ -theswelteringleaduptomonsoon was achallenge,especiallyduring‘build- and well,inthehothumidconditions Keeping upto500peoplefed,watered start tofinish –andeverydayinbetween. The campwasamajorlogisticalfeatfrom Adelaide toKakadu. from Melbourne,Sydney, Brisbaneand to ferryover1,000people4,000km the mammothtaskoforganisingbuses When theblockadebegan,FoEtookon took placeonthegroundinKakadu. for theblockadewellbeforeanyaction support to pledgetheirphysicalorfinancial garnered earlysupportbyaskingpeople the blockade.FoE’s ‘Direct Action Pledge’ pivotal roleinmobilisingandorganisingfor Friends oftheEarthinMelbourneplayeda secret radio‘handle’! check andgreeted eachofthembytheir campers todo a ‘random’ roadworthy Jabiru policepulledoveracar loadof located attwo-thirty, doyoucopy, over?” this isMilkCratetoBossyBoots, weare into theseconversations: confusing tousthanthepolice listening encoded messageswereattimesmore identity)and to protecttheoperator’s Shack”. Radio‘handles’ (namesgiven the CBradioset-upintrusty“Radio – madeeasier(mostofthetime)by Communications werealwaysachallenge by radiototheresultsincampkitchen. Not sofunnywaselectionnight,listening Howard, GovernmentHouse,Canberra”. Our suspicions were confirmed whenthe Our suspicionswereconfirmed o 0Yas 75 FoE 30Years ”Kakadu 444

divvie vans. they loadedprotestersintothebackof humming the‘KakaduIsSacred’ songas couldbeheard morning actionsofficers were affected. After daysofbeingatearly mining companyERA.Eventhepolice listening tohilarioussongsmakingfunof ourselves, eatingmealstogetherand There werefrequentconcertstoamuse around Australia workingonJabiluka. Mirrar andkeepingincontactwithgroups painting banners,meetings,liaisingwith Everyday lifeatcampincludedcooking, 1998. Alvie BoothattheJabilukaleasein August driven homebythearrestof90-yearold doctors, artists. Age wasnobarrier, afact people involved-students,families, cross-section ofinspiredandpassionate ultimately thecampaign)wasbroad The keytothesuccessofcamp(and the projectgoneahead. a largechunkofJabiluka’s uraniumhad tourists whosecountrywouldhavebought every year. Visitors includedJapanese of touristswhovisitKakaduNationalPark tourist attractiontothemanythousands legal support. The campitselfbecamea camp, aswellenormouslogisticaland shower forthoselivinglong-termat people providedawelcomebedand support baseinDarwin,wheremany refuge inJabiru. There wasalsoahuge released arresteesandthoseseeking media releases,foodorders,recently Jabiru CaravanPark,andbuzzedwith The camp’s officewaslocatedwithin o 0Yas 76 FoE 30Years

...... Foundation’s DaveSweeneyexplains: water asthe Australian Conservation Today, Jabilukaiseffectively deadinthe Leanne Minshullexplains: in their‘everyday’ livesbackinthecitiesas lived thereandcreatedanewawareness Life atthecampimpacteduponmanywho option andawholegenerationof and apassivelifestylewasnotan actions. A returnto‘normality’ and theconsequencesofallyour aspect ofyourdaytolife made youresponsibleforevery of ourminds.Livingincamp been lurkingintherecesses crystallised thoughtsthathad “For manyofustheblockade happen”. And peoplepowermadeit land willbelegallyrecognised. manage developmentsontheir right toveto,controland white settlementtheMirrar’s year. Forthefirst timesince expected tobeconcludedthis consent arewelladvancedand dependent onexplicitMirrar future developmentatthesite on an Agreement makingany mining companyandtheMirrar “Negotiations betweenthe . This campaign was especially significant This campaignwasespeciallysignificant called INVAP. with an Argentinean nuclearcompany signed asecretconstructionagreement and Technology Organisation(ANSTO) July 2000,the Australian NuclearScience alternatives orenvironmental studies. In consultation, needsassessment, siting ahead ofanycommunityorscientific political decisiontobuildanewreactor in suburbanSydney. In1997,itmadea aging nuclearreactoratLucasHeights to advanceitsplansreplacethe Meanwhile, thegovernmentcontinued Environment Award. nominating Yvonne MargarulafortheFoEI lobbying theEuropeanParliamentand profile intheinternationalNGOcommunity, nuclear handsymbol,raisingtheissue’s the messagefurtherbydesigninganti- protests againstJabilukaandhelpedtake camp. FoEplayedakeyroleinthe cities andworkinginthekitchenatbase buses fortraveltoKakadufromcapital ‘behind thescene’ roleslikeco-ordinating during theblockade:takingonavarietyof FoE activistsplayedafairlytypicalrole even moreremarkable. achieve itsgoals,thevictoryatJabilukais which usedalltheresourcesithadto determination oftheFederalGovernment, over thewholecampaign.Given owners, andthecontroltheyasserted resolute determinationofthetraditional for thesheerpowerofblockades, in June. when constructionworkbegan uranium minebeganinearnest blockades oftheproposed owner Yvonne Margarulaand of theseniortraditional in March1998attheinvitation arrests. Thecampwassetup mine siteandtherewere527 established neartheproposed or livedatthebasecamp Over 5,000peoplevisited

...... Federal Governmentsplanstotransport communityresistancetothe significant posed bythewasteshipmentsandspark to alertthesecommunitiesthethreats Broken Hillandbeyond. The projectaimed visit communitiesfromwesternSydneyto Designs Group,FoEactivistsstartedto canister constructedbytheEcological with afullscalemockradioactivewaste Voronoff co-ordinatedtheinitiativeand, Freeways projectwaslaunched.Daniel in South Australia, andtheNuclear site inSydneyandthedumplocation transport routesbetweenthereactor with communitiesalongthepossible In 1999FoEinitiatedtheideaofworking stored atthefacility. almost 90%ofthewastethatwouldbe ANSTO’s operationswouldcontribute the reactortobecomeoperationalas of thisdumpwouldbeaprerequisitefor radioactive wastefacility. The completion the developmentofarelatednational also lookedforotherwaystoimpacton approvals processforthereactor, FoE all proceduralopportunitiesaroundthe in alliancesandbeingfullyengaged development ofthisproject.Whileworking alone wouldnotbeabletostallthe federal lobbyingoruseoftheSenate this project.FoErealisedthattraditional an attempttostopthefasttrackingof Council, FoE, ACF andGreenpeacein residents joinwiththeSutherlandShire An antireactorcampaignsawlocal should beabandoned. and dumping planscouldnotbejustified recommended thatthetransport and later thatyear. Inearly2004,theInquiry related activitiesoftheCommonwealth Parliamentary Inquiryintothenuclear a pivotalroleintheresultingNSW in March2003. The projectalsoplayed intheNSWelection becoming significant and theirworkledtothedumpissue maintained thisprojectforseveralyears Bruce Thompson andLorettaO’Brien and dumpradioactivewaste. o 0Yas 77 FoE 30Years o 0Yas 78 FoE 30Years

...... Photo courtesy ofGundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation played akeyroleinthis successful campaign. the Jabilukamineshaft. Friends oftheEarth Australia August 2003:Thefirsttrucktakinguranium backdown

...... o 0Yas 79 FoE 30Years that Australia shouldbeprogressiveinthe South Australia. FoE’s positionhasbeen it atacentralisedsitenear Woomera in nuclear wasteacross Australia anddump a Federalgovernmentproposaltotransport The campaignwasdevelopedinresponseto transport ofnuclearwaste. international communityresponsestothe Daniel Voronoff whohadbeenresearching a proposalfromcollectivecoordinator anti-uranium collective,principallyfollowing was initiatedin1999byFriendsoftheEarth’s The NuclearFreeWay’s (NFW)campaign transport routebegan in1999,thevarious The firstofsixtours alongthenuclearwaste opposition tothetransportofwaste. communities totakeaproactive stanceof representatives andencouragethese with localgovernmentandcommunity the transportroutefornuclearwaste, meet The campaignstrategywastotravel along information aboutthecampaign. information caravanintownstoprovide communities andcouldbesetuplikean that couldbetowedbehindavehiclebetween worked closelywithDanieltocreateaprop as usedinEurope.NickCurmiofESDG for transportinghighlevelnuclearwaste size replicaofanuclear“castor”,container Design Group)whobuiltanimpressivelife- artists, ESDG(EnvironmentallySound enlisted thesupportofagroupMelbourne waste inNevada(NIRS Website 2004).FoE on theproposedtransportroutefornuclear Chernobyl accidenttocommunitiesthatwere which towedatrailerwithreplicaofthe in the United States called ‘mobile Chernobyl’ The projecttookitsinspirationfroma event ofanaccident. simply increasestheriskofexposurein transporting ithalfwayacrossthecontinent burying itinashallowgraveisshort-sighted, way itchoosestodealwithnuclearwaste; o 0Yas 80 FoE 30Years Nuclear FreeWays Campaign Loretta O’Brien

...... raise theprofile ofthenucleardumpissueand Adelaide eventasanexcellentopportunityto coordinating theproject. They sawthe Bruce Thompson andLorettaO’Brienwere time Daniel Voronoff hadleftFoEand Minister RobertHillwasintown.Bythis conference andthethenEnvironment year Adelaide hostedaninternational WED on World EnvironmentDayin2000. That The secondtourwaslaunchedin Adelaide the police,aregularoccurrence. course thereweretheusualpulloversfrom to thelaundrymatwashhissocks. And of following FoEcampaignerBruce Thompson security followingthecampaigners,including the OlympicDamuraniummine,had24hour township ofRoxby, WMC, the operatorsof warning. When NFW’s wasinthemining street. The fire-brigadeletthemoff witha that nuclearwastetruckwasparkedinthe arrived, respondingtoacallwarningthem and itwasn’t longbeforethefire brigade parked itinastreetsuburbanSydney a lotofinterest.IlaMarksandEricMiller Towing amassiveanti-nucleartrailer attracts waste transport. along thetwopreferredroutesfornuclear directly behind his head. uncomfortable with theanti-nuclearsymbol and mediashots showedhimlookingvery the castorparkedrightnextto podium, podium. MinisterHillwasnot happy tosee parking spotdirectlybehindthe speaking was notifiedandpulledthecastor intoa When theofficials arrivedthecastorteam call theotherswhendignitaries arrived. treeplanting mobilephonesatthereadyto the othersignedupasvolunteersat the traileronasuburbanstreetandwhile FoE teamsplitintotwogroups,onelothid One oftheseeventswasatreeplanting. The WED eventorfunction. the castorwastowedaroundtoeverymajor tours travelledbetweenSydneyand Woomera

EricMiller, IlaMarks andDanielVornoff, onthefirstNuclear Freewaystour. commitment tograssrootscampaigning. The NFW’s campaignhighlightsFoE’s abandoned. project couldnotbejustified andshouldbe in 2004. The inquiryfoundthewastedump a NSW ParliamentaryInquiryintotheissue local governmentoppositionculminatedin provided fundingforthecampaign. This and nationallocalgovernmentmeetings local members,passedresolutionsatstate themselves nuclearfree,otherslobbiedtheir community concern.Manycouncilsdeclared Local governmentcorrectlyrepresentedthis generating actionatthecommunitylevel. the issuealongtransportroutes,butalso effective atnotonlyraisingawarenessof The NuclearFreewayscampaignwashighly transport anddumpingofnuclearwaste. on whichtorelayconcernsabouttheplanned opportunity andgavecampaignersaplatform to follow, thepropprovidedaninstantphoto Wherever thecastorwent,mediawassure

...... community action. the nuclearindustry, butpresentsamodelfor a communitycanacttostoptheimpositionof important, thecampaignrevealsnotonlyhow campaign withruralcommunitiesare The connectionsgeneratedbytheNFW’s the communityleveltoaffect change. FoE isuniqueinitsfocusonworkingat o 0Yas 81 FoE 30Years o 0Yas 82 FoE 30Years

...... o 0Yas 83 FoE 30Years o 0Yas 84 FoE 30Years 84

Gillian Walker

...... The companywaswellembedded mining oftheAppalachians. their “mountain-leveling”strip 806 environmentalviolationsin 127 people,andhadcommitted collapse, causingthedeathof which hadaminingdam record ofthePittsoncompany, Bennett. Theyuncoveredthe councillors BarbaraandGraeme the leadershipofformertown the BigHillActionGroup,under to fi ght thisproposal,forming horrifi ed citizensgottogether company, Pittson.Anumberof entrepreneurs, andanAmerican agglomerate ofAustralia-wide Mining ProjectInvestors,an be blownoutofexistenceby town-associations, wasto as aKoorielook-outandits the Hill,withitstradition Stawell wokeuptofi nd that In July1998thepeopleof gather. walked, kidsplayandstargazers sermons, loversmeet,dogsget local priestcomestowritehis — a360degreeview.Here,the surrounding Wimmeralandscape the BlackRangeand out theGrampians,Pyrenees, rotunda withaviewfi nder topick Stawell, isasmallGrecian the westernVictoriantownof Perched atopBigHill,in Sherwin, the AustralianHeritage Parks Association withCharlie Trust, theVictorian National Help camefromtheNational Department ofInfrastructure. consultation” forumsrun bythe represented inthe“community The actiongroupwasalso relevant organisations. along withsubmissionsto for letterwritingcampaigns, information andformacentre main streettodisseminate opened ashopfrontonthe Nevertheless theActionGroup looked farfromoptimistic. local newspaperonside.Things in councilmattersandhadthe main street to theHill’scrown. one memorable marchfromthe and carried them, lit,during lanterns inavarietyof shapes Graeme Dunstan,hadconstructed help offestivallantern maker the actiongroupwith houses, wassaved.Earlier, Hill, withitsneighboring project wasstoppedandthe in November2000,themining and panelreportcametolight Finally, whentheassessment World EconomicForumprotests. TV programintherunupto issue coveredonthe“Insight” Damian, whoarrangedtohavethe kept incontactwithAnthonyand Bill Hall,localRSLpresident, Barbara) togetherwiththelate (no relationtoGraemeand Through allthisLesleyBennett information andexperience. Cut Miningjoinedin,sharing the CoalitionAgainstOpen Park, 3CRBroadcasting,and wider world.FriendsofAlbert Hill wasgettingoutintothe had finished,thestoryofBig Effects Statementprocess By thetimeEnvironmental and promisedtospreadtheword. Hogg MLC,whogavesoundadvice scored avisitfromCaroline the battlinglocals.Thegroup with Damiantoputheartinto as wellvisitingStawell releases andmediainterviews, overseas, andorganisedpress campaigns bothlocallyand put inplaceletterwriting Spearheaded byAnthony,FoE a massivelyimportantdocument. Anthony inparticular,produced mining companyresearch— Sullivan ofFoEdidfurther Walker, AnthonyAmisandDamian to bejusttheboostneeded.Cam of theEarth,andthisproved group shouldapproachFriends was Harrywhosuggestedthatthe Moorst, ofWerribeefame.It Naturalists andHarryVon Council, theVictorianField

