On April 26, the 39th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, Friends of the Earth's Nuclear Free Collective held a one-day No to Nuclear Solidarity Bike Ride from Camp Sovereignty in the city via Brighton to Kooyong. We hear the voices of participants on why they are riding to raise awareness about the dangers of nuclear industry and standing in solidarity with those directly impacted. Particulary by Dutton's nuclear power proposals as we lead into a Federal Election.The Solidarity Bike Ride was joined by Climate Choir Melbourne during the lunch break in Brighton and at Kooyong later in the afternoon for an event commemorating the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. We hear from Dave Sweeney from the Australian Conservation Foundation and Dr.Tilman Ruff from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons speaking extensively about the impacts of Chernobyl catastrophe and the implications of a nuclear power industry in Australia.
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Campaigning on Nuclear, Peace & Energy Issues in the Federal Election
This week we speak with two candidates in the upcoming Federal election that are running on a platform of nuclear free and sustainable energy.Peltherre Chris Tomlins is a candidate with the Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia in the seat of Lingiari in the Northern Territory. Uncle Chris is a custodian, a peaceful protector of his country and and a passionate activist. Among other things, he supported actions such as ‘Close Pine Gap’, Indigenous Sovereignty, and recognition of the Frontier Wars. Pine Gap is the extensive US military and intelligence base that occupies Aboriginal lands of the Arrernte people, the original custodians of country. The Arrernte were never asked for their permission to build Pine Gap on their land.  Rochelle Hine is the Greens candidate for Gippsland. One of Rochelle's campaign policies is 'Keeping the region free of the threat of nuclear reactors'. She has been involved in the nuclear actions happening locally, attending Nanna's Against Nuclear, and other rally's.
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Pre-election Anti-nuclear Updates
As a federal election looms we catch up with Friends of the Earth Melbourne's Nuclear-free Collective Coordinator Sanne DeSwart and Friends of the Earth Australia's National Anti-nuclear campaigner Dr. Jim Green.  We take a look at what bearing the election outcome may have on various nuclear issues and hear about some of the activities planned in the next month.  On the April 26, the 39th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, they are organising a one-day Nuclear-free Bike Ride from from the city via Brighton to Kooyong.  More information and sign up here.
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Family fun day funds weapons fair!
The world's military industries are coming to Geelong to do business between 26 - 30 March 2025. We speak with Jaimie Jeffries from IPAN Geelong about the Avalon Air Show and the work they are doing to cut through the event promotion as a family friendly fund day out that gets families to fund one of the largest military weapons trading events in the Southern hemisphere.Picket the Avalon Airshow to stop death dealers arm trading:5.30pm Monday 24 March: Yarra Blvd, Crown Casino. Disrupt the Warmongers dinner get noisy and don't let them eat in peace.7am Wednesday 26 March: Meet at the Beach Road M1 off ramp.3-6pm Friday 28 March: Marand Engineering the old Ford factory, Melbourne Road, North Geelong.7am Saturday 29 display banners and placars and flyering at Park and Ride Sutcliffe Reserve Corio 8am at the Lara Train Station.For World Water Day (22 March) we listen to a recording by the late great land and water protector Uncle Kