Lake Cowal National Day of Action: March 22 2006
Published by MAC on 2006-03-22
Lake Cowal National Day of Action: March 22 2006
20th March 2006
International Water Day
"We have no resources but we are taking the fight for all the peoples because of the prospect of cyanide poisoning" Neville 'Chappy' Williams, Wiradjuri Elder UK Independent, October 2005.
Barrick's gold mine at Lake Cowal is due to commence operation on 27 March despite opposition from traditional owners within the Wiradjuri Nation and many environmental and human rights groups. Damage to water and water resources is the worst environmental consequence of gold mining.
There are still pending court cases regarding the legitimacy of the gold mine and clear breaches in environmental safety standards. Last week Greens MP Lee Rhiannon's put questions to the Upper House about the Lake Cowal Goldmine Cyanide.
Transportation Route
Her questions, yet again, fell on deaf ears as the Government is still unwilling to release this information. Over 6000 tonnes of cyanide will be transported from Gladstone in Queensland through communities and waterways to Lake Cowal.
COME TO THE LAKE COWAL NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION in your city and voice your concern about this open-cut cyanide leaching gold mine on a sacred site and significant wetland.
SEND A LETTER
http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/gold/lakec.html
NSW
Meet @ 11am
Hyde Park Fountain, CBD, Sydney
contact:Natalie 0431 194 083 natalie.lowrey@foe.org.au
VICTORIA
Meet @ 11am (TBA)
contact: Stephen 0402 721 520
Neylan: 0423 363 416 neylania@yahoo.com.au
QUEENSLAND
Meet @ 11am (TBA)
Miranda: 0414 535 164 miranda_kym@hotmail.com
WA
Meet (TBA)
Fern: littlefern@planet-save.com
LAKE COWAL NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION
International Water Day
Wednesday 22 March @ 11am
LAKE COWAL CORROBOREE
RAIN RAIN RAIN
Easter Weekend
14-17 April 2006
Come out to the Lake and support Wiradjuri Traditional Elder Neville 'Chappy' Williams with his continuing fight to protect Lake Cowal from the hands of gold giant Barrick Gold.
The theme is RAIN so come and listen to this sacred land and bring on the rain to stop this 'Midas' greed.
The first bar of gold will be produced in March/April 2006 so this is yet another significant year for the campaign as cyanide will be transported through communities from Gladstone, Queensland to Lake Cowal, NSW.
Wiradjuri Traditional Elder Neville 'Chappy' Williams with the ongoing support of the Indigenous Justice Advocacy Network continue to fight Barrick in the courts ... they need your support!
CYANIDE WATCH through the work of Peacebus.com, will be leaving the gates of the mine at the easter corroboree to bear roadside eyewitness to the transportation of cyanide to the mine.
The Lake Cowal campaign needs your support so come out to corroboree on Easter weekend and bring on the ... RAIN, RAIN, RAIN
(see Inspiring Story of Gathering in 2004 http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/gold/gather.html)
More info about corroboree at: http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/gold/corr_06.html
If you would like a downloadable flyer for Corroboree at Lake Cowal please send an email to natalie.lowrey@foe.org.au
For more information on the Lake Cowal campaign keep watching:
http://www.savelakecowal.org
http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/gold/lakep.html
http://www.peacebus.com/
http://www.foe.org.au
Media Release / FRIENDS OF THE EARTH AUSTRALIA
16th March 2006
CYANIDE SPILLS, CYANIDE KILLS
To celebrate International Water Day on the twenty second of March, a National Day of Action for Lake Cowal will be held in all major cities, including Sydney and Melbourne.
Lake Cowal is an inland lake in central New South Wales and is a wetland of national and international significance. It is the site of a contentious open cut, cyanide-leach gold mine owned and operated by the world's largest gold mining company, Barrick Gold.
The mine is due to be fully operational within a few weeks despite opposition from traditional owners within the Wiradjuri Nation and many environmental and human rights groups. The mine is on a site sacred to Wiradjuri.
There are pending court cases regarding the legitimacy of the gold mine and the clear breaches in environmental safety standards and the unwillingness of the NSW state government to release the cyanide transportation route.
The tailings ponds to hold the waste cyanide are unlined and there is grave concern that the cyanide will leach into and pollute the Lachlan River and the ground waters.
"The Lake Cowal National Day of Action plans to highlight the importance of stopping mining companies from using vast amounts of groundwater from drought stricken areas and the negative affect it has on the surrounding farmlands and the natural habitat." states Natalie Lowrey, National Liason Officer for Friends of the Earth Australia.