...... On receiving the final report, On receivingthefinal the nameofhumanity,dowe. international linksbutso,in the world.Miningcompanieshave of ourownregionbutthroughout and fortheenvironmentnotonly all mustlookoutforeachother environment andwayoflife.We to wreckatown’shistory, them tooncemorethreaten regulations whichwouldallow working fortherelaxationof the Stawellarea,waitingand remain miningundergroundin to theirAmericancousins, Project Investors,stilllinked companies nevergiveup.Mining the soberingtruththatmining organisations, thereremained the helpfromFoEandother the acknowledgmentofall a successfuloutcomeand Amidst thethankfulnessfor symbolism there! the Grecianrotunda.Therewas with theirlanternsalighton members oftheActionGroup photograph ofGraemeandfour the Agenewspaperpublisheda Canberra, January 1998. Robbie Thorpe attheCorrobborreefor Sovereignty, o 0Yas 85 FoE 30Years blockade oftheWEF, andFoEMworked Around 20,000peoplejoinedthethreeday appropriate targetfornon-violentaction. was consideredbyFoEMasbeingan plans forcorporateglobalisationand business leaderstodiscussandadvance The WEFactsasanimportantforumfor opposition totheevent. role inorganisingcommunity FoEM playedasignificant (WEF) inSeptember2000, of theWorld EconomicForum would hostaregionalmeeting Melbourne’s CrownCasino When itwasannouncedthat Ralph Nadersaid late 2000,aged 88.Consumeradvocate David Brower, thefounderofFoE,diedin industry onIndigenouslandand culture. at highlightingtheimpactsof the nuclear production ofaseriesposters aimed Alliance Against UraniumMining,withthe innovative ‘ForeverCountry’ projectforthe and KathleenMcCanncompletedthe firewood. DimityHawkins,LisaRobbins to findnon-nativeforestsourcesof Melbourne, andthelaunchofacampaign grasslands onthenorthernfringesof generator thatimpactedonendangered power 2001, blockadesofagasfired Adelaide duringthefederalelectionof on nuclearissuesinmarginalseats justice campaign. There wasstrongwork took onmanagingthenationalclimate environmental communityinthatcityand became anestablishedmemberofthe grouped remainssmall.FoEBrisbane FoE, eventhoughthenumberoflocal first centurysawgrowingactivityfor The firstfewyearsofthetwenty- presence duringtheactions. bloc’ andprovidedaprominentmedia liaison, createdandmaintainedthe‘green groups ofactivists,carriedoutpolice important roleinbridgingbetweendifferent the communityprotests.Itplayedan Web ofLiberation)inplanning andstaging the S11 Alliance and AWOL (Autonomous through bothofthekeyorganisinggroups, environmentalist ofthe20thcentury. o 0Yas 86 FoE 30Years “Davidwasthe greatest

...... fixation onnumbersofpeoplebyoffering sought tobroadenthisdebatebeyonda FoE’s EnvironmentandPopulationproject people. the realissuesbehindglobalmovementof and tocontributethethinkingaround Programs, toopposethesedevelopments including Australians forJustRefugee joined withvariouscommunityalliances, election oftheHowardgovernment.FoE following the Tampa ‘crisis’ andsawthere- of racismandfearbytheCoalition characterised bytheshamelesspromotion The 2001federalelectionwas ofnationsliketheUSA. negative influence responses wereneededtoovercomethe backwards andthatstrongcivilsociety countries, wasthatthesituationgoing the delegates,whorepresentedalmost60 Groundwork. The general assessmentof environmental justiceorganisation, and BobbyPeekoftheSouth African from theGreenBeltmovementinKenya, Wangari Maathai,aninspirationalactivist Janeiro in1992.Speakersincluded first ‘EarthSummit’ washeldinRiode co-operation haddevelopedsincethe to assesshowfarglobalenvironmental international conferenceinCanberra Boll Foundation,FoEorganisedan With theGreenInstituteandHeinrich- decades. Hisdeathisatremendousloss.” every worthwhilecauseinthelastseven He wasanindefatigablechampionof move forwardon jointaction. to on socialjustice issuesmadeitdifficult opinion betweensomeofthe green groups for the Alliance, althoughdifferences of ‘Barmah summit’ and acted assecretariat organisations. FoEorganised thefirst Yorta Nationandgreensocialjustice Alliance, acollaborationbetween the Yorta 2002 sawthefoundationofDharnya socially inclusiveenvironmentalism. difference betweensingleissueandmore movement, furtherhighlightingthe from somewithintheenvironment considerable anddisappointingbacklash on ecology. This projectcreateda an anti-racist,internationalistperspective agenda oftheCarrgovernment. onthe ensure nuclearissueswerefirmly years oftheNuclearFreewaysprojectto networks ithaddevelopedoverthefive during theNSWstateelection,using especially westoftheBlueMountains saw positiveoutcomes.FoEwasactive, planned dumpsiteinSouth Australia also between the Lucas Heights reactor and the the proposedrouteofradioactivewaste Jabiluka uraniummine.FoE’s workalong with theclosureandrehabilitationof years community-focussedcampaigning 2003 witnessedtheculminationofmany organisations. negative, especiallyfromothergreen considerable feedback,bothpositiveand and Environment The publicationof mid westNSW. devastating theareaaroundLakeCowalin oppose alargeopencutgoldminefrom Iraq. FoEjoinedwithtraditionalownersto throughout thesubsequentinvasionof involved inanti-warralliesandorganising of theVictorian PeaceNetworkandwas war, FoEbecameafoundingmember Responding tothethreatofasecondGulf Eileen Kampakuta Brown teachingInmatothevisitingwomen. IratiW inearly2003generated Population, Immigration

...... silence environmentalcritics. escalated itsattemptstode-legitimiseand Environment DepartmentastheCoalition administrative supportthroughtheFederal and FoE,werecutoff from receiving orientated groups,including TWS That yearalsosawmostcampaign Victoria. of theirtraditionallandsinnorthern generate supportfor Yorta Yorta ownership ‘talking upCountry’ projectthatseeksto and otherlocalgroups,launchedthe Native Title andReconciliation(ANTaR) to theseissues.FoE,with Australians for and thusbuildingagrassrootsresponse communities inMelbourneand Adelaide ofnuclearissuesin raising theprofile a ‘backtobasics’ approachtoslowly affected bythenuclearindustry, and FoE peopletocommunitiesandlands ceremony. There wereregularvisitsby Piti Kungka Tjuta forstories,strategyand more than200activistsjoiningtheKupa at 10MileCreeknearCooberPedysaw The Kulini(‘areyoulistening’)camp anti campaign. o 0Yas 87 FoE 30Years o 0Yas 88 FoE 30Years

...... alternating with skatepunks. The sense of security guards, oldfashionedcommunists Christians praying,tounionists talkingto as IwanderedfromaMadMax sceneto every entrance.Itfeltlikeagiant film set, thousands ofpeoplecheerfully blockading circumference oftheCrownComplex, A couple ofhourslater, Iwalkedthe media spin. was socold.Itriedtothinkofapositive show? Rainkepthammeringthebanner. It realised thatmaybeno-oneelsewould so caughtinourownrhetoricthatwehadn’t feeling ofpeopletowardsthe WEF, getting terrible panic.Hadwetotallymisreadthe I couldslinkaway, andfeltasudden I lookedforanescaperoute,wonderedif stopping commutersontheirwaytowork. start blockading,andsomewereobliging, with amegaphonewasberatingpeopleto could countbarely200people.Someone I peeredoutfromunderthebannerand Melbourne. faintly malevolentinthecoldofpre-dawn of theCrownCasinoloomedover-head, The copshadboltedforcover. The towers rain literallypoundingdownonourheads. imagined. We hidunderagiantbanner, the Finally, it’s here.ButitsnotasIhad 6am, Monday, September11th –s11. Australia’s bigdayon‘thestage’. movement, andastrongsensethatthiswas the globalanti-corporateglobalisation to theseprotestswasthegrowthof until, finallythedayarrived. The backdrop months ofplanning,hundredsmeetings, on thebanksof Yarra River. There was was thewonderfulsymbolicCrownCasino, days. The venue,appropriatelyenough, them, blockadingtheirmeetingforthree Some 15,000peoplecameouttogreet people ontheplanet,metinMelbourne. largest corporationsandsomeoftherichest Forum (WEF),agroupoftheworld’s In September2000,the World Economic

...... had tocatchtaxishospitalbecausethere second evening,peoplewithheadinjuries years. Followingabatoncharge onthe police violence Australia hadseenformany In thattime,wefeltsomeofthemostintense determined. it wasremarkablybroad-based,diverseand Sun said,itwasn’t justtheferalcontingents, ‘yes, Iwasthere’.Despitewhatthe most unlikelysituations,peoplewouldsay rural towns.Formonthsafterwards,inthe campaigners from WA, delegationsfrom unionists fromSydneyand Adelaide, forest Busloads camefromNorthernNSW, for acountryofoursizeandpopulation. came outtoblockadethe WEF; notbad reality isthatmorethan15,000people known aroundtheworldasothers, Iraq. And whileMelbourneisn’t aswell attacks ontheUSA andthesecondwaron globalisation, beforetheSeptember11 mobilisations againstcorporate-defined It wasahighpointintheworldwide ‘Seattle, Washington, Melbourne,Prague’. The globalmantrafromthatyeargoes get anyulcers,afterall. Even thecopslookedhappy. MaybeIwon’t remarkable. The sunstartedtocomeout. theatre, goodwillanddeterminationwas a keypartofthe S11 alliance,the grouping conferences, marches andevents. We were NGOs andcollaboratedonvarious pre- build allianceswiththemoreconservative after the WEF protests. We workedto FoE playedakeyrolebefore,during and parade thanastreetmarch. move, andwasmorelikeacelebration a marchthroughthecitywasanexcellent minute decisiontofinish theblockadewith felt incrediblecommunitysupport. A last news reportingandopinions).Butwealso very confusedaboutthedifference between the media(theHeraldSun,inparticular, got to handle. We were,ofcourse,vilified by were toomanycasualtiesfortheambulances o 0Yas 89 FoE 30Years Herald o 0Yas 90 FoE 30Years Greens Senator, BobBrown,2004

...... keep going:theannualmeetingof WEF, is unlikelythat‘summits’ ofthistypewill a different placefromSeptember 2000.It There canbelittledoubtthattheworldis losing sightofthebiggerpicture. vision ofajustandsustainablefuture,not throughout theblockadeswearticulatedour radical andmoreconservativegroups. And, well asactingalinkbetweenthemore endless mediationonthepicketlinesas media, policeandworkerliaison, point, andFoEpeopledoingblockading, best, withthebuildingactingasacheck-in impact onthe WEF delegates.FoEwasatits simply wantedtogohomedidnothing our assessmentthatblockadingworkerswho through ourpicketline. This wasbasedon our decisiontoletoff-duty workersout There wassomecontroversybecauseof delivered. non-violent blockade’ andthisiswhat we had beenbilledasa‘disciplined,targeted blockade underthes11 umbrella.Greenbloc street car-parks, whichwasanautonomous Bloc, thepicketofHaigandClarke violence, FoEinitiatedtheideaofGreen media werebeatingupthepossibilityof infrastructure. Realisingthefactthat activists whoplannedactions,eventsand liberation –amoreamorphousnetworkof with AWOL –theautonomouswebof radio communications,andalsoengaged logistics fortheprotest,fromstageto of organisations thatmanagedmuchofthe 20th century. movement thatdefined thelastdecadeof sense, Melbourneplayeditspartinthe mass movementsandopposition.Inthis international institutionscan’t meetwithout security, andthe World Bank, IMFandother Switzerland, happensinincrediblytight held inJanuarythetownofDavos ...... o 0Yas 91 FoE 30Years Steph Long, Kim Stewart Friends of the Earth Brisbane

perpetrated virtually unchecked in oil-rich Friends of the Earth Australia launched nations of the global South. And secondly, the Climate Justice campaign in 2000. to raise awareness on the current and future Since that time the campaign has grown in climate change impacts on small island profile and momentum both nationally and states of the Pacific. To do this we invited internationally. community leaders from Tuvalu, Samoa and Nigeria to spend two weeks in Australia to Whilst the Climate Justice campaign is explain their experiences of climate change predominately focussed on the inequitable and the oil industry in a range of forums. impact of climate change on vulnerable nations which are largely not responsible The Climate Justice Tour was a key activity for the history of greenhouse gases in the of the campaigners workplan from the atmosphere today, as well as strategies to point in which Steph Long began working gain ‘climate justice’; the Climate Justice as the national campaigner (November Tour had two more specific aims. Firstly, to 2002). The tour was originally framed as a highlight the ongoing fossil fuel addiction ‘travelling summit’ based on the success of of the industrialised work that enables the the Climate Justice Summit during climate ongoing human rights abuses which are

...... treaty negotiations (COP 8) in New Delhi.

FoE 30 Years 92 Whilst FoE Australia has worked on the issue of ‘climate justice’ for four years now, the tour was a strategic and very public declaration of the social justice issues of climate change. To date, science and economic issues, with limited acknowledgment of the social and human rights issues of climate change have dominated climate change debates in Australia.

Nnimmo Bassey, Siuila Toloa and Fiu Mataese Elisara travelled through Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane taking part in twenty meetings and events.

Nnimmo Bassey was our guest from Nigeria who spelled out the impact of oil Climate change is a huge issue of inequity transnational corporations activities on and survival for small island developing people’s lives and environment of the states. Niger Delta. This is the point of fossil Climate change in Australia has become fuel extraction and in the case of Nigeria a choice between coal and the survival of people often live without potable water the Pacific. or reliable electricity – they live in energy It should not be an option that we become poverty whilst oil accounts for over 90% climate refugees. of the countries source of income. As sovereign states we have a right to remain in own on lands with our own Siuila Toloa outlined climate change language and culture. impacts and awareness on the small Fiu Mataese Elisara (Samoa) island state of Tuvalu – which is actually a group of eight small atolls an average of 2.5 meters above sea-level. The rising sea has affected crop gardens and fresh Fiu Mataese Elisara’s message throughout water supplies, as increasingly there is the tour was about spirit, obligation and some inland flooding during high tides equity that he clearly articulated as being that increases the salinity of soil and separate from compliance. The expert scarce ground water supplies. This is advice of the Intergovernmental Panel of accompanied by the increasing severity Climate Change, which informed the initial of storms and drought periods, and at design of the Kyoto Protocol, stated that the least one unexplainable freak wave, which world needs to achieve 60% cuts on 1990 damage coastal areas during a calm day levels of greenhouse gases. without high winds. One small islet of Tuvalu, which was used for fishing and This has been overshadowed by the picnics, has already disappeared beneath greed for profit and power by fossil fuel the waves during a storm in 1997. So, corporations and large industrial countries rising sea’s is not just the record-breaking who after seven years are continuing to flooding that occurred in the most recent argue about 5.5% reduction targets on spring tide; it is about the on-going water greenhouse gases. The world can comply and food independence of over 10,000 with the Kyoto Protocol and this would be a people who have been living on Tuvalu for good first step, but we should never believe hundreds of generations. that this compliance is enough to ensure intergenerational equity for the small island states of the Pacific......

FoE 30 Years 93 Australia has been largely oblivious to the of the people of Tuvalu, not the excessive external effects of our highly consumptive use of air-conditioners and cars in Pacific lifestyles and carbon intensive economic Island nations. system that has earned us the place as being amongst the highest per capita In Nigeria, almost the opposite side of greenhouse gas emitters in the world. the world to Tuvalu, the oil that goes into The external effects of climate change products and fuels much of the world’s are often far removed from us, with a energy needs is extracted from one general perception that climate change is a of the most energy impoverished and phenomena that we have yet to experience conflict stricken continents on earth. Yet – however there are threats to health, home, Nigeria was not always like this. Nnimmo and culture that rising seas and fossil fuel Bassey explained clearly that corruption, consumption pose. environmental degradation, exploitation, violence and murder is a result of oil extraction at the hands of multinational THE CHALLENGE OF ENERGY corporations including Shell, Chevron Texaco and Exxon Mobil. Social, economic In countries like Tuvalu the geography and environmental impoverishment has is challenging: in many places you can befallen the people of Nigeria since the first stand at the lagoon side of the island and well was sunk in 1956. Since then the soil of see what is happening in the sea on the the Niger Delta has been literally soaked with opposite side of the islands. In this context spilt oil and the blood of the Nigerian people. and similarly for many small island states, resources to adapt to climate change are Gas flares are a common occurrence in the limited and in particular the energy poverty Niger Delta as the oil corporations burn that means communication is scarce and the associated gas that is extracted during often unreliable, and health and education the drilling process. Estimates are that services are difficult to maintain. This is gas flares from oil extraction create more a double bind as energy (electricity) is an greenhouse gas emissions than all other important means of addressing poverty sources combined from Sub Saharan Africa. and infrastructure strength, yet electricity from the combustion of fossil fuels (such The air has been ripped by the noise of as diesel generators which dominate on gas flaring wasted by the oil transnational island states) is the major local source of corporations, lighting up the night skies greenhouse gas emissions. for over 40 years. The promise of riches brought by the transnational corporations Let there be no doubt, it is the unabated has turned to ashes in the mouths and lungs greed of the enriched industrial nations of of the Nigerian people. Literally thousands the world that now threatens the sovereignty of lives have been lost.

