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Newcastle Herald

'So done with coal and gas': climate protesters demand action

Sharon Claydon Newcastle Coal Tanya Plibersek Labor University of Newcastle

Climate activists protest outside federal Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon's office on May 6, 2024. Pictures supplied

Protesters braved the rain on Monday morning to send a message to the federal government - calling for it to stop approving coal and gas projects.

The protest, outside Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon's office, was part of local group Newcastle Move Beyond Coal's action pushing for change to what it says are "our current weak nature laws".

The group drafted a "letter of demands" to Ms Claydon and the government, but said no-one at the office was available to speak to the 30 protesters on Monday morning.

"When Labor was elected in 2022, I finally thought there was hope for change because of their promise to take real action on climate change," University of Newcastle student and activist, 18-year-old Anjali Beames said.

"Since then though, we've seen the approval of four new coal projects by Tanya Plibersek, we've seen the delay of the reforms to Australia's environmental laws and we've seen Labor consistently ignore the demands of young people and our community to stop approving new coal and gas and implement a fast, fair and funded transition."

Will White, a 24-year-old University of Newcastle student and activist, said the government was prioritising the interests of the fossil fuel industry over threatened species and ecosystems that were on the brink of collapse - such as the Great Barrier Reef - by delaying reforms to environment laws.

"This community is so done with coal and gas," he said.

"We need Sharon Claydon, Anthony Albanese and Tanya Plibersek to listen to our community, stop the almost 30 new coal and gas projects waiting to be approved and instead support the transition our community needs."

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