GRAFTON NANNAS KNIT-IN OUTSIDE HOGAN'S OFFICE

On Thursday July 24 the Grafton Nannas gathered to knit at a different venue - outside the Prince Street office of our Federal MP, Kevin Hogan, Member for Page.  As two nannas were meeting with Mr Hogan to discuss the government's position on gas mining,it was decided a knit-in outside his Grafton office was a good idea.

While indicating they were pleased that Mr Hogan continued in his opposition to gas mining in the Page electorate, the Nannas outlined some of their concerns about statements made by politicians such as the Prime Minister and the Minister for Industry wholeheartedly supporting the gas mining industry.

Their concern about this was reiterated in  a letter handed to Mr Hogan during the meeting.  The text of  part of this letter is printed below:

We consider that far too often politicians and their governments, which are supposed to represent their constituents, are more interested in representing "the big end of town" to the detriment of the ordinary people.  In using the excuse of the importance of the economic advantages of developments such as gas-mining will bring, they ignore the detrimental social, economic and environmental consequences which will have long-term effects on the general community.

We believe that you could play a very valuable role in educating those politicians in the Federal Government who are such enthusiastic supporters of gas mining.  As well as explaining why so many people oppose this industry, you could show them that these opponents are a diverse group across the community - not just the so-called "itinerants" and "ratbags" that some of your ill-informed colleagues choose to label them.

An additional service you could perform for your constituents would be to educate your Northern Rivers State National colleagues who are only now showing some concern about the gas mining industry.  We suggest you could arrange a fact-finding tour for them and yourself to a gas mining area in Queensland to speak to those farmers and other community members who are severely impacted by the industry.  Lock the Gate Northern Rivers would, we are sure, be able to provide you with advice on a suitable area to inspect and information on a range of local people to speak to.

We suggest that you also extend the invitation to State Nationals Leader Andrew Stoner who is certainly in need of education on this issue.  As Minister for the North Coast his attendance would be an added advantage. 

We urge you to take up these suggestions in educating your colleagues.  If you do so, you will be performing a very valuable service to your constituents and to many other concerned community members around the country.

After the discussion with the two Nannas, Mr Hogan joined the Nannas outside to be presented with a Nanna beanie knitted by Nanna Trinette and a photo with the Nannas.

The Nannas enjoyed very much the new venue and the chats they had with passers-by.  But they will be returning to their old "haunt" outside the office of Chris Gulaptis.  They don't want our State MP to think they are neglecting him!

 SERIOUS  KNITTING  NANNAS  HARD  AT  WORK

 

 AND  THE  DECORATIONS

NANNAS & SUPPORTERS BRAVE COLD WINDS

The Grafton Nannas were pleased to welcome two Nanna daughters to their knit-in outside Mr Gulaptis' office on Tuesday July 8.  The older Nannas are delighted to see young ones brandishing their needles in the cause of protecting our land and water.

 
The serious expressions may have had something to do with the chilly wind whistling along Prince Street.

Supporter Steve, who is not a knitter, decided to enliven proceedings on the footpath with his appropriately labelled hoon vehicle.

We do have a "Poppy" knitter in our Grafton loop but he's been a little too busy to join our knit-ins for a while.  But he really is a talented knitter which his masterpiece jumper (designed and knitted by him) clearly shows. We all hope he'll join a knit-in again soon.

LISMORE NANNAS JOIN THEIR GRAFTON COMPATRIOTS

When Nannas from the Grafton Loop of the Knitting Nannas set up their chairs today

outside the office of Chris Gulaptis, MP, they were delighted to welcome Margaret and Mary,  two members of the Lismore Nannas to their knit-in.

 Another newcomer to the local knit-in was a very junior Nanna who was keeping her grandmother company and very adroitly working on her french knitting. The future of Knitting Nannery is being ensured by the stalwarts of our movement who are showing the youngsters what needs to be done to protect our land and water.  

As usual the Nannas had plenty to talk about as they clacked their needles. 

Some of us envied Dorothy in her coat of many colours which kept her very warm as the day cooled down.  And we all admired the colourful vest she has almost completed.

 

 

 

Dorothy's vest

Another admired object was the Lismore chook badge made by the talented Louise of Chooks Against Gas fame.  Some of us are hoping that  Lismore Nannas will bring chook badges with them when they next visit - as some  of us would love to add one of these to our Nanna badge collection.

Before we left our Crocheter Extradordinaire tied a little gift to the rail outside the office - one of the many varied yarn bombs which has been left  after most knit-ins for our local member.  We hope that he is collecting them as mementos of our visits. 

GRAFTON NANNAS CELEBRATE BENTLEY ACHIEVEMENT

This afternoon a group of Grafon Nannas gathered outside the office of Chris Gulaptis, Member for Clarence, to celebrate the wonderful achievement of all those who supported the Bentley blockade. The Nannas enjoyed a sedate nanna afternoon tea, a wonderful chat, plenty of laughs (particularly over a Media Release from local politicians). In a change from their usual knit-ins, not a stitch was knitted!  Guess this was more of a chat-in.

Nanna Audrey's delicious biscuits were a hit.

The Nannas were hoping that their MP would join them for a cuppa and a chat.  But, alas, he was in Casino and, according to a  member of his office staff, launching his disperse the flying foxes petition there.  This made the Nannas wonder if he was planning another petition which we would have all supported with considerable enthusiasm - DISPERSE THE GAS MINING COMPANIES.  Oh, well, we can but wish .....