When sometimes when you ask them [about oil spills] as they want to claim responsible corporate citizens, they will tell you that they clean the spills.

And how do they do it? They use the highest technology available using bucket, spades and shovels. When they are tired of scooping and shoveling, they set the very crude on fire.

That way you have the forest set on fire, we got even rivers set on fire. So when you come to the Niger Delta and you see a fire – do not run into the river!

Nnimmo Bassey (Nigeria) ......

FoE 30 Years 94 “Climate change is our business…. Most development in many developed countries is undertaken at the costs of the environment. These countries are clearly denying the fact that it is our business to address climate change. I say it is our business! The small low lying island states dotting the major oceans of the Pacific, the Indian and the Atlantic are affected by adverse impacts of climate change. These small island states such as Tuvalu, contribute insignificantly to global emissions but suffers the most.” Siuila Toloa (Tuvalu) Fossil fuels have not bought wealth to the peoples of the Niger Delta. Nor has wealth been delivered to the Indigenous peoples of South America or Indigenous peoples of Canada and the USA. Fossil fuels will only continue to bring disaster and poverty to small island states of the Pacific – and likely the rest of the world - as climate change increases. The profit of the few yet again is selling the sovereignty of small island states and the ecological security of the world in order to gain unabated market access to oil, gas and coal.

Hope for the Pacific Island countries lies in rejecting the fossil fuel based development paradigm, and through the solidarity built between grass roots movements across the world, convincing industrialised countries to do the same. It is simply not appropriate for the small island countries to have our mal-development agenda forced upon them. It doesn’t work for us, it won’t work for them. It is economic and politics, not technology, that constrains the development of clean renewable energy provision. This will be an ongoing focus of our work in the climate justice campaign at Friends of the Earth! www.foe.org.au/climate ......

FoE 30 Years 96

FoEI tousethe name‘FriendsoftheEarth’ Melbourne, which hadpermissionfrom was visitedbyPeterHayesfrom FoE In 1973,the Adelaide FoEgroup an exposeofthecompanyitself. about recycling,whichFoEAd turnedinto BHP gaveFoEAd$3,900tomakeafilm company BHP. to stopcampaigningagainstthesteel activists inthegrouptoacceptmoney to infiltrateFoEAdinorderencourage andassigned by apublicrelationsfirm wasemployed Coca Cola,GabrielLafitte campaignagainst Following ahighprofile French nucleartestsinthePacific. including waste,pollution,CocaColaand This groupcampaignedonissues (FoEAd). in 1972at Adelaide University was campus-basedandformed The first FoEgroupin Australia o 0Yas 98 FoE 30Years

...... in Australia. Closeco-operationdeveloped issues andtheprotectionofouroften also campaignedonenergyandnuclear urban developmentininner Adelaide. It Adelaide, andhelpedinitiatetheHalifax on city-widesustainabilityissuesfor the GreenCityProgram,whichfocussed involved ingreencityactivism,including continues today. FoENouveauwasheavily group (FoENouveau)wassetupand South Australia. Subsequently, anew established itselfastheGreenPartyof café in Torrensville. In1989,thegroup an alternativeto‘fastfood’:a‘slowfood’ In the1980s, Adelaide groupsetup with continuedworkonpackaging. in KakadutheNorthern Territory, along and proposalstodeclareanationalpark Federal Governmenturaniuminquiries campaign activityofthisgroupincluded was establishedin Adelaide. Early In 1975,aseparate,off-campus group launched inMarch1975. Energy (CANE),whichwasformally established theCampaign Against Nuclear Unionand the PlumbersandGasfitters discussions withthe Australia Partyand In 1974,FoEAdwasinvolvedin country. of theEarthstartedtoexpandaround between thesetwogroups,andFriends depletion andglobalwarming. campaigns suchaspublictransport,ozone community aswellaraftoftargeted awareness raisingwithintheuniversity for manyyears,concentratingongeneral The grouponcampuscontinuedandoff undervalued aridzones/rangelands. companies: an amazingeffect uponthelarge packaging undo theircarefulpublicrelations workhad to Coke. The threattotarget pollutersand items werereturned,andtheaward presented About 300peopletookpart. The offending Friday. join inamarchtotheCokefactoryon were invitedtocollectemptycokecansand announced inOnDiton April 11, andstudents of Krapaward,toCocaCola. The awardwas with packagingquicklyleadtothefirst King created bydisposablecontainers. The concern FoE waswastefrompackagingandthelitter Appropriately enough,thefirst target for The FirstCampaign published fordistribution. of universities. The proceedings werelater an importantpartofquestioningthepurpose concern withtheeffects oftechnologywas technology ablueprintfordestruction?” This Abschol. A seminarwasheldentitled“Is held undertheauspicesofSocial Action/ By March1972regularmeetingsofFoEwere ecology group. From thefirst,FoEcalleditselfaradical students concernedabouttheenvironment. circulated andsoontherewasacoreof happenings ontheenvironmentalfrontwas Group. Informationfromoverseasabout interest toalsoformaFriendsoftheEarth in anumberofareas,yettherewasenough Social Action hadsubgroupsandwasactive pollution, andtheenvironment. the campusnewspaper, a numberofmajorarticleswhichappearedin University group called Social Action produced ideas wereimportedfromoverseas.In1971,a were timesofsocialupheaval,andmany that at Adelaide University. The earlyseventies Possibly thefirstFoEgroupin Australia was Roman Orzanski On Dit , aboutwaste,

...... cans wereleftonthestepsanddeputationwent similar marchvisitedParliamentHouse,where A fewweekslaterafterthevisittoCoke,a Interview inOnDit1973) Australia, whichhandledthesteelcanaccount, (Gabriel Lafitte, aformeremployeeofImage quarters oftheentireweekitsunmanned. which isoperatingeighthoursaday, sothree out oftownwithacreageglassonthefront, theyʼve gotabrandnewplantonmajorroad hovering inthebackgroundongroundsthat the cops,butjustmakesurecopswere allow themarchtooccurandnotcall their capacity. They eventuallydecidedto regarded asjustbeingperfectlynormalwithin that wasanoptionwhichtheyobviously march fromeverleavingtheUniversity-and at all,totheotherextremepreventing ranging fromoneextremedoingnothing There weresevenoptionsopentothem- demonstration. over to Adelaide toseeifIcouldheadoff the They didnʼt knowwhattodo. They flewme what itwaslike.Peoplewereflying toandfro. country werepanicking. Thatʼs anindicationof Australiaʼs largest companiesallroundthe and withinhours20topexecutivesofsix child ofanemployeeCocaCola)rangCoke time andsomeone(eitheranemployee,ora demonstration againstCocaColain10days stuck upsayingFoEweregoingtoorganise a Adelaide Universityandseeinganotice within hoursofsomebodywanderingaround I founditveryhearteningtorealisethat steel canscam. film wasadamningindictmentof thewhole make afilm aboutrecycling.Ultimately, the recycling operationsandgavethem $3,900to try totameFoE. They invitedthemtoobserve BHP (asaproducerofsteelcans),decidedto community conscious,responsibleimagefor People, whoweretryingtopromotea After theassaultonCoke,SteelCan Steel CanBlues:FoEvs.BHP Environment. to chatGlenBroomhill,thenMinisterforthe o 0Yas 99 FoE 30Years tests inthePacific, withadoublepagespread June 1972sawafocusontheFrenchnuclear FoE Australia French Tests inthePacificand support ofcandepositlegislation. time withpeopledressedasCokecans,in when anotherdemonstrationwasstaged,this The debateovercanscontinuedwellinto1974, insight intotheworkingsoflarge companies. mess. Healsoprovidedaveryinteresting Gabriel Lafitte blewthewhistleonwhole truths toldbyBHP. issued adetailedanalysisoftheliesandhalf At thefilm’s premiere,February61973,FoE during theprocessing.The campaignstartedin expressed about pollution fromvinylchlorides petrochemical plant.Considerable concernwas - asiteontheGulfwhichwasproposed fora continued tofollowupissuessuch asRedCliff petrochemicals, andpublictransport. FoE 1974 sawmajorcampaignsonuranium, RedCliff andPublicTransport Pacific tests. idea ofprovidingaunitedfrontagainstthe Greenpeace Pacific Bulletinin1974,withthe Chain Reactionmagazinestartedlifeasthe actions againstnucleartestinginthePacific. Australia organised thenational “Greenpeace” Australia. In1974,FoEgroupsaround FoE Melbourne shared offices with Greenpeace broadsheets subsequentlyproduced. the groups,particularlyonuranium name. Closecooperationdevelopedbetween and wasworriedabouttheillegaluseof the nameFriendsofEarthin Australia, He hadpermissionfromoverseastouse visited byPeterHayes,fromFoEMelbourne. or overseas.In1973,FoEat Adelaide Uniwas officially connectedtoFoEgroupsinterstate At thistime,thegroupat Adelaide Uniwasn’t of nuclearoperations. the firstsignofFoE’s concernwithallaspects Elder ParktotheFrenchConsulate. This was in OnDit,apublicmeeting,andmarchfrom o 0Yas 100 FoE 30Years

...... which coveredhealthandemployment,effects July, withaseriesofbroadsheetsonRedcliff, Anti-uranium campaigns bicycles scattered around theplace… brought theresponse, Council formorebikeracksoncampus in transportplanning. A requesttoUniversity highlight thedominanceofmotorvehicle Transport Departmentin Victoria Squareto yellow, anddepositeditoutsidethe State activists gotacarwreck,sprayeditbright opposing theconstructionoffreeways.’ Some the useofbicycletransportationaswell ‘to upgradepublictransportandencourage being: and improvepublictransportwithstatedaims and others. The campaignworked toprotect freeway group,theRadical Technology group, Committee, theBowdenBrompton Anti- Union, AFULE, theCyclistProtection and GasfittersUnion, Australian Railways involved FriendsoftheEarth,Plumbers A publictransportcampaigndevelopedwhich Redcliff PublicInquiry. FoE alsoprepareda15pagesubmissiontothe where furtheraccesswasblockedbypolice. Administration Centrein Victoria Square, on 26July, fromtheUniversitytoState About 200peoplejoinedaprotestmarch Redcliff”! on theenvironment,and‘Bluewatersor from around Australia converged on Canberra. uranium bikeride.OnMay20,150 cyclists Nationally FoEgroupsparticipated intheanti- demonstration atElderPark. mining uranium.On April 19,CANEhelda on March15theproblemsassociated with held withPeterHayesandDr. JohnCoulter the firstweekofMarch,andaworkshopwas at the Adelaide CAE. CANE wassetupin January 1975andpublicmeetingswereheld FoE’s uraniumsubgroupmetregularlyin to setupaCampaign Against NuclearEnergy. Party, andthePlumbersGasfitters Union Late 1974sawdiscussionswiththe Australia “wedon’t wantunsightly ” National ParkatKakadu. materials, andoneontheproposalfora two onuraniummining,onepackaging FoE preparedsubmissionstofourinquiries: afternoon accordingtoaroster. Duringtheyear Road, andbyJulytheoffice wasstaffed every campus, andintoanoffice inPayneham March 1975wastheyearFoEmovedoff- Off-Campus atlast State Electionsandthe Amory Lovinstour. Inquiry, the ALP NationalConference,the protest: theFoxCommission,Ranger 1974 and1975weretheyearsofuranium hours ofprotests. Parliament Houseat6pm,pitchingtentsfor24 cycled throughthecitycentreandarrivedat June 1975. They reachedCanberraat5pm, Government’s uraniumpolicies(Survival, miles tomakealoudprotestattheFederal all, theyhadcollectivelytraveledover25,000 shouting linesinunisonwithloudhailers. After their bellsandhornsgoing,atthesametimeas on theirclothes,orheldupbanners,kept and mostexcitingever. Peoplehadslogans the citytoParliamentHouseoneofnoisiest Everyone helpedmaketheprocessionthrough

...... 1987. Originally publishedinChainReaction#50, inthegaps. Ranzijin forfilling Fricker, Anne McMenanim,LizOsman,andRob My thankstoPeterBill,SandyPulsford, Ally a notoriouslyingeniousdevice,forsomedetails. incorrect. Ihavehadtorelyonhumanmemory, some ofthedatesmentionedabovemaybe nor allthedocumentswellpreserved.Even Not alltheearlyseventiesarewelldocumented, Writers Note: beliefs. movement whosemembershadsimilarbasic because itrevealedasubstantialecology …..the conferencewasoptimisticandexciting 40 from Adelaide. As theFoEnewslettersaid unions andecologygroups-600attended, in Melbourne,organised bystudentgroups, Easter sawtheRadicalEcologyConference o 0Yas 101 FoE 30Years Folklore suggests the existence of a FoE group in Brisbane in the late 70s, however there is little information available on their work. It was re-formed in the early 1980s and campaigned for land rights and against repressive state legislation brought in by the Bjelke Peterson government. After this group also wound down, a couple of Brisbane activists campaigning in the early 1990s to stop logging on Fraser Island started a FoE group after a falling out with the established environment groups in Brisbane. A FoE Maryborough group (Maryborough is located close to Fraser Island) began at the same time and while this group did much of the physical blockading on the Island, the Brisbane crew raised funds, awareness and recruited blockaders to keep this successful campaign going. Following the cessation of the blockades, Brisbane FoE campaigned on several issues, but the group faded over the next few years. FoE Brisbane (FoEB) re-formed in 1996, after a core group of activists involved in the campaign to stop sandmining on North Stradbroke Island decided they wanted a long term organisational base for their work. It is now a signifi cant organisation within the environment movement in that city. John Hepburn, Ann Ferguson, Rowena Shakes and Andy Morison played a key role in establishing the group. In recent times, it has campaigned against genetic engineering, food irradiation, on nuclear and indigenous issues and had a Sustainable Societies collective. FoEB initiated Reverse Garbage, a cooperative that collects and sells industrial discards that would otherwise go to landfi ll and has recently opened ‘the Bicycle Revolution’, a shop front that fi nds, fi xes and sells old bicycles. FoEB also runs Papernet, a paper provision network that provides 100% post consumer waste recycled paper at low cost to businesses, groups and individuals. Reverse Garbage has since celebrated its fi fth year of operation and has become a signifi cant example of social enterprise, while also providing fi nancial support to FoE Brisbane. FoE Brisbane currently hosts the national climate justice campaign and the national environmental fi lm festival, Wildspaces.

FoE 30 Years 102 country, and, alongwithseveralnewmembers ing community recycling centresaroundthe One memberofthegrouphadbeen research was alsoruledoutforsimilarreasons. fraught withcompromises.Corporate funding of Telstra, soGovernmentfundingseemed outspoken oppositiontotheprivatisation federal GVCO(Grantsfor Voluntary Conser FoE Australia hadrecentlybeencutfromthe without compromisingtheirindependence? can grassrootsorganisations fundthemselves One ofthefirstquestionswasfunding.How Friends oftheEarth Australia network. of theEarthBrisbane,andformallyjoined ganisation. SothegroupformedintoFriends Melbourne asagrassrootscampaigningor part tothelongstandinginspirationofFoE a localgroupofFriendstheEarthduein some ofthegrouphadlookedintostarting an effective campaign. A fewyearsearlier, some betterinfrastructurewithwhichtobuild sandmine wasbeingproposed,therewouldbe – sothatnexttimeadevelopmentlikethenew build agrassrootscampaigningorganisation organisers decidedthattheywantedtotry After thecampaignended,someof mental impacts. help tomitigatesomeoftheworstenviron beit withsometighterrestrictionsthatwould the mine.Inend,minewentahead,al week longprotestcampneartheentranceto nesite thatlastedfor7days,followedbya6 mine, culminatinginablockadeofthemi campaign ofcommunityresistancetothe Over thenext18months,therewasafierce the widercommunity. of thelocaltraditionalowners,aswellfrom was stongoppositiontotheminefrommany and hydrologyoftheseperchedlakes. There snake lagoons,threateningthefragileecology Alpha” wouldpassnearbytoIbisandBlack Stradbroke Island. The minepathof“Ibis approval toopenanewsandmineonNorth In 1996,ConsolidatedRutileLtdgained vation Organisations) programduetotheir - John Hepburn ------...... for the“NewSmallBusinessof Year”. It That year, Reverse Garbage won a local award located inthehousenextdoor. tague Road, West End,withtheFoEoffice award for“NewSmallBusinessofthe Year” house. The BicycleRevolutionalsowonan that operatesfromtheoldgarageofFoE Bicycle Revolution’, a bicycle recycling co-op It hasalsohelpedintheestablishmentof‘The landfill eachyear. diverts around100tonnesofmaterialfrom over approximately$250,000peryearand is now5yearsold,employspeople,turns doors tothepublicfromawarehouseonMon in March1999,ReverseGarbageopenedits of theEarthBrisbane. A fewmonthslater, to supportthecampaignactivitiesofFriends with theoverallobjectiveofgeneratingfunds Reverse GarbageCo-operativewasestab After 12monthsofplanningandresearch, available forsaletothegeneralpublic. and displayedinawarehouse–tobemade discards fromindustryarecollected,sorted It isbasicallyare-usecentre,whereuseful Sydney basedorganisation ofthesamename. The ideaforReverseGarbagecamefromthe the establishmentofReverseGarbageco-op. who wereinterestedinrecycling,setabout irradiation andclimate justice. sues asdiversesustainableagriculture, food to engageinpublicoutreachcampaigns onis sustainable, localalternatives,FoE continues who visiteachyear. As wellasthecreationof of thetensthousandsBrisbane residents sources andhavebeenaninspiration tomany showcase ofthecreativere-usewastedre environmental sustainability. They area practical expressionofaFoE’s visionfor Garbage and The BicycleRevolutionarea Friends oftheEarthBrisbane,Reverse on theroadeachyear. mechanics andkeepshundredsofoldbicycles in 2000.Itnowemploys2fulltimebike lished asanon-profit,workermanagedco-op, o 0Yas 103 FoE 30Years - - - - FoE Maryborough began on the mid north coast of Queensland in 1991 and continues to monitor threats to Fraser Island and the broader region. Although a number of green groups have laid claim to ‘saving’ Fraser Island, the role of FoE Maryborough has not yet received the recognition it deserves in the successful campaign to end logging on Fraser, the world’s largest sand island. Activists Ross and Karen Daniel and Zephyr L’Green were pivotal in the group that kept the base camp on the Island running for a whole year of blockading. Without the blockades, there would have been far less pressure on the state and Federal Governments to end logging on the island. Following the death of a young boy on Fraser Island as the result of a dingo attack in 2001, a State Government program to cull dingoes nearly eradicated the entire population. FoE Maryborough carried out a census of animals, lobbied State Government departments and worked with local traditional owners of the Island to ensure greater recognition of Indigenous rights to control and manage the island’s natural ecosystems.

FoE 30 Years 104 Collingwood. Street and366 SmithStreetin in Carlton,thenNicholson starting inMcArthurPlace moved officesmanytimes, and finally FoEMin2000.Italso to Collingwood,thenFitzroy FoEM Carlton,thenchanged campaign activity. Itstarted as geographical coverageofits times tobetterreflectthe group changeditsnamemany offices overthistime.The north, movingthroughsix located inthecity’s inner has alwaysbeenphysically FoEM (Melbourne)or and wassetupin1973. Australia isbasedinMelbourne ThelargestFoEgroupin Melia Bugeja,FoEMelbourneFoodCo-op.

...... a decade. been involvedinitsco-ordinationforover Beth CameronandLeanneMcLeanhave venture thatfeedsbothbodyandspirit FoEM co-opisaboldandwellregarded includes anorganicvegetariancafé. The possible, andfairlytraded.Itnowalso is organicandlocallygrownwherever shoppers bringtheirowncontainers,food stocks minimallyprocessedfood,where running co-opsofitstypein Australia. It is nowthelargestandoneoflongest 1975. Originallya‘dryfoods’ co-op,this FoEM hasrunafoodco-operativesince waste minimisationanddepositlegislation. pioneered nationalworkonrecycling, FoEM groupsinMelbourneandelsewhere energy, tonameafew. Inthe1980s, militarism, publictransportandrenewable Timorese struggle,foodirradiation,anti- engineering, solidaritywiththeEast development intheLatrobeValley, genetic Right toKnowlegislation,browncoal hazardous chemicalsandcommunity in anextensiverangeofcampaigns:on Over thatperiod,FoEMhasbeenactive Bookshop, FoEMelbourne. o 0Yas 105 FoE 30Years in the Melbourne office. DenisHayes, in theMelbourneoffice. copies. The ‘stopuraniummining’ stickers from central Australia andtheKimberley. Melbourne outletforindigenousartwork 1990s, providinganearlyandimportant gallery duringthe1980sandearly FoEM ranacommunityartsspace/ issues andconcerns. approach andportrayenvironmental other bookshops,librariesandinstitutions materials. Ithasalsohelpedtoshapehow important sourceofspecialistbooksand and ideas. The FoEMbookshopisan important outletforcampaignmaterials for FoEMinitslocalcommunityandisan streetlevelpresence act asahighprofile also runabookshop,whichcontinuesto Since atleasttheearly1980s,FoEMhas others initiated the first ethicalshareholder others initiated thefirst Against Uranium Mining(MAUM),while Parkes helpedestablishtheMovement more than100,000.LesDalton and Alison slogan ofthedecadeeventually sold that wereperhapsthequintessential on theproductionofbook Jim FalkandNeilBarrettcollaborated Reaction and Alison Parkeswereinvolvedin movement. NeilBarrett,RichardNankin role ofFoEMinthebroaderenvironment provided astrongtacticalanalysisofthe and the Hayesfamilyweresignificant developed. A numberofmembers onhowthegroup considerable influence In theearlydays,variouspeoplehad FoEA’s national campaignactivity. credit andcontinuestoformthecoreof 30 yearsofcontinuouscampaigningtoits mining andexportofuranium.Itnowhas to thenuclearfuel/weaponscycle: aim wastooppose Australia’s contribution Uranium Collectiveemergedin1974.Its the nuclear testsinthePacific, Anti- Following acampaignagainstFrench cultural landscape. prominent partofMelbourne’s activistand at 222BrunswickStreet,Fitzroy–wasa ventures, andtheFoEMbuilding–then venue for local artists and other community This wasanaccessibleandwelcoming for Yellowcake o 0Yas 106 FoE 30Years magazine,whichwasbased , whichsoldover35,000 Red Light Chain

...... MIM andHamersley. Andrew Herrington actions atthe AGMs ofminingcompanies FoEM’s styleofwork.In1983,theFood environmentalism wasalivingexampleof over intoareasfarbeyond‘conventional’ critiques ofcorporatepower, andcross emphasis oninternationalsolidarity, in Australian environmentalpolitics.Its development Centre markedasignificant food. The creationoftheFood Justice and corporateownershipcontrolof harmful chemicalsinSouthernnations Its otherconcernsincludedtheuseof subsistence farmersaroundtheworld. seeds begantoposeagravethreat variety rightsatatimewhenpatentingof a FoodJusticeCentretoworkonplant In theearly1980s,FoEMestablished are fairlyyoung,welleducatedandpoor” workers and churchgroups…theoffice wing unionsbutprofessionalorganisations so fargainedsupportofnotjusttheleft the UNEnvironmentProgram,and…has least 16othercountries,isrepresentedon obvious indicationthatFoEMlivesinat terrace houseinCarlton…thereisno In 1976,The Age related projectsalsoworkedfromFoEM. Association (ATA) together. Various bike who pulledthe Alternate Technology and JackGilderingwereamongthose organisation. Alan Parker, MickHarris development ofthestructure was activelyinvolved,especiallyinthe Gyorgy Scrinis’ book organisms (GMOs). In1995,itpublished with thereleaseofgenetically modified worked tohighlighttherisksassociated From the1980s,FoEMconsistently environment andhealth. production andtheirimpactson boththe produce materialsaboutmethodsoffood use ofpesticidesinagricultureandto the internationalcampaignagainst of organicfoods,toworkaspart growers, distributorsandconsumers prices, toimprovethenetworkbetween organically grownfoodatreasonable six years. The co-opaimedtoprovide and vegetableco-opthatranforabout Justice Centreestablishedanorganicfruit the FoEMofficeasa newspaperdescribed Colonising the Seed: “barely furnished . significant critiqueoftherolebiotech significant western Victoria intheearly 1980stothe aluminium smelteratPointDangerin From theblockadesagainst Alcoa Indigenous communitiesovertheyears. FoEM maintainedconnectionswithvarious Not JustDowntheDrain Western PortBays.Itproduced thebook on thecatchmentsofPortPhillipand bioregional initsapproach,concentrating local issues. The Collective wasexplicitly trends relatingtowater, aswellmany Water reviewofitsseweragestrategy, infrastructure developments,aMelbourne Giles. This groupworkedonbigpicture 1993 duelargelytotheefforts ofKarri A Water Collectivewasestablished agriculture. sustainable andcommunitycontrolled industry inunderminingecologically agriculture genetic engineeringandtechno-industrial on domesticre-useofgreywater. Mid80sofficelife, FoE Melbournecampaignsoffice. , whichstillstandsasa , whichfocussed

...... Group. Party totheMelbourneRainforest Action Tenants Association andtheNewLeft Association totheFitzroyRoomingHouse buildings, fromthe Alternate Technology invariousFoEM have hadoffices the state.Literallydozensoforganisations campaign efforts inMelbourneandaround a vastamountofdirectsupportforlocal boards andaninformalspacetomeet organisations, housinginformation,notice activism, offering meetingspaceforother a vibrantcentreofcommunity-based Through allthistime,FoEMhasbeen campaigns. based aroundspecific these relationswere(andcontinuetobe) and MillewaforestsontheMurrayRiver, gain adequateprotectionfortheBarmah current workwiththe Yorta Yorta nationto o 0Yas 107 FoE 30Years Anthony Amis o 0Yas 108 FoE 30Years consumers couldpurchasepoorly lifestyle destroyedsothat Australian land plunderedandtheirculture and Penannationswerehavingtheir island ofBorneo. The indigenousDyak Malaysian provinceofSarawakonthe consequences ofloggingintheremote highlight thesocialandenvironmental Bruno Manser, ourpurpose wasto and reactingto,theSwissactivist (RAG) in1985.Partlyinspiredby, Melbourne Rainforest Action Group Our storybeginswiththeformationof on the Yarra RiverinMelbourne. the importedtropicalrainforest timber symbolically blockadeshipscarrying etc., attemptedtophysicallyand we, asswimmers,kyakers,surfers including 29shipactionswhere many non-violentdirectactions Between 1988and1992weconducted made, disposablefurniture.

...... Soon after, theinterestinlocal Brown MountaininEastGippsland. the loggingofoldgrowthforestat 1989-90 RAGjoinedprotestsagainst The resultwasdisappointingandin imported tropicalrainforesttimber. provide asuitablealternativeto that localforestmanagementwould In thequestforalternativeswehoped Society andConcerned Residentsof network joinedwiththe Wilderness In thesummerof1993-1994, the Campaign. Group andtheBoycott Woodchipping establish theIndigenousSolidarity violent directactionsandhelpedto have conductedhundredsofnon- Forest Network(FN).Sincethenwe collective wasthebeginningof of Significance Action Group. This form the Victorian Rainforest Sites forest issuessawaRAGcollective image inthe saturated themedia.Notonlydid newspaper headingsfor3daysand contingent. The resultswerefrontpage inflicted infullviewofalarge media violent protesters.Pressureholdswere torture tacticsonabout30ofthenon- the Tactical ResponseGroupused the breakblockadePolicefrom in EastMelbourne.Inanattempt of ConservationandNaturalResources people converged ontheDepartment “pressure holds” action, where over 100 February 1994alsosawtheinfamous and againstthewoodchipmillatEden. both intheforestsofEastGippsland, Gippsland, anddirectactionwasstarted at agatheringinGoongerahEast More than350joinedthe Alliance the EastGippslandForest Alliance. East Gippsland(CROEG)tolaunch on December311999. Activists of the Twentieth Century’ printed in itstwopagecentrespread‘Images work, thedisgruntled Chairmanbegan driveway byFN. Inordertoget of woodchipswasdumpedon his North Ltds’ housein1997. A trailer the actionoutsideChairman of Action highlightsmustalsoinclude annual woodchiplicencerenewals. focus ofthegroupatthattimewas 50 actionsoccurringin1996. A key following years-withapproximately of blockadesandactionsoverthe Forest Networktookpartinhundreds neck. stopped usingthesetacticsabovethe the Victorian Policesupposedlyhave for thepressureholdsin1998and successfully claimedcompensation year, itwasalsousedby thenewspaper Award formediaphotographofthe Herald Sunwina Walkley

...... years. Thousands ofpeoplejoined in Australian history, lastingover5 became thelongestforestblockade in 1996. This blockadeeventually the GoolengookCampaignstarted FoE wasalsoinstrumentalingetting of a100,000haNationalPark. of localvictoriesincludingthecreation Otways regionandhaswonanumber is nowthepeakgreengroupin The Ranges EnvironmentNetwork.OREN Otways, and,finally ORENtheOtway Save theOtways,Friendsof names: ForestandLand Action Group, which wentthroughanumberof in buildingabroadbasedlocalgroup, joined localresidentsintheOtways the summerof1995-1996,FoE the forestsofEastGippsland.During in organising directactionprotestsin Office, whichcontinuestobeahub - GoongerahEnvironmentCentre involved inthecreationofGECO In thesummerof1994FNwas retreated backintohishousedefeated. pile remainingtheChairmanthen exertion andwith90%ofthewoodchip garden. After 15minutesofphysical shovelling thewoodchipsontohis closely with Aboriginal traditional the StrezleckiRanges. FNhasworked Western district,East Gippslandand Highlands, the Victorian Alps, the Victoria (Wombat forest),theCentral under threat,includingCentral parts ofthestatewhereforests are to liaiseandbeactiveinmostother In thelatenineties,FNcontinued moratorium. Goolengook isunderalogging occurring. At thetimeofwriting the blockadewithhundredsofarrests o 0Yas 109 FoE 30Years there isnosingle onesizefits all complex andregionally appropriate: Good environmentaloutcomes willbe associated forestsintheStrzeleckis of 10,000hectaresrainforestand working towardsgettingprotection northern Strzeleckis. We arecurrently of GippslandBush,basedinthe and haveworkedcloselywithFriends mismanagement throughout Victoria involved inhighlightingplantation Since 1999membersofFNhavebeen forests. a solutiontothecrisisinournative blanket endorsementofplantationsas campaigns. So,itdoesnotmakea to addressallecologicalissuesinits community empowerment.FNseeks to acampaignperspectivebasedon local agendas. This isfundamental local initiativesratherthandrive local communities.Itseekstosupport is mindfuloftheneedtolisten In workingwithregionalgroups,FN the South West ofthestate. owners togainprotectionofforestsin http://www.baddevelopers.green.net.au http://www.jeack.com.au/~martdy/ FN Website Bad Developers http://www.australianpaper.forests.org.au Australian Paper http://www.hancock.forests.org.au Hancock watch The sitesinclude: exceeds 115,000 perannum. companies. Visits tothese sitesnow in internetmonitoringofforest Since 2000FNhasbeeninvolved Ranges. o 0Yas 110 FoE 30Years

...... timber industry. work forasustainableandequitable social justiceperspectiveandseeksto working groupofFoE,FNhasastrong reduce paperconsumption. As a industry, promotealternatives and forests, stoptheexportwoodchip high conservationandoldgrowth FoE aimstoensureprotectionofall community groups. building allianceswithresidentsand GIS computerbasedmodellingand direct action,communityeducation, international levelsthroughnon-violent campaign onthelocal,nationaland In 2004,ForestNetworkcontinuesto value nativeforests. protection ofallhighconservation sources oftimberandfibre, and management ofplantations,alternative in consumptionpatterns,ecological sustainable futurewillbeareduction model. Fundamentaltoachievinga

...... o 0Yas 111 FoE 30Years John Fraser

Every once in a while, perhaps only once in a lifetime, something comes along that drives our involvement in the search for a better way of living our lives on this planet. For me, that moment came the first time I saw the forests of Goolengook. Goolengook forced me to let the issue deep inside my defences. While I can’t speak for others, it became a campaign in which thousands of people came back again and again, and so I find it impossible to believe I was the only person who experienced it this way.