"Desecration of this sacred site is genocidal to the Wiradjuri people who live with the land and who have always known that water is more precious than gold."
Dia Nacional De Accion Por El Lago Cowal
Fuente: www.savelakecowal.org
Nueva Gales del Sur, Australia
15 de marzo de 2006
"No contamos con recursos, pero hemos iniciado la lucha por todos los pueblos debido a la perspectiva del envenamiento con cianuro" Neville 'Chappy' Williams, Lider tradicional del Pueblo Wiradjuri UK Independent, octubre de 2005
La mina de oro de Barrick Gold en el Lago Cowal (Australia) va a empezar a operar el 27 de marzo, a pesar de la oposición de los propietarios tradicionales de la Nación Wiradjiri, y de muchos grupos ambientalistas y de derechos humanos. El daño causado al agua y a los recursos acuíferos es la peor consecuencia ambiental de la minería de oro.
Aún están pendientes en los tribunales de justicia los casos relacionados con la legitimidad de la mina de oro y con las flagrantes violaciones a las normas de seguridad ambiental. La semana pasada la diputada Lee Rhiannon, de la bancada verde, emplazó al senado a informar sobre la ruta de transporte de cianuro para la mina de oro del Lago Cowal. Sus preguntas, nuevamente, encontraron oídos sordos ya que el gobierno sigue negándose a entregar esta información. Más de seis mil toneladas de cianuro serán transportadas desde Gladstone, estado de Queensland, a través de comunidades y vías fluviales, hasta el Lago Cowal.
Asistan al Día Nacional de Acción por el Lago Cowal en sus ciudades y expresen su preocupación por esta mina de oro a tajo abierto que va a estar lixiviando cianuro en un lugar sagrado y en importantes humedales.
Envíen una carta a: http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/gold/lakec.html
NSW Encuentro a las 11am
Hyde Park Fountain, CBD, Sydney
contacto: Natalie 0431 194 083 - natalie.lowrey@foe.org.au
VICTORIA
Encuentro a las 11am (TBA)
contacto: Stephen 0402 721 520
Neylan: 0423 363 416 - neylania@yahoo.com.au
QUEENSLAND
Encuentro a las 11am (TBA)
Miranda: 0414 535 164 miranda_kym@hotmail.com
WA
Encuentro (TBA)
Fern: littlefern@planet-save.com
FESTIVAL INDIGENA DEL LAGO COWAL LLUVIA LLUVIA LLUVIA
Fin de semana de Pascua
14-17 de abril de 2006
Vengan al Lago a brindar su apoyo a Neville 'Chappy' Williams, líder tradicioanl del pueblo Wiradjuri, en su lucha para defender el Lago Cowal de las acciones de la gigantesca minera Barrick Gold.
El tema es La Lluvia, así que vengan a escuchar a esta tierra sagrada y traigan con ustedes la lluvia para detener la codicia de este nuevo 'Midas'.
Entre marzo y abril de 2006 se producirá el primer lingote de oro, de modo que este es otro año significativo para la campaña, ya que comenzará el transporte de cianuro a través de las comunidades, desde Gladstone, en el estado de Queensland, hasta el Lago Cowal, en Nueva Gales del Sur.
Con el respaldo permanente de la Red de Defensa de la Justicia Indígena (Indigenous Justice Advocacy Network), el lider tradicional Wiradjuri Neville 'Chappy' Williams sigue luchando contra Barrick en los tribunales ... ¡necesitan tu apoyo!
A través del trabajo de Peacebus.com (el Bus de la Paz), Cyanide Watch dejará las puertas de la mina durante la festividad indígena ('corroboree') de pascua, para constituirse en testigo, al borde mismo del camino, del transporte de cianuro hacia la mina.
La campaña por el Lago Cowal necesita del apoyo de ustedes, así que vengan a la festividad indígena durante el fin de semana de Pascua y traigan la lluvia, la lluvia, la lluvia.
(Ver detalles del encuentro de 2000 en http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/gold/gather.html%29
Más información sobre el festival en: http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/gold/corr_06.html
Para descargar un volante sobre el Corroboree del Lago Cowal, enviar un correo a natalie.lowrey@foe.org.au
Más información sobre el Lago Cowal en:
http://www.savelakecowal.org
http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/gold/lakep.html
http://www.peacebus.com/
http://www.foe.org.au3aa