“We’re building a coal mine on campus to remind the management of Sydney Uni of the daily destruction being funded through its shares in Whitehaven Coal,” Greenpeace campaigner Nikola Casule yelled above the drill rig and jack hammers.
“Every day the University of Sydney delays its decision to dump its shares in Whitehaven Coal is another day of suffering for the community affected by this company’s reckless construction of a new coal mine at Maules Creek.”
The University of Sydney announced a review into its fossil fuel investments last month after Greenpeace revealed the University held $1 million in shares in Whitehaven Coal. The review includes a halt to new share purchases in Whitehaven while it is underway.
According to the local community at Maules Creek, this is too little, too late.
“Right now, Whitehaven Coal is pushing through plans that will destroy yet more endangered forest and Indigenous heritage sites in the Leard State Forest. Whitehaven Coal wants its bulldozers back in action by November 1. When fully operational, Maules Creek coal mine will accelerate dangerous global warming by contributing over 30 million tons of CO² per year – more than NSW’s entire transport sector,” Dr Casule said.
“Vice Chancellor Michael Spence has all the information he needs to dump the University’s shares in this reckless company right now,” he said.
Maules Creek farmer Cliff Wallace, who is worried about the impact the new mine will have on the water table, couldn’t help but chuckle when he heard about the ‘mining activity’ at the University of Sydney:
“I guess it’s fair. You mine our business and we’ll mine yours,” he said.
“Our coal mine at Sydney Uni is a light-hearted protest with a serious message,” Dr Casule said. “Whitehaven’s mining for coal is clearly not welcome here on campus. It’s just as unwelcome at Maules Creek, where Whitehaven is building the biggest coal mine currently under construction in Australia.
“For the sake of the its reputation, Michael Spence needs to direct his fund managers to dump the University’s investment this reckless company today.”
For interviews or more information, contact: Elsa Evers Greenpeace 0438 204 041
For comment: Sydney University Professor John Keane 0400 556 744, Sydney University Environment Collective Co-ordinator Clo Schofield 0478 519 812, Sydney Uni Pres of NTEU Michael Thomson 02 8627 8248.
For images and video: Go to http://www.greenpeacemedia.org/main.php?g2_itemId=18936 Username: photos Password: green or call Abram Powell on 0409 812 641