The forests of Goolengook contained, and still do contain, whole valleys where the rainforest is so thick it can take half a day to walk a kilometre. Valleys where the tree ferns are bigger than fully grown trees in more conventional Australian forests. The place is an absolute treasure trove of rare and endangered species including long footed potoroos, tiger quolls, and powerful and sooty owls. Forests that the Victorian government’s own scientists described as the best opportunity in Victoria for the preservation of warm and cool temperate rainforest.

The resulting blockade started small, became very big, and then varied massively in numbers over a period of five years. Despite the many differences in opinions and priorities that do exist within the green movement, the blockade and associated political campaign, was an amazing example of collaboration between diverse groups and individuals. The work by GECO in handling the day to day logistics of maintaining the blockade deserves special mention here. The incredible perseverance of the activists who stayed during the logging of 2002, despite a horrific campaign of activist harassment on the part of the Department of Sustainability and Environment, and the Victoria Police, is something I will remember for the rest of my life.

This perseverance paid off in the form of a government moratorium on further logging introduced in 2002. Although some incredible forest was lost to the loggers much of the forest may one day receive permanent protection. The fight is not over though, as the Bracks government can revoke this moratorium at any time, and a future liberal government could simply choose to ignore it. What we have with Goolengook is a partial win that many people said we’d never get. It’s up to us all to convert this partial win into permanent protection.

FoE 30 Years 112 to pavetheplanet,Coalition Against Alexandra Paradeaspartoftheirmission 1994. VicRoads wasplanningtowiden “more publictransport” signsonhisXmas officeandhung the transportminister’s dancing around atthefront.We occupied Brunswick Street,acardboard train house brick.Hundredsofusrallied down which wasalittlelargerthanyour average the oneverypreciousmobile phone, the FoEofficeifweneededback-up on Piedimontes. We maintainedavigil,calling stalls infrontofthelocalsupermarket, passingcarsanddid we leafleted As thecampaignpickedupmomentum, but I’daccidentallybecomeanactivist. serious sono-oneasks).Ididn’trealiseit, the reasononmylatepasses--itsounds presence atthesite(Iwrote“family”as of schooltohelpmaintainacommunity the medianstripandIwaggedamorning CAFE builtasymbolicbarricadeacross damaging. Itwasadumbidea. more thansociallyandenvironmentally that, rationally, theroadwideningwas have finishedhighschooltoconclude memorable. Butyoudidn’tneedto got upandsaid...wellitwasn’treally more traffic. The VicRoads representative would onlymovethebottleneckandcreate socially andenvironmentallydamaging, explained thattheroadwideningwouldbe Town Hall,whiletheCAFErepresentative air. HundredsofussatintheCollingwood to havekeepbreathingtheinnercity it wasadvertising-afterall,weweregoing I draggedmyparentsalongtothemeeting outmore. decided tofind ends and Alexandra Paradebegins.I metres fromwheretheEasternFreeway house inCliftonHill,acoupleofhundred landed intheletterboxatmyparents awkward andexcruciatinglyshy. A leaflet oppose theprojectandIwas16-pimply, Freeway Extensionshadsprungupto Domenica Settle

...... repeat Return tostepone and reappear 8. CAFEmemberssuddenly Silence 7. leave,policeleave 6. CAFEmembers(usually) CAFEdiscussesthis 5. Policethreatenarrest, leave 4. CAFEmembersrefuse to this toleave,CAFEdiscusses 3. PoliceaskCAFEmembers 2. CAFEstopsmachinery, policearecalled 1. blockading dancehadstarted: practising non-violentdirectaction. The surrounded bymembersofthecommunity themselves bewildered driverwouldfind please stopwork.Beforetheyknewit,the machines, smilesweetlyandaskthemto feet tall--wouldwalkuptothetowering of road-buildingmachinery. Lee Tan --five a warzoneofdustandheattheroar of jail.) The medianstriphad turnedinto tell metocallhimifIneededbailingout father wouldmakemeapackedlunchand We alsostartedblockading bulldozers.(My satisfying. wasn’t sosymbolicallyimportantanddamn It wouldhavebeenapointlessactivity, ifit shovels andbuckets,workinginthesun. had made-longlinesofpeoplewith started fillingintheholesbulldozers most creativeactofdesperation.We nominated atthe Activist Awards forthe and-toe toblockthebulldozersandwere tree. CAFEmembersdancedtheheel- o 0Yas 113 FoE 30Years lane andpedestrian crossingactions Streets forPeople, whodidcreativebike unexpected places. CAFEevolvedinto the campaigntoappearasripples in pre-1994 levels),leavingtheeffects of (congestion haslongsincereturned to In theendroadwentahead they draggedusaway. were ontheirside,notours.Onebyone, VicRoads wasdetermined,andthepolice But forallthecommunityopposition, construction workers’ time. non-violent directwastingofpoliceand It wasausefulblockadingtechnique: o 0Yas 114 FoE 30Years

...... spin off fromCAFE,CriticalMassstarted protest tohappenoutsidetheUK. As a third everReclaimtheStreetsparty/ pedestrian crossingsandorganisedthe where therearenowbikelanesand stop theroad,but changehappensslowly. The Alexandra Paradecampaign didn’t like myfriendsfromschool. wondering whyIdidn’tgetasensible job stop theWorld Trade Organisationand running aroundinsillycostumes tryingto I foundmyselftravellingtheworld and on totackleothersocialchange projects. making intotheirworkplaces.Lotswent like bike-ridingandconsensusdecision- Others startedintroducingstrangeideas to popupinthecracksbitumen. planning, causinggreentransportideas in thecampaigngotjobstransport of bikesastraffic.Somepeopleinvolved in Melbourne-themonthlycelebration Blockadingroadworkson Alexandra Parade,November, 1994 half tohavethe leasesignedandsealed, the property. Ittookanotheryearanda the realestateagentstaff assignedto building andwewereonawarpath with Collingwood. We gotafilthydilapidated the neighbouringworkingclass suburb, was beinggentrified outofFitzroy into environmental causes. As itturnedout,FoE there weresolittleresourcesforgood has ledusintosuchdesperationandwhy helpless butitpromptedmetoaskwhat That meetingdidnotleavemefeeling corporate sectorandahealthinstitution. to this,Ihadbeenworkingfull-timeinthe environment andasociallyjustworld.Prior my timeandenergy intoworkingforthe after myseachangedecisiontofocus General financeco-ordinationposition, the part-timeOffice Co-ordinatorcumFoE At thetimeIwasonlyseveralweeksinto FoE’s newpremisesatSmithStreetin1993. dwindling financesfortherenovationof FoE Strategymeetingtodealwiththe That wastheconclusionofanemergency luck inthisweek’s Tattslotto…”. “Let’s chuckinsomecoinstotryour Lee Tan

...... beyond therealmofmyimaginationwhen a caseofjumpinginthedeepend,often building sitesupervisor. Itwasdefinitely sudden Ifoundmyselfturningintoa to helpwiththe‘renovation’. All ofa Somehow wemanaged. We gotvolunteers be inthepostcapitaliststatenotime!” to 3digits!Ithoughtmyselfthen: furniture. And thebankbalancewasdown it becausewasburiedamongstthepilesof move. The phonerangbutIcouldnotgetto had takenleavetorecuperatefromthe high. The entireoffice staff andvolunteers furniture andfiles werestackedupceiling rubble, buildingmaterialsandoff-cuts. Old the buildingwasinmayhem,filled with week ofstudyleave. The entireupstairsof old premises,Ireturnedtoworkafterone After FoEwasphysicallymovedfromits advice wasmostneeded. community organisations andprofessional tightening oflegislationandguidelinesfor time whenwewerereallystrugglingwith pray foranaccountant.Heturnedupata if wehadmadeadecisionatStrategyto was aGod-send,althoughIcouldnotrecall through therestofpaperwork.Frank a week(ormonth?)ofhistimehelpedus Finally, Frank,whokindlyoffered anhour (through causesnotrelatedtothecase). Service diedhalfwaythroughhisassistance recommended tousbytheFitzroyLegal Melbournians prepared fortheirannualpost For thenextfew yearsafterthemove,as insatiable appetiteforconsumption. through resourceexploitationand an a societywheremoneyismostly generated and ethicalstandards,this is noteasyin FoE adherestoasetofstrictenvironmental entirely self-funded. and theresilienceofitsstaff. FoEisalmost fascinated aboutFoEistheresourcefulness The thingI’mmostimpressedand we allwentthroughafterthemove. not underestimatingthestressesandworries learnt toloveallofthesenewexperiences, I tookupthejobatFoE.Nevertheless, after hewassacked. The cheaplawyer o 0Yas 115 FoE 30Years ”We’ll Christmas exodus to their favourite holiday hideouts, a bunch of us die-hard earthlings gathered at the FoE Food Co-op to prepare for our catering fundraising expedition to the Down to Earth Confest alternative lifestyle festival to pay off the building debt. That was the ultimate fund raising experience for me. I’m sure no one will dare contest if Ila Marks is awarded the Confest Fundraising Queen. She got us all organised – food supply, equipment, tents, menu and all, even dogs I think. And as we set out in our pooled cars toward the Murray River at the Victoria-New South Wales border, we also schemed on how to dodge the ticket collector at the gate (non- violently, of course, to keep pace with the spirit of this festival). This last plot is not part of Ila’s plan but some of us reckoned if we are to work towards a post-capitalist society, then we might as well test it out at Various groups have existed in Perth at the Confest. The rest of the story I’ll leave different times. While FoE was prominent it with readers who’ve been to Confest to in WA in the 1970s and ‘80s, it has not had tell. a strong presence in the capital for well over a decade. FoE is way ahead of time in terms of its vision. Whilst FoE struggles to get In the 1970s, FoE Perth was active in the resources in an economy dominated by campaign opposing commercial killing of neo-liberals, it also dares to challenge the whales in Australian waters. In 1976, FoE norm and works against many odds. I activists, including Peter “Bro” Brotherton, hope FoE’s courage and uniqueness will organised an 800 km bike ride from Perth be better understood and supported by the to Albany, home of Australia’s last whaling general public. An organisation like FoE is fleet. FoE established its whale campaign under the name Project Jonah, which was fundamental for a healthy democracy. intended as a single issue group within Lee Tan, long time FoE campaigner for the broader FoE campaigns. Tactics Indigenous and Asian Forest campaigns and included pickets, international lobbying, local indigenous issues. community education and applying pressure to the Australian government. The whaling campaign was one early point of international campaign activity and the FoEI Federation played a significant role in negotiations in the International Whaling Commission. At the domestic level, FoE played a key role in the Inquiry into Whales and Whaling. This Inquiry subsequently recommended a ban on whaling, with Australia ultimately banning whaling in 1979.

Down to Earth Confest alternative lifestyle In the early 1980s Perth and Melbourne festival 1990-1991 were the two largest FoE groups in the country.

FoE 30 Years 116 greenhouse issues, includingtheNational and others,FoES engagedonarangeof Through theefforts ofDietrichWilling whole lifecycleoftheproducts itmade. would makeindustryresponsible forthe cradle tograveapproachproducts that minimisation strategythatproposed a It developedacomprehensive waste minimisation. of state-basedlegislationonwaste state andplayedakeyroleinthecreation of garbagebeingproducedacrossthe the Governmenttodecreaseamount coalition ofenvironmentalgroups,tolobby worked withintheWaste CrisisNetwork,a ofindustry.because oftheinfluence FoES Unfortunately, CDL wasdefeatedinNSW forms ofregulationatbay. Deposit Legislation(CDL),leviesandother industry associationsinkeepingContainer industry in Australia andtheroleof highlighted thePRtacticsofpackaging minimisation legislation,DavidVincent Apart fromadvocatingforwaste minimisation andrecyclingcampaigns. inthenationalwaste highly significant A numberofcampaignersfromFoESwere on theimplicationsofGMOs. South Australia, FoESinitiatedacampaign the environmentatWaite Institutein organisms(GMOs)to genetically modified In thelate1980s,withreleaseof especially inthesoutheastofstate. campaigned indefenceofnativeforests, Throughout the1980sand‘90s,FoES minimisation andrecycling. as uranium,hazardouswaste,waste well asmore‘traditional’ FoEissuessuch conservation andbiodiversityissuesas groups, FoESalwaysworkedonnature More thananyofthelong-establishedFoE 1974. began onSydneyUniversitycampusin Friends oftheEarthinSydney(FoES)

...... Energy Grid proposal and energy efficient Energy Gridproposalandenergyefficient town southof Adelaide in1984and FoE Willungawassetupinthecoastal channelisation ofaninnerurbanstream. de- and fundingtoallowthefirst Government andlocalcouncilacceptance worked forseveralyearstogainState in innerSydney. Ted Floydandothers indigenous vegetationalongWhite’s Creek re-creation ofwetlandsandrestoration A recentcampaignvictoryhasbeenthe management inSydney. develop communityperspectivesonwater funded bytheSydneyWater Boardto In 1994,FoESembarkedonaproject natural flowregimesinun-regulatedrivers. of streamchannelsandmaintainingthe in rivers,restoringnaturalcharacteristics restoringbiodiversity environmental flows, river systems,includingtheneedfor FoES campaignedextensivelyoninland Sustainable Developmentprocess. the FederalGovernment’s Ecologically early 1990s,FoESwasalsoinvolvedin building codesforlocalcouncils.Inthe disposal ofwastes throughoceanoutfalls. sewage for agriculture instead of traditional large scaletreatment andre-useof the developmentofsome earliest years, thegroupwasalsoinstrumental in about renewabletechnologyfor many wetland. Apart fromraisingawareness Washpool, coastal ahighlysignificant It alsohelpedwiththere-creation ofthe original vegetation. remnant bushinanareawithverylimited pocketof Aldinga Scrub,asignificant from adjacentfarmlandandroads) protection ofthe Aldinga Reef(fromrunoff environmental issues.Ithelpedensure The groupworkedonarangeoflocal admitted totheFoEnetworkinearly1985. o 0Yas 117 FoE 30Years slowed water flow duringrain,collectedsilt slowed waterflow newspapers asbiodegradable‘dams’ that a newsystemthatutilisedbundlesof with soilerosioningullies. They initiated they became aware of continuing problems projects inthehillstoeastofWillunga, group. Whileinvolvedinrevegetation standing andpivotalmembersofthe Gina KellettandDaveNurtonwerelong European settlement’. a completesongcycletohavesurvived Kaurna peopleofthe Adelaide Plainswith the ‘lastcompletedreamingtrackof other formsofinterference. The trackis that werethreatenedbydevelopmentand for sectionsofthe Tjilbruke Dreamingtrack owners, FoEworkedtosecureprotection Kaurna people,thelocaltraditional Through co-ordinatedworkwiththe Macquarie, Launceston, LatrobeValley, Hurstville, Kiama, Kyneton,Lake Grafton, Gosford,Hobart,Hawthorn, Frankston, GlenWaverly (Vic), Goulburn, (Vic), Darwin,Eltham,Fitzroy, FlindersUni, Collingwood, Cessnock,Canberra, Colac Brisbane, CallalaBeach(NSW), Cooma, Bonang (Vic), Ballarat,Bridgetown(WA), Blue Mountains,BlackRock(Vic), Burnie, Armidale (NSW),Bathurst,Bendigo,the recorded in and locations,aswellinothersnot groups inthefollowingtowns,cities Over theyearstherehavebeenFoE over thistime. groups andcampaignsthathaveoperated shots ofsomethelongerrunningFoE this bookcanonlyoffer the briefestofsnap community politics and social activism, and Thirty yearsisalongtimeintheworldof and shrubsinthegullies. germinate, helped in restoring groundcover and, byprovidingamediumforseedsto Adelaide Hills, Adelaide Uni, Alice Springs, o 0Yas 118 FoE 30Years Chain Reaction : Adelaide,

...... Manjimup, Melbourne,MtGambier, Lismore, LatrobeUni,JervisBay, Mitcham, Willunga, and Yarrawonga. Wodonga, Whyalla,Williamstown (SA), New England,UniofWA, Wollongong, (Vic), Townsville, UniofSydney, Uniof Sydney, SwinburneCollege(Vic), Seaford Snowy Mountains,Stanthorpe(QLD), Surrey Hills(NSW),St Andrews (Vic), (Vic), PortPirie,Randwick,Ryde(NSW), Technology, Ourimbah(NSW), Oakleigh Yorke Peninsula(SA),NSWInstituteof (WA), Newcastle,Nowra,Newtown,North Mullumbimby, MonashUni,Nedlands Maitland, MacquarieUni,Mossman,