Nannas present letter at Mr Gulaptis' office

The Nannas left a letter outlining their hope that Mr Gulaptis would take a stronger line on the gas mining issue which would reflect the concerns of his constituents.  The text of this letter is printed below:

The Grafton Loop of the Knitting Nannas Against Gas is delighted that the NSW Government has at last listened to the concerns of the local community about the activities of gas miner Metgasco.  The suspension of  Metgasco's right to drill an exploration well at the Bentley Rosella site is a step in the right direction.

We were very interested to see the joint media release "North Coast Nationals Welcome Suspension of Metgasco Licence" in which you participated.  While it appears that you and your fellow North Coast National MPs are finally responding to the concerns of a significant proportion of your constituents, there is much more that you could be doing.

While we welcome the suspension, we are concerned that it is a temporary measure. 
As the Knitting Nannas have told you on a number of occasions, we do not believe that gas mining – whether it be conventional CSG mining or unconventional mining such as would have occurred at Bentley – is an appropriate industry for the Northern Rivers area.  Gas mining is an invasive industry completely unsuited to this wonderfully biodiverse and rich agricultural region.  The risks gas-mining poses to agriculture, to water resources, to the region's ecology, to human health and to our lifestyle mean it should never be allowed here.
We call on you, as our elected representative, to strongly lobby your government to revoke the mining PELs in the Northern Rivers area.  Are you prepared to do this?

GRAFTON KNIT-IN 13TH MAY

A lively group of Grafton Nannas met once again outside Clarence MP Chris Gulaptis' office in Grafton today.

 
The Grafton Nannas are strong supporters of the protest at Bentley. This weekend some of the local nannas will be travelling north to the protest camp to join their northern nanna compatriots and all the other community members trying to get the message across to the state government  and Metgasco that gas-mining in our region should be abandoned.

We saw the amazingly colourful knitting of Trinette who has been very busy flashing the needles since we last saw her.  She's  become a snake knitter of note.  And these snakes look great wound around poles.

There was a suggestion that we might see some pole-dancing near the green snake - but it didn't eventuate!

Dorothy has also been adding to her wonderful menagerie of knitted wildlife.  She unveiled her baby echidna to join its mother.  And next time she'll be bringing along her new rainbow serpent.  (What is it with these Nannas and snakes??)

Baby echidna joins its mother.

For more photos of this Knit-in, check out our Knit In page

RECENT GRAFTON KNIT-INS

Tuesday May 6 Knit-In
The cold weather is certainly affecting the old bones as a few stalwart Grafton Nannas had to rug up well for a knit-in lastTuesday  outside Mr Gulaptis' office.  We didn't see Mr Gulaptis and assume that he was in Parliament supporting the Clarence electorate. (Can we hope that he was telling his Government colleagues that people of the Northern Rivers don't want any gas mining in their area ???!!!)

We admired Dorothy's colourful crocheted medallions which she will make into a cushion.

 Suzanne told us about her recent visit to the protest camp at Bentley and her plans to "frock up" for the event there on Friday. She' also planning an outfit for a friend who will be accompanying her.  The Bentleyites obviously know how to provide some entertainment to lighten the serious effort they are engaged in!

And listening to our chatter and checking on the passers-by we had Dorothy's wonderful knitted echidna and platypus ably supported by Suzanne's knitted doll, Suzie.

Tuesday April 15
At this knit-in we were joined by Sarah's friend Carol who was catching up with Sarah on a short visit to Australia.  Carol hails from Omaha in the U.S. state of Nebraska. Carol told us about her concerns about a local environmental issue - the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline which will carry oil sourced from the Canadian tar sands across the U.S. to the Gulf of Mexico.

Nannas are great untanglers!

 

 

Having a knitted ring helps with creativity.

GRAFTON NANNAS VISIT BENTLEY

Looking down on the camp from the track from the drillsite.  Much of the camp is not visible in this photo.

Five Nannas from the Grafton Loop and one Nanna supporter travelled north to Metgasco's Bentley drill site on Friday April 4.

As well as giving us an opportunity to survey the latest area under threat from Metgasco's drilling plans, it gave us a chance to meet again with our northern Nanna compatriots and with others we'd met during the Glenugie and Doubtful Creek campaigns.

We were very impressed with the organisation of the camp which has been laid out like a small town with streets in a grid pattern . The camp, which a few days earlier had housed around 2000 people, is downhill from the drillsite and on an adjacent property. Shelters are mainly tents - and a few teepees -  but there are also campervans and a few caravans.

A gate-keeper directs day visitors to parking below the camping area.

The Lismore Nannas' shelter

The Grafton Nannas joined the Lismore Nannas  at their shelter, a structure reminiscent of igloo-type hangars in shape, consisting of parallel semi-circular metal supports covered with tarps.  It was a comfortable, well-equipped headquarters and even boasted a small "dormitory" in the rear.

Message wall near the gate of the protest camp

Bentley is currently in Thomas George's Lismore electorate.  However, there has been an electoral redistribution.  At the next State Election (in March 2015), Bentley will be in the Clarence electorate.

So Mr Gulaptis, our local member, will have a further experience of gas drilling in his electorate. (Not to say that he had any direct experience by visiting Glenugie when it was operational!  He only heard about it second or third hand - despite many invitations to visit and see for himself.)  We wonder if he might go and check this one out.  But ... we Nannas aren't really hopeful about this happening!

Some of the Grafton Nannas took photos.  I took many photos, some of which I intended to use on this blog but - alas - as a result of a really irritating Nanna moment, I deleted them all!  I only hope that this Nanna has  learnt her lesson and will be MUCH more careful in future. The photos I do have for this post are courtesy of Sarah Fletcher.  Thanks very much, Sarah.

Tripod near the entrance to the drill site