United we Stand rally 11am Sunday December 12 Avoca Beach
 
FROM THE BEACH TO THE BUSH the Central Coast Community stands together to say No More to Government incompetence and selling out our environment to the highest bidder.
 
Nine community groups have united in their anger at poor State Government decisions.

A roll call will be taken on Sunday to see which political representatives are listening at a beach rally when thousands of Central Coast residents take a stand in the sand.
 
The protest coincides with the same week that a drilling rig is heading up Australia’s eastern coastline from Victoria to Newcastle, where the first offshore gas drilling in NSW will start soon.

Controversially ALP Federal election candidates assured the Central Coast community this gas drilling in our backyard had been stopped during the lead-up to the August election.
 
Australian icon and “water man” Peter Andrews speaks on his natural sequence farming and how Government red tape has blocked his ideas that could save Australia’s land.
 
“How could this unique opportunity be disregarded for so long by the so-called experts advising the Australian Government?” Mr Andrews said.

Mr Andrews has recently been forced to lock his gates to a Korean coal mining company who intended to drill on his property to locate coal seams.
 
From the shifting sands of the political corridors State Greens MLC Ian Cohen will be back on familiar ground. Not only did the ground-breaking activist and surfer come to international attention riding into Sydney Harbour on the front of a US warship, but in recent months he has been asking the hard questions about the proposed ex-HMAS Adelaide dumping just 1.6km off Avoca Beach.

Local Terrigal member Liberal Chris Hartcher will also speak.

Aboriginal community representative Gavi Duncan will perform the Welcome to Country and speak about our environment here on the Coast. The crowd will be entertained by live music from Jake Cassar and Shane Romeyn.
 
Surfrider Foundation Central Coast has organised the rally. Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the protection and enhancement of Australia’s oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through CARE: Conservation, Activism, Research and Education.

The following speakers will address the crowd on Sunday at 11am at the pines at Avoca Beach on:
 
•    Coal mining at Jilliby, Dooralong and Yarramalong Valleys: (Australian Coal Alliance – Alan Hayes) stopping coal mining and saving our largest drinking water resource – under the Dooralong and Yarramalong Valleys.
 
•    Coastal residents: (affects 9000 homes in Gosford Shire – Pat Aiken) Protesting identification of these ‘potentially affected’ properties with a world first sea level rise tax.

•    Warship at Avoca Beach: (No Ship Action Group – Michelle Meares) Working to stop the dumping of a 4000 tonne ex-warship HMAS Adelaide as an ‘artificial reef’ only 1600 metres offshore from a popular family beach. The ship has 23,000 square metres of lead paint still on board. This ship could wreck the world famous Avoca surf breaks.
 
•    Empire Bay Substation (Carolyn Packer): Energy Australia plans to build the substation on high risk bushfire land in a bush corridor next to Cockle Bay and Bouddi National Park and is ignoring protection by Land and Environment Court orders.
 
•    Gas drilling offshore: (Hands off Our Coast – Peter Freewater) The Ocean Patriot rig is on its way to a drilling site about 50 km off Newcastle, with a proposed site 20 km off Forresters Beach
 
•    High voltage power lines (Joanna Hughes): Increase of standard 11Kv lines to either 66 Kv lines or 132 Kv lines along a route from Empire Bay through Kincumber, Avoca Beach to Picketts Valleys. Dangerous to health – increases risk of childhood leukemia. Most developed countries now put lines underground.
 
•    Kariong Bushland (Jake Cassar): Save the Sacred Kariong Bushland continues an 80 year battle to trying to get a huge parcel of land with endangered species gazetted as National Park. Two blocks of this land are up for auction this Saturday. Will the Council step up and protect this sacred land for future generations?
 
•    Sand mining at Calga and Peats Ridge: (Calga Peats Ridge Community - Adie Ausburn and Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park – Tassin Barnard). Sand mining would ruin our aquifer permanently. Also creates clouds of invisible particles of crushed sandstone, silica, which would be carried many kilometres across Kariong and to the Gosford/ Avoca/ Terrigal coastline.  Everyone in its path will be at risk of the deadly disease silicosis, an asbestosis-like lung disease, as well as asthma, kidney disease and other pathologies. This proposal will also affect important wildlife conservation work and an aboriginal women’s birthing site.
 
Rally attendees will wear blue and face painting and other activities for children will be available.
 
Media inquiries:
Ben Smith Surfrider Foundation 0409 693 205