Herald Sun Columnist, Andrew Bolt

Patrick White, Australian Author, 1980s emphasis onpractical issuessuchashow In itsearlyeditions, CRoftenhadan days withoutsleep’. aftertwo in someminingcompanyoffice succinct reportonanoutrageous demo could stillthinkclearlyenough towritea Peter Hayes,oneofthoserare beingswho years later… The mainenergycamefrom imagined thatitwouldstillbegoing25 intense, hairyactivistspresentwouldhave heady daysofMay1975,notonethe In lateryears,Neilrecalledthat‘inthe among thefoundingeditors. Barbara HuttonandNeilBarrettwere fordigraphed newsletter. PeterHayes, in 1975andbeganitslifeasafoolscap, It changeditsnametoChainReaction tests inthePacific. collectively opposingnuclear and Greenpeacewhowere of thedevelopingFoEgroups in 1974asacombinedeffort ‘Greenpeace PacificBulletin’ Reaction (orCR)beganasthe TheFoEA magazineChain o 0Yas 120 FoE 30Years

...... to buildawindgenerator, alongwithmore In 1978,theeditorsdefendedthemselves worked onthemagazine. as timewentbyanddifferent people which variedandevolvedconsiderably CR continued to define its political position, was halted. shipping ofuraniumthroughMelbourne protests ledtoapartialvictorywhenthe elephants ifIhadthem’. These andother Police CommissionerMillersaid‘I’duse handed tacticsattheprotest,Chief Commenting onthepolice’s heavy- Australian uranium. on awharfbesideshiploadedwith a chargeoverthetopofprotesterssitting Dock actions’ wheremountedpoliceled reached 100%duringtheSwanston apology foritslateness:‘absenteeism base andorientationbypublishingan itsactivist That sameeditionreflected environment.’ society whichlivesinharmonywithits the waytowardsasustainable,convivial international issuesandsearchingfor feature articlesandnewsonnational It describeditselfin1977as‘publishing environmental journal. to becomeanational‘activist-orientated’ expand CR’s anti-nuclearfocusinorder After afeweditions,itwasdecidedto and reportsoncampaigns. theoretical andphilosophicaldiscussions and FoE’s role increatinglongtermsocial clear senseof the magazine,andbothits where theeditors ofthedayhadavery The early1980sseemedtobe atime processes. actual politicalpartiesandparliamentary always ensuredadeepscepticism of socialism, thepoliticalculture ofFoEhas advocated forvariousformsofeco- While someinCRandFoEhave socialism?’ is socialism,thenwhatwrongwith development foritsownsake–ifthat to bemoreimportantthaneconomic line. We considerpeople’s welfare rag: ‘We donotfollowanypoliticalparty from accusationsthatCRwasasocialist appears to have been a significant appears tohavebeenasignificant However, thisstrongsenseofdirection “ Australia’ andshetook offence atthe by the‘mainantinuclearmagazine in nuclear concerns,werebeing “ nationalissues,especially significant CR. DeniseChevalierwrotein 1982that considerable differences ofopinionabout However, intheearly 80s,therewere propaganda machineforFoEA. perspectives ratherthanjustbeinga continue torun‘outside’ materialand ‘movement’ magazineandhenceshould publication, italsohadgreatvalueasa that whileCRwasthe‘flagship’ FoE In lateryearsFoEA clarifiedthefact the magazinesrole. attempt toresolvethesetensionsabout organisation seemstohavebeenan The recognitionofCRasaservice Australia. also actingasthe‘mouthpiece’ forFoEin be producedonacollectivebasis,while problem foramagazinethatwasmeantto intrinsic value,likesomanygreenies being ofpeople,notjustforthetree’s own because theyareimportantforthewell- people. Theyareconcernedabouttrees environment magazinethatcaresabout Melbourne commented,“ International Development Action in At thistime,ChristinaMelalukaof of themagazine. clearly stilldiffering perceptionsoftherole and jobsinWollongong. But therewere women’s employmentintheservicesector included foodpolitics,workers’ health, emphasis onsocialissues.Coverstories CR continueditsevolutiontowardsan and, slightlylater, LinnellSecomb, Under theeditorshipofMarkandLeigh editions datefromthattime. Some ofthemostinspirationalinsertsand with sharplayoutandoftenstrikingcovers. carried alotofbigpicturestrategicdebate, oversaw productionofamagazine,which Food JusticeCentre,andLeighHolloway change. MarkCarter, co-founderofthe Wollongong. Marxist rhetoric ” ofacoverstory on CR isthe ignored ”. ”

...... In 1982,aCR‘consultativegroup’ magazine. conflict overthefunctionandroleof organisation ofFoEA in1982following It wasformallyrecognisedasaservice moved to Adelaide. creation in1975untilearly1989whenit It wasmostlybasedinMelbournefromits Sydney. Adelaide, Canberra,Melbourneand has beenbasedinvariouscitiesincluding an independenteditorialcollective,which Chain Reaction sector. poorly paidjobsforwomenintheservice boom’ whichwascreatingcasualand cover story, anarticleonthe‘resource collective overbothdesignissuesandthe serious disagreementwithintheeditorial With issue#29(Spring1982),therewasa to formatandlayoutofthemagazine. increase frequencyandconsiderchanges waysto the magazineaswelltofind groups wascreatedtoprovideadviceon composed ofrepresentativesfromlocal Image fromChainReaction hasbeenproducedby o 0Yas 121 FoE 30Years Bracks’ GovernmentinVictoria. to becomethefirstenergyministerin Paul Keating. The treasurer ofCRwas councillors, authorsandanadviserto who wentontobecomeSenators,local These includedaremarkablelistofpeople editorial decisions. credited 45peopleasbeinginvolvedwith the winter1981editionofmagazine to thesheersizeofeditorialcollective: This mayhavebeendue,atleastpartly, environmentalist constituency’. we hadtothewidernationalFoEand regarded asnothavingthe‘responsibilities to ‘save’ themagazinefromthosethey inthemiddleofnight had movedoffice In 1981,afactionoftheeditorialcollective dedicated morethansixyearsofgreatly who These includedEileenGoodfield term membersjoiningaboutthistime. team continuedtogrow, withsomelong After MarkandLeighleft,theCReditorial magazine. larger collectivethatwasproducingthe by theconstraintsandstructures’ ofthe being frustratedandplacedinjeopardy at [their]improvementsinthemagazine He andLeighHollowaywere‘exasperated instigation. in Melbournecameaboutlargelyathis existing office in FoE to a separate location to makethemidnightmovefrom Mark Carterlaterrecalledthatthedecision collective member, 1986. longtermChain reaction Eileen Goodfield, o 0Yas 122 FoE 30Years

...... improved, thecollectivemovedfromits As therelationsandcommunication Henderson andLarryO’Loughlan. FranCallaghan,Clare Eileen Goodfield, the magazine,includingIanFoletta, contributed severalyearsofeffort to This teamincludedpeoplewhothen established. involved inthegroupforsometime,was included peoplewhohadalreadybeen in thejob,andanewcollective,which as oneofthemaineditorsafterfouryears resigned In 1986,JohnathanGoodfield ‘activist contact’ updates. movements, italsoregularlypublished environment andsocialjustice Reflecting itsimmersioninthebroader patenting totheChernobyldisaster. of insertsontopicalissues,fromseed In the1980s,CRpublishedaseries editorial contentandpolicy. collective wouldtakeonalldecisions In 1983,itwasagreedthattheMelbourne joint administrationbetweenthetwocities. collective wasalsoformedinSydney, with to anewofficeinMelbourne’s CBD,a the ‘midnightmove’ fromFoECollingwood to peopleworkingonthemagazine. After collective includedprovidingfreechildcare involvement bywomenandmeninthe CR’s commitmenttoensuringequal and toFoE. valued serviceandinsighttothemagazine whether wilderness actuallyexistsin environmental campaigning; thatis, the useof‘wilderness’ conceptin One exampleofthisisthedebate over movement orbroadersociety. of commondebateintheenvironment issues beforetheybecomethe subject has hadareputationforaddressing Throughout itshistory, community. as thebroaderprogressiveandacademic social andenvironmentalgroupsaswell an alternativemediasourceforother magazine ofFoEA,whilealsoproviding CR continuestodayastheofficial offices inCollingwood. Melbourne CBDlocationbackintotheFoE Chain Reaction

15,000. saw circulation increasefrom3-5,000to newsagents with GordonandGotch,which distribution agreementthrough In thelate1980s,CRsecured a groups. number ofindividualsandenvironmental amount ofangstandangeramongst a environment movement’ generatedahuge of themagazineon‘corruptionin in theearly‘80s,and1991anissue some groupscreatedheatedresponses the roleofdirectactionandtacticsby without controversy:discussionabout encouragement ofdebatehasnotbeen and corporateengagement. This political positioningwithinthemovement In recentyearsthishasincludedissuesof exchange overNVA ornonviolentaction. late 1980s,therewasabriefbutintense over feminismandsocialism,inthe In theearly1980s,thisincludeddebates encouraged. and inmanyinstancesactively movement debatehasbeenpublished, matters concerningtheenvironmental A notablefeatureof materials forbombs. about terroristsobtainingradioactive that evenminingcompanieswereworried clubandthefact revealed apricefixing Mary KathleenUraniumLtd,which from In 1976,CRreleasedsecretfiles “whistle-blowers”. was avocaladvocatefortheprotectionof these organisationsandthemagazine Chain Reaction or corporatepracticesweresuppliedto irregular, illegalordishonestgovernment for its‘leakbureau’.Documentsdetailing It gainednotorietyinthe1970sand‘80s of thisground-breakingwork. campaigns. BobBurtoncontributedmuch front organisations,PRand‘dirtytrick’ tactics usedbyindustry, including environment movementaboutcounter It alsohelpedraiseawarenessinthe human generations. of Australian landscapesforthousandsof Australia givenIndigenousmanagement been thefactthatdebateabout‘internal’ bypeopleworkingwithin Chain

Reaction has

...... the editorialteamofday. only byitssubscribersandthepassionof of imminentfinancialcollapse,sustained suggests ithasalwaysbeenontheverge In fact,acasualreadingofthemagazine finances havealwaysbeentight. three full-timestaff foreight months, government grantallowedCRtoemploy Apart fromabriefperiodwhenVictorian did workwiththemfromtime to time. own efforts althoughanumberofpeople produced CRalmostentirelythrough their In thefollowingyears,Clareand Larry Melbourne-based collectivedisbanded. Adelaide inearly1989,theexisting When theymovedfromMelbourneto 1986 to1996. involved inproducingthemagazinefrom were thelongestservingeditorsand Clare HendersonandLarryO’Loughlan the magazine. creative designworkthathasappearedin ads areamongstsomeofthemost The variouspleasforhelpandsubscriber Image fromChainReaction o 0Yas 123 FoE 30Years o 0Yas 124 FoE 30Years

...... Their final edition, in the year that the Howard Government was elected, was a scathing analysis of the Coalition’s failure on environment policy and the ‘clean and green’ image it was trying to cultivate. Its strong position on the partial sale of Telstra and images by left wing cartoonist, Heinrich Heinz, were a breath of fresh air compared to the timid green movement response to the new Government. Under the editorship of Clare and Larry, the magazine reached another peak in its history as a magazine that ran contemporary, insightful commentary on national political and environmental issues. The magazine had a brief period of non- production from 1996 until 1998, but apart from that has been produced consistently for almost 30 years, almost entirely through volunteer labour. It was resurrected by Anna Burlow, Kulja Coulston, Tristy Fairfield and Barbara Kerr in 1998 with the first edition, appropriately titled ‘Back from the Wilderness’, taking an anti-nuclear and international focus. The present CR production team is an independent collective that was based in Ross House in the CBD and now has an office in the FoE building in Melbourne. Rowena Shakes

Wild Spaces is about our individual expressions and perceptions of Wild Spaces. It refers to the Earth’s wild places. It refers to the infinite spiritual space inside all of us: the wild space that is not so easily found. Exploring the wild space helps us to keep in touch with the natural forces of the universe that are vital for each individual’s spiritual, mental and social development.

Friends of the Earth’s Wild Spaces Film Festival is Australia’s only national film festival focused exclusively on environmental and social justice. It has

FoE 30 Years 125 been organisedbyFoEsince2000, in aconvertedWarehouse inNewtown, Environmental FilmFestival’,screened and ahalftoseethefirst`WildSpaces Iteventuallytookayear sourcing films. the world,gatheringinformationand contacted festivalsinSydneyandaround it intothemainstreammedia.Gary thatweren’tmaking social justicefilms that wouldcarryalltheenvironmentaland organisers realisingtheneedforavehicle film festivalideabegantotakeshape,with was onlyafterthesecondmeetingthat meetings werenamedWildSpaces.It Museum inSydney. These twopublic the followingyearatNationalMaritime A similarmeetingwasorganisedagain Wilderness innorthwest Tasmania. the World Heritageproposal ofthe Tarkine Paner”, afilmGaryCaganoff createdfor The nightwasusedtolaunch“Tarkiner Peter Treseder (awell-knownadventurer). Peter Thompson (RadioNational)and Clover Moor(IndependentNSWMP), as BobBrown(thethen TAS GreensMP), Sydney andconsistedofspeakerssuch was heldatthe Teacher’s Federationin GaryCaganoff.independent filmmaker It organised fortheWildernessSocietyby as apublicmeetingonwood-chipping, but thefestivalstartedbackin1993 o 0Yas 126 FoE 30Years

...... fundraising forthenationalfestival. energy tobeputintothepreparationand to gobi-annual,allowingmoretimeand the decisionwasmadeforWildSpaces cities andregionalcentres.Inearly2004 and territoriescoveringarangeof of theWildSpacesprograminallstates in 2003therewereover30screenings The festivalcontinuestoexpand,and been inBrisbanesince2003. Melbourne from2000to2002,andhas ordination ofthefestivalwasbasedin in theirownregions. The nationalco- ordinating WildSpacesscreeningevents and individualstakingontheroleofco- social justicegroups,studentnetworks with thehelpofmanyenvironmentaland the nationalco-ordinatingorganisation Friends oftheEarth Australia became The festival continued to grow and in 2000, and attractedoverathousandpeople. held inSydneyatthe Australian Museum and Newcastle. The1998 Festivalwas had screenedinMelbourne,ByronBay country andwithinsixmonthsWildSpaces Word ofthefestivaltravelledaround 600 people. Sydney inJune1996.Itattractedalmost

with eachother, whilesome groups havealwaysco-operated than anorganisation.Some FoEA isafederationrather magazine national spokespeople andthenational representation andcampaigning work), specific administrative,communication, from withinlocalgroupswhocarry out (ILO) officers(individualsnominated Liaison (NLO)andInternational Liaison National positionsincludethe National responsibility withintheFederation. activities anddelegatedareasof there havealwaysbeensharednational a centralisationofpower. Giventhis, any developmentsthatcouldleadto has beenaninherentbiasawayfrom on itsdecentralisedstructureandthere FoE hasalwaysplacedgreatemphasis arid landsandtransport. campaigns wereanti-nuclear, wetlands, at anationalmeeting. The first‘formal’ and thecampaignproposalisapproved campaign activity, policyisdeveloped, areasof to worktogetheronspecified where twoormorelocalgroupsagree ascampaignareas These aredefined national campaignactivity. the conceptandstructureofits only in1995thatFoEformalised national activities,butitwas meetings haveagreedonshared Over theyears,national from therestofnetwork. have tendedtoworkinisolation o 0Yas 128 FoE 30Years

Chain Reaction , whichisan

...... independent servicegroup.FoEA also basis inmidJanuarywithadifferent local Since thenFoEA hasmetonanannual possible siteforaplannednuclearreactor. Bay in1974. At thistime,theislandwasa on FrenchIslandinVictoria’s Westernport The firstnationalFoEmeetingwasheld FoE group. there isalimitedopportunitytoestablish be activeinremoteandruralareaswhere local FoEgroup. This allows thenetworkto withouttheneedtodevelopa ‘banner’ areas areabletooperateundertheFoE individuals inregionalcentresandrural the regionalcontactpositionwhere based inMelbourne.In1995FoEcreated in Perthbutsinceabout1990,ithasbeen early 1980s,theNLOpositionwasbased Brotherton andPeterBrotherton.Inthe Thieberger, LorraineGrayson,Cathy thisrolehaveincludedNick People filling ordination functionsforthenetwork. group andoffered certainsupportandco- hasbeenhostedbyalocal liaison office local groups. At different times,anational NLOs arepeoplewhoputforwardby been appointedsinceatleast1988. The national level.Nationalspokespeoplehave runs bothprojectsandcampaignsatthe and co-operation betweenthegroups, In 1995,withincreased nationalactivity increasing priorities fromtheearly1990s. attention tonationalco-ordination became of information’.Policydevelopment and national meetingismainlyfor anexchange policyis decided. informal: ‘nospecific The the mid‘80s,earlymeetingswere very to JoeWacher, aFoEstaff memberin have evolvedovertheyears. According group hostingeachmeeting.Meetings the sametime as ‘new’ ideasrelating to consensus: groups totheprinciplesofcollectives and most ideologicallycommitted of thelocal FoE Melbournehastraditionally beenthe to thenextnationalmeeting. mediated bytheNLOs,issues arereferred not unanimousanddifferences cannotbe are madeviaballot.Wheredecisions sharing. Betweenthemeetings,decisions emphasis oninternaldemocracyandskill- to goavote.FoEplacesconsiderable than adecadesincedecisionhashad option oflastresortandithasbeenmore provision forvoting.Voting isseenasan consensus’ decisionmakingmodelwitha FoEA’s nationalmeetingsusea‘double based model. this changedinthe1980stoaconsensus- majority carryinganyparticulardecision, ‘one group,onevote’ basis,withasimple originally theorganisationhadworkedona of FoEA isthelocalgroupsandwhile making structures. The ‘membership’ extensive useofnon-hierarchicaldecision decision-makingwiththe emphasis onflat One hallmarkofFoEhasbeenits and loansprogramforFoEA. context andtoadministerasmallgrants done byFoEInternationalinan Australian groups ofFoEA,toaddvaluethework facilitate capacitybuildingofthemember direction andcampaignpriorities,to and supporttotheNLOsonbroadpolitical NCRG isresponsibleforprovidingadvice representatives fromlocalgroups. The Group (NCRG),whichiscomposedof the NationalCampaignsReference national structure,FoEA established In 2001,inanotherdevelopmentof are sentbytheirlocalgroup. decision-making donebydelegateswho through thenationalmeetings,with the Federationisessentiallyself-managed management isappointedatthe AGM, acts asan AGM. Whileacommitteeof strategies, whiletheJanuarymeeting used largelyforskillsharingandcampaign were needed. The midyearmeetingis it wasdecidedthattwomeetingsayear “FoEbeganin Australia …at

...... Nouveau, Sydney, andFitzroy/Melbourne a numberofgroupsincluding Adelaide/ mass’ thegroupshavefolded.However, going andwhenthesefellbelow‘critical relied onasmallcoregrouptokeep seventies. Oftenthesmallergroupshave dispersed overtheyearssinceearly Many FoEgroupshaveformedand document. statement isalsousedasaguiding document. An internationalmission national constitutionasanover-riding own constitutionandtodeferthe Local groupsareexpectedtohavetheir riding policydocumentforthenetwork. constitution isseenasbeingtheover- the FoE Australia handbook. The FoE and campaigns. These areoutlinedin bearers and guidelinesfornationaloffice developed substantialpolicydocuments Since themid1990s,FoENetwork male.” those whoarenotwhite,wealthyand to asmanypeoplepossible,especially way itoperatesinordertoimproveaccess that …attemptstocontinuallyexaminethe is oneoftherelativelyfeworganisations questioning ofallaspectssociety. FoE operate aspartoftheirfundamental reappraisals ofthewayorganisations New Leftandthefeministsundertook new prominenceinthesixtiesas various formsforcenturies,butreceived the newFoE.Collectivityhadexistedin particular. Theseideashelpedshape from thewestcoastonUSA in ways oforganisingwerebeingintroduced of theorganisation). Individualscanhave thedirection no otheravenue toinfluence contribute fundstotheorganisation, with rather thanjustsupporters(people who standing commitmenttohaving members local FoEgroupandFoEA hasalong join FoEA bybecomingamemberof and campaigninitiatives.Individuals foundations forlongorshorttermprojects departments orincomefromprivate receive grantsfromvariousgovernment for theircorefunding.Somealso donations andfundraisingorbenefits years. Mostgroupsrelyonmemberships, have beeninexistenceforwellover20 From Chain Reaction. o 0Yas 129 FoE 30Years funding, anannualappealandfundraising. now basedondonations,someproject funding sources,andFoE’s revenueis of forced along-overduediversification the electionofCoalitionGovernment loss ofthisallocationin1996following Federal Governmentforitsfunding. The a singleadministrativegrantfromthe From theearly1980sFoEA reliedon Finances meetings wheredecisionsaretaken. who thensenddelegatestonational through beinginvolvedintheirlocalgroup, input tonationaldecisionmakingforums o 0Yas 130 FoE 30Years

...... more globalview. Northern or‘Firstworld’ perspectivetoa were slowlytransformedawayfroma joined, thepoliticsandemphasisofFoEI As moregroupsfromSoutherncountries America and Asia). (notably West Africa, Latin members inSoutherncountries Federation startedtogain early 1980stheinternational network inthesameyear. Inthe was acceptedintotheFoEI was establishedin1974it when FoE Australia (FoEA) FoEI continuedtogrowand time. Throughoutthe1970s, USA metasFoEIforthefirst Great Britain,Swedenandthe when groupsfromFrance, formed inSweden1971, FoEInternational(FoEI)was 1986. Inlate1998, FoEA hosted the a Southerncountry wasinMalaysia group. The firstFoEImeetingheldin which ishostedbyadifferent member FoEI holdsbi-annualmeetings, eachof 1985. creation ofaFoEIForestcampaign in on thembecameacentralissue withthe those Indigenouscommunitiesreliant forests andthesubsequentimpactson genetic engineering.Destructionoftropical to opposethemisuseofpesticidesand links 300groupsinaround50countries Brazil andtheUnitedStates. Today, PAN on theworkofFoEgroupsinMalaysia, Pesticide Action Network(PAN), building In 1982,FoEactivistsestablishedthe FoE INTERNATIONAL review of FoEI in 1998 identified three review ofFoEI in 1998identified issues in the ‘developed’ world. An external than justqualityoflifeandbiodiversity political realityoflifeintheSouth rather conservation issues.FoErepresents the embraces socialaswellnature environmental groups,andthe network unique amongstthelargeinternational and decentralisedstructure,whichis third world).FoEIhasademocratic or majorityworld(formerlycalledthe Around halfoftheseareinthe‘South’ with membergroupsin68countries. environment NGOFederationintheworld FoEI iscurrentlythelargestgrassroots throughout Asia. 2004 isnowbuildingitsmembershipbase rapidly throughoutLatin America andin and laterpartofthe1990s,FoEgrew which joinedFoEIin1985.Inthemid was Poland’s PolskiKlubEkologiczny, Europe. ItsfirstmembergroupintheEast networks tobecomeactiveinEastern FoE wasoneofthefirstenvironmental time. global networktothecountryforfirst bringing adiversecrosssectionofthe FoE InternationalmeetinginMelbourne, FoE Internationalmeeting,Quito,Ecuador, 1999.

...... nature conservation; eco-efficiency; and nature conservation;eco-efficiency; ‘streams’ ofthoughtwithintheFederation: no FoEmembergroup. All ofFoEI’s 68 in thosecountrieswherethereiscurrently existing partnerswhomeetcertaincriteria to expanditsnetwork.Insteaditseeks incountriesorder not establishoffices Because ofitspoliticalview, FoEIdoes ‘social ecology’ perspective. approach, withagrowingemphasison have seenaclearshifttowardsthisthird environmental justice.Recentyears democratic principles. All nationalgroups The politicalstructure ofFoEIisbasedon other affiliations. independent frompoliticalparties and racist andnon-sexiststructures; andbe in thatcountry;havedemocratic, non- working onthekeyenvironmental issues one memberisallowedpercountry);be group mustbeanational(only To beeligibletojoinFoEI,apotential remarkably diverse. organisation. As aresult,theFederationis or officeestablishedbyanexternal locally ratherthansimplybeingabranch member groupshavebeenestablished o 0Yas 131 FoE 30Years at theinternationalmeeting. The first nominated bynationalgroups,iselected between meetings. A chairperson, certain decisionsonbehalfofthenetwork around theworld)hasabilitytomake (with representativesfromgroups meetings andanexecutivecommittee Decisions aremadeattheinternational 12 localgroupsin Australia. 4,500 localgroupsofFoEI,includingthe around 1,000,000individualmembersand structures andfundingsources. There are local groupshavetheirownmembership, and someco-ordinationofactivity;but Amsterdam helpswithinformationflows are independent. A secretariatbasedin large damsinthe Amazon, whichwould Bank tocancelvariousprojects,including of nuclearpowerplants;forcingtheWorld nuclear industry;theclosureofanumber Europe thathaltedtheexpansionof referenda inanumberofcountries involvement incampaignsandnational of FoEInternationalhaveincluded: campaignvictories Some significant world activelyinvolved. a crosssectionofgroupsfromaroundthe the internationalmeetingsandmusthave international campaignsandprojectsat 1996. Groupsputforwardproposalsfor El Salvador, whowasappointedin chair, RicardoNavarro,ofCESTA/ FoE chair fromaSoutherngroupisthecurrent o 0Yas 132 FoE 30Years

...... FoE Internationalsee Formoredetailson national liaisonoffice. achievements thatisavailablefromthe summary ofFoEI’s keycampaign FoE Australia producesanannual forestry operations. projects includinglargescaleminingand for environmentallyorsociallydestructive the financialinstitutionswhoprovidefunds achieved greatsuccessthroughtargeting recent years,severalcampaignshave and theoreticalworkonsustainability. In having doneground-breakingcampaign waste atsea.FoEIisalsorecognisedas banondumpingofnuclear indefinite FoE wasinstrumentalinsecuringan dumping inSoutherncountries.In1985, influencedillegalwaste significantly to Nigeriaandothercountries,has highlighting illegalwasteshipments the environmentand,bytrackingand the impactsoffirstGulfWar on FoEI sentadelegationtoinvestigate and climatechange. international levelonbothozonedepletion campaignsatthe logging, andsignificant instances ofillegaltropicalrainforest Amazon; highlightingandstoppingmany and forest-dwellingcommunitiesinthe controlled radiostationsinIndigenous which hasinstalledmorethan100locally- developing theRadio Amazonia program, have displacedIndigenouscommunities; www.foei.org

nuclear issuestothoseofenvironmental Antarctica totheWet Tropics; fromanti- organisations; involvedincampaignsfrom lots ofenvironmentalandhumanrights feel alittleolder. Iʼvebeenamemberof Australia –thoughitdoesmakeme a generationofFriendstheEarthin to contributethiseditioncelebrating I takeitasagreatcomplimenttobeasked today toadmit class-basedanalysisor has changeda little. Itʼs notsofashionable made aboutclasspolitics. The rhetoric Third, atFrenchIsland,mention was of environmentalinfamy. waste repositorywillgodown in theannals have anysayintheyearstocome, this Australia isimmense.Iffuture generations national nuclearwasterepositoryinSouth job. At themoment, thethreattobuilda others around the country do an outstanding Australia. JimGreen,in Adelaide, andmany still runsthebestanti-nukecampaignin took awaymuchofthemoney–FoEA – afterthecurrentconservativegovernment equally seminalnow. Withlimitedfunds influence inthebeginning,andtheyremain Second, nuclearissueswereashaping were anintegralpartofnature. separate fromhumanity;rather, ourlives FoE, naturewasnoteveraplacewhich was neverjustawildernessorganisation. To values, theseconstants,persist.First,FoE years ago–andtheresilienceofthese The valuesofFoEA arealreadyhere,thirty edition ofChainReaction: quotation istakenoutoftheSummer1975 on FrenchIslandinVictoria. The following to oneofthefirstnationalmeetingsFoEA constants, letmetakeyoubackthirtyyears sense tome.ButbeforeItalkaboutthese constant valueswhichmakeprofound is remarkablydiverse;buttherearecertain Wherever Itravel,theexperienceofFoE justice andsecurityinthedevelopingworld. o 0Yas 134 FoE 30Years Tim Doyle ...... change in Australia. Leadingmediaoutlets that theyhaveneverbeenbought. Yes, The fifththingIwanttosayaboutFoEis affluent. unions, indigenouspeoplesandtheless the middleclass,butamongsttrade time;notjust among awareness forthefirst community: creatinganenvironmental was involvedinmassmobilisationofthe (now therearebackentrances),FoE when ourparliamentsstillhadlobbies appeal-to-elites politics,lobbyingpoliticians When othergreengroupswereplaying a buzzword,FoEA wereactuallydoingit. Fourth, longbeforecommunitybecame a startlingpace. resources, andthosewithout,isgrowingat between thosewithsecureaccessto (UNEP) arewillingtoacceptthatthegap the UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgram conservative internationalinstitutionslike power hasneverbeengreater. And even and post-industrialismnowglobalising,its never beenmoreimportant.Withadvanced between thehavesandhave-notshave alternative societies.Buttherealstruggles socialist, feminist,orothermodelsof tell uscapitalismhaswon,soforgetabout together ofdifferent interestsactuallydoes is worthit. But thepillowfight The bringing Sometimes itdoesendupina pillowfight. – truedemocracydoestake time. It wasbuiltonthepremisethat democracy decision-making structureswere inclusive. organisation. Fromthebeginning its Sixth, FoEwasneverahierarchic active andcommittedtotheircampaigns. subscriber base,buttheiractivistsare forceful enemies. They donothavealarge clothesʼ. Forthat,theyhavemadeenemies, the powerful:ʻbutEmperorhasno But theyhaveneverbeenafraidtotell strategies intheseneo-liberaltimes. of coursetheyhavehadtoadapttheir

– thepathofleastresistance;notto efficient, tendstoleadnon-decisions of electronicdemocracy, thoughcheapand diffusion ofusefulinformation.Butthisform the internetspeedsupandextends email. The English-speakingmediumof the recentincreaseindecision-makingby the distributionoflimitedresources;or time totime,forexample,inrelation FoE isnotperfect. Tensions emergefrom ʻother natureʼ acrosstheearth. celebrates thefullgamutofhumanityand - notjustbiodiversity, -butdefendsand future: aglobalviewwhichvaluesdiversity has alongertermview, aglobalviewofthe see pastthenextdomesticelection,FoE Whilst most Australian greengroupscanʼt knowledge, networksandperspectives. Australia withthiswealthoftransnational There isnoothergreenorganisationin countries underitsbroadconfederation. has autonomousgroupsin68separate an internationalistperspective. Today, it Finally, evenonFrenchIsland,FoEA had social context. environmental problemswithinagiven that issuitabletoidentifyandresolve lead tosomeformofwisdom:aknowledge

...... of FoEA. University of Adelaide, andalong-timemember Geographical andEnvironmentalStudiesatthe Tim Doyleis Associate Professorof we areFriendsoftheEarth. of thisplanet.We areCitizens, task. We arenotjustconsumers this rightbalanceisourfuture our sharedlivessacred.Finding sense ofplace–whichmakes of homeandcommunity–a but willstillseekthecertitudes transnational intheiroutlook; activists willbeevenmore The nextgenerationofFoEA varied platformevenmore. security havebroadenedits justice andenvironmental recent policymovesintoclimate challenging –asalways.Its exciting one,thoughextremely The futureofFoEisan world. the majorityworld:lessaffluent mention thatitoftenexcludesthevoicesof o 0Yas 135 FoE 30Years

FoE 30 Years 136

FoE 30 Years 137

FoE 30 Years 138

FoE 30 Years 139

FoE 30 Years 140

FoE 30 Years 141

FoE 30 Years 142 Anon (1987); Know your FoE; the Coercive Utopians. Australian Journal of Mining, April 1987

Burgmann V (2003); Power, Profit and Protest. Australian Social Movements and Globalisation. Allen & Unwin.

Chain Reaction magazines, 1975 - 2003

Much of the information in this booklet comes from the special issue on FoE Australia in Chain Reaction number 70, January 1994. Dimity Hawkins edited that edition, and Clare Henderson, Larry O’Loughlan, Dave Sweeney, Kathleen McCann and Cam Walker all provided input.

Copies are available from the national liaison office by sending 3 x 50 c stamps.

Copies of the 25th anniversary edition of Chain Reaction are also available from the same address for $4.

Dodd, A (2000); Sparking a green Chain Reaction; the Australian, Aug 10-16, 2000

Doyle, T (2000); Green Power: the environment movement in Australia. UNSW Press

FoE International (2001); Sparks of Hope, fires of resistance: FoEI celebrates the sustainable path forward. 30th anniversary publication (available from : http://www.foei.org/)

FoE Melbourne info book, 1987

FoE Fitzroy/ Melbourne newsletters

Hill, B (1976): Worthy FoE for Uranium, The Age, 9/11/1976

Hutton, D & Connors, L (1999); A history of the Australian Environment Movement. Cambridge University Press

Lazaroff, C (2000); David Brower, environmental champion, dies at 88. Environment News Service, 6/11/2000

Marshall, R (1985); Friends of the Earth; eleven years of struggle for a safer and cleaner environment. In Direct Action, 13/11/1985

Nelson, A (2002/ 2004); Green Agency: a Friend of the Earth and the Barmah – Millewa Forest.

On Dit, Adelaide Uni newsletter, 1974 (?)

Watson, I (1990): Fighting over the Forests. Allen & Unwin.

Williams, P (1997); The Victory; the inside story of the takeover of Australia. Allen & Unwin

NB: All unreferenced quotes are from Chain Reaction magazine h

Photos and graphics are drawn from various FoE publications and the organisations archives. We have made every effort to find the photographers and owners of images used in this book. However, most of the archives from the 1970s to the mid 1980s were poorly marked. If we have used any of your images without permission, we apologise. We hope to publish a second edition of this book, so please contact us if you either want acknowledgment in the next edition or want the image removed. Uncredited photos are from the FoEM archives.h

Page ii-iii • Beach image from Foe Brisbane climate justice campaign.

Page vi • Photo: Anon

PART I

Page 1 (clockwise) • ‘Mask’ - Urban pollution and livability became increasingly prominent issues in the late 1970s and1980s. A successful campaign saw the phasing out of leaded petrol in Australia.

• ‘Indigenous Solidarity Group’ – Representatives from the Kupa Piti Kunkga Tjuta, at the Global Survival conference, Melbourne, 1998. Photo: Cam Walker.

• ‘Kyoto’ – FoE climate campaigners join the Melbourne Fringe Parade to get the message across, September 2001. Photo: Tristy Fairfield.

• ‘George & John’ – George Bush and John Howard, conspiring to screw the climate, 2001. Photo: Alan Hoban.

• International Women’s Day – FoE Fitzroy activists in the International Women’s Day march, 1992.

Page 2 • ‘Woodchip’ – With the announcement of new woodchip licenses in late 1994 (the annual ‘Christmas present from hell’), FoE joined with other green groups to occupy the federal government offices in Melbourne.

Page 3 • ‘Strezlecki’ – Old growth Blue Gum growing in Flynns Creek catchment, Strezlecki Ranges, Victoria. This was one of the many areas identified by FoE as being at risk of conversion to plantation. This pocket of remnant bush extended for 2 kilometres, wholly within a larger area of plantations, 2001. Photo: Anthony Amis.

Page 4 • ‘Aunty Betty’ – Aunty Betty – Elizabeth King, long time adviser to FoE Melbourne, Kerrup Jmara Nation, Western Victoria. Photo: Cam Walker. h

Page 5 • ‘U Mines’ – Through its 30 years, FoE has always campaigned against all aspects of the nuclear fuel. Rally in Melbourne, mid 1980s.

Page 6 • ‘Bike Ride’ – The 1977 bike ride against nuclear power outside Parliament House, Canberra.

PART II

Page 7 (clockwise) • ‘Reconciliation’ – A FoE contingent at a Reconciliation march, 2000

• Photo: Anon

• Photo: Anon

• Photo: Anon

• “Nukes” Photo: Anon

• ‘Jabiluka’ – 2000 ended a high note, with several thousand people rallying in Melbourne to oppose the proposed Jabiluka uranium mine. Photo: Cam Walker.

• ‘Campaign Against Freeways’ – Eviction of community members from houses that were to be demolished

• ‘Bike Ride’ – The 1977 bike ride against nuclear power

• ‘Bike Ride’ – The 1977 bike ride against nuclear power

• Fishing in the Gulf Country. Photo: Lee Tan.

1970s Page 9 • Chain Reaction magazine cover, September 1975.

Page 10 • ‘Solar’

Page 12 • Chain Reaction magazine cover, Autumn 1976.

Page 15 • ‘Jarrah Forests’ – May 1979, protests to prevent Jarrah forests from being cleared for Bauxite mining, Western Australia.

• ‘Music on the Blockade’ – F19 (Eastern Freeway) campaign, Collingwood, Melbourne, 1977.

Page 16 • ‘At the Barricades’ - F19 (Eastern Freeway) campaign, Collingwood, Melbourne, 1977.

• Long term FoE activist Bert King, Fitzroy, Melbourne, 2004. Photo: Valentina la Piana

Page 17 • ‘Whales’ – Anti whaling action, late mid 1970s. A campaign by FoE and other groups led to the end of whaling in Australia.

• The last whaling station in Australia, at Albany, WA.

Page 20-21 • The barricades in Collingwood, during the F19 anti freeway campaign, 1977.

Page 22 • ‘Bike Ride’ – The 1977 bike ride against nuclear power

Page 25 • Image from Chain Reaction

Page 26 • ‘The world bike ride for a nuclear-free future’. The threat of nuclear war hung like a cloud over the 1980s

Page 28-29 • ‘Bike Ride’ – The 1977 bike ride against nuclear power.

Page30 • ‘Bike Ride’ – The 1977 bike ride against nuclear power.

Page 31 • ‘Bike Ride’ – The 1977 bike ride against nuclear power.

Page32 • ‘Bike Ride’ – The 1977 bike ride against nuclear power.

• Leaflet for the FoE bike ride. Thanks to Adrian Hann.

1980s Page 33 • ‘Nukes’ – Shipboard protest against nuclear weapons, Melbourne, early 1980s.

Page 34 • ‘N Ship’ – Peace flotilla boat, protesting visits by US warships, Western Australia.

Page 35 • ‘Roxby Downs’ – The first blockades at Roxby Downs, South Australia, 1983. Photo: Eric Miller.

Page 36 • Image from Chain Reaction

Page 38 • In 1998, FoE Australia hosted the international network for the first time, bringing representatives of around 40 countries to Melbourne.

Page 39 • ‘World Car Free Day’ Poster, 21 September, 2000

• Image from Chain Reaction #70, 1994. Heinrich Hinze.

Page 40 • ‘Three Mile Island’ – Eric Miller at a protest to mark the 10th anniversary of the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island (USA), 1989. Photo: Linda Marks.

Page 41 • Dave Sweeney talking at the FoE International meeting, Melbourne, November 1998. Photo: Cam Walker.

Page 44 (clockwise from main image) • Benny Zable.

• Loretta O’Brien & Uncle Kevin Buzzacott

• Uranium Street, Broken Hill.

• Students action against the proposed radioactive waste dump during the FoE radioactive tour. Port Augusta, SA, 2001. Photo: Linda Marks.

Page 45 • Bikeride 1980s. Photo: Linda Marks. 1990s Page 46 • Image from Chain Reaction

Page 48 • The ‘Gungalidda embassy’ outside the CRA AGM in Melbourne.1994.

Page 49 • ‘Aidex’ – Thousands of people descended on Canberra to shut down the AIDEX arms exhibition, 1991. Photo: Cam Walker.

Page 50 • Image from Chain Reaction #76, 1996, shortly after the Howard government came to power.

Page 51 • Image from Chain Reaction #63-64, 1991. Heinrich Hinze.

• ‘Telstra’ – The Howard Government was elected in 1996. Funding for its environment portfolio was linked to a partial privatisation of Telstra, the national communications company. FoE was one of the few green groups to voice opposition to the sale. Shortly after, its ongoing funding from the federal environment department was cut. Photo: Cam Walker.

Page 53 • Ricardo Navarro of FoE El Salvador, the chair of FoE International, speaking during a climate justice event, Melbourne, 2001

Page 54 • Main image from Chain Reaction #59, 1989. Artwork: Mandy Carter.

• Fosco Ruzzere, long term anti nuclear campaigner, FoEM.

Page 55 • In 1992, FoE Fitzroy launched its forest campaign with direct actions in East Gippsland. FoE also maintained a regular picket outside the state government department responsible for logging (DNRE). Melbourne, February 1994.

• Louise Matthessian at the occupation of the Commonwealth Offices in Melbourne after the announcement of the 1994 woodchip license renewals.

Page 56 • Action outside the state government forestry offices over destruction of old growth forests in East Gippsland, 1994. Photo: Cam Walker.

• Use of pressure point tactics at the same event.

Page 57 • ‘Coalition Against Freeway Extensions (CAFÉ)’ – Basing its name on the earlier resistance to the F19, based around CAF or Citizens Against Freeways, which opposed the Eastern Freeway in the late 1970s. For several weeks, CAFÉ blockaded roading operations on Alexandra Parade in Melbourne. A community info centre was set up on the medium strip of the Parade.

• Community members arrested on Alexandra Parade at a press conference, Melbourne’s Magistrate’s Court, after all charges against them were dropped.

• Obstructing bulldozers, Alexandra Parade, November 1994

• CAFÉ ended the years actions with a 400 strong street parade along Brunswick Street, Fitzroy to the road works on Alexandra Parade, lead by a cardboard tram. When building the F19 in the 1970s, the government had promised a light rail system, a promise never delivered. Photo: Cam Walker.

Page 58 • Occupation of the woodchip pile, Midways woodchip mill, Geelong. Photo: Cam Walker.

Page 60 • Artwork for the first Indigenous solidarity gathering, 1997. Mark Trinham. Page 62 • The first meeting of the Dharnya Alliance, Barmah forest, Victoria.

• Rally in support of the Yorta Yorta native title claim, Shepparton, 1999. Photo: Cam Walker.

Page 63 BARMAH FACES • Monica Morgan and Henry Atkinson, Yorta Yorta Nation • Indira Narayan and Lindy Orthelia, Barmah Millewa collective, FoE. • Jono La Nauze (FoE) and Phil Ingamells, Victorian National Parks Association.

Page 64 • Barmah forest, Murray River, Victoria

Page 67 • Police at Royal Park pickets, 1999. Photo: Tristy Fairfield.

Page 68 • Kathleen Mc Cann, anti nuclear activist and artist.

Page 69 • The Stop Jabiluka image, design by Kathleen McCann.

Page 70 - 71 • Yvonne Margarula, Mirrar Senior Traditional Owner, with children.

Page 73 • Picket outside North building during the Jabiluka campaign, St Kilda Road, Melbourne, 1998. Photo: Sarojini Krishnapillai.

Page 74 • March at the Jabiluka mine site, NT, 1998. Photo: Sarojini Krishnapillai.

Page 76 • Direct action at Jabiluka, July 1997. Photo: Anthony Proudfoot.

Page 78 • August 2003: The first truck taking uranium back down the Jabiluka mine shaft. Friends of the Earth Australia played a key role in this successful campaign. Photo courtesy of Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation

Page 81 • Eric Miller, Ila Marks and Daniel Vornoff on the first Nuclear Freeways tour, Broken Hill.

• Daniel Voronoff with the castor and the media in Mildura, 1999. Photo: Albert Arana.

Page 82 • Main picture: Michelle Matthews (ACF) during nuclear protest outside the office of Senator Nick Minchin, Adelaide, 2001.

• Inset: Loretta O’Brien, FoE nuclear campaign co-ordinator. Photo: Linda Marks.

Page 83 • ‘Strong country’ action at the proposed Jabiluka uranium mine, 1998. Photo: David Hannah.

Page 85 • Robbie Thorpe at the Corrobborree for Sovereignty, Aboriginal tent embassy, Canberra, January 1998. Photo: Cam Walker.

Page 87 • At the Kulini Kulini bush camp, Ten Mile, near Coober Pedy, SA, 2003.

Page 88 Images from the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting, September 2000 • Daniel Voronoff and Emma Tucker. • The ‘Green Bloc’ picket line • The march that followed the ‘Other Voices’ conference prior to the WEF • Gary Strecker and Bruce Thompson

Page 91 • Image from Chain Reaction #58, 1989. Artwork by Jo Waite.

Page 92 • Action to pressure the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by the Russian government, 2004. Photo: FoE Europe.

Page 93 • Billboard Graffitti, Fitzroy, 2001.

Page 94 • Nnimmo Bassey, activist with Environmental Rights Action/ FoE Nigeria. Photo: Ben Moxham.

Page 95 • Cover photo from ‘Time and Tide: the Islands of Tuvalu’ by Peter Bennetts and Tony Wheeler, reproduced courtesy of Lonely Planet.

Page 97 (clockwise from main image) • FoE Melbourne (then Fitzroy) building, 222 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, late 1980s. Photo: Cam Walker.

• The Perry street festival, a regular FoE community event in Melbourne.

• FoE Fitzroy activists, mid year planning weekend, Commonground community, Victoria, late 1980s.

• Shripad Dharmadhikary, from the Save Narmada Movement, India, speaking at a FoE rally aginst the World Bank, Melbourne, 1994. Photo: Clive Rosewarne.

Page 98 Cover of Chain Reaction

Page 101 Image from Chain Reaction

Page 102 • ‘Bushfire dreaming’, artwork by Elizabeth King, KerrupJmara. Designed for ISG Conference, 1998.

Page 104 • Various images from Fraser Island. Ross and Karen Daniel.

Page 105 • Melia Bugeja, FoE Melbourne Food Co-op. • Bookshop, FoE Melbourne.

Page 107 • Mid 80s office life, FoE Melbourne campaigns office.

Page 108 • Tripods: from the bush to the city, forest network action in Melbourne, 1994.

Page 111 • All Goolengook images courtesy of the Forest network www.green.net.au/slide/gook.htm

Page 114 • Blockading road works, Alexandra Parade, 1994

• Obstructing dump trucks , Alexandra Parade, November, 1994. Photo: Cam Walker.

Page 115 • Lee Tan, long time FoE campaigner for Indigenous and Asian Forest campaigns and local indigenous issues. Page 116 • FoE ran a food stall at Confest, an alternative lifestyle festival, for many years as a major source of income. Confest 1990-1991.

• Geoff Evans at a International Whaling Commission meeting, late 1970s.

Page 119 • Cover image from Chain Reaction #56, 1988-89. Artwork by Jo Waite.

• Subscription form from Chain Reaction

Page 120 • Cover image from Chain Reaction #80, 1999. Photo: Andrew Graham.

Page 121 • Image from Chain Reaction

Page 122 • Eileen Goodfield, long term Chain reaction collective member, 1986.

Page 123 • Back Cover image from Chain Reaction

Page 124 • Poster celebrating 25 years of Chain Reaction, 2000. Artwork: Shamus Hoare.

Page 125 • Bird wing (Crimson Rosella), cover of Chain Reaction #81, 1999-2000. Photo: Catherine Sutherland.

Page 126 • Wild Spaces Film Festival Poster, advertising the 9th Annual Wild Spaces Film festival, 2003.

Page 127 • FoEA National meeting, Yambuk Indigenous protected area, western Victoria, January 2001

• Snow Gums, near Mt Hotham, Victoria. Photo: Cam Walker.

Page 131 • FoE International meeting, Quito, Ecuador, 1999. Photo: Cam Walker.

Page 132 • “Nuke Road”. Nuclear Highways Tour

Page 133 • The 1977 bike ride against nuclear power, Canberra.

Page 135 • Anti nuclear action, late 1980s. Photo: Linda Marks.

                            

      

 

  

    



                    

         

            

       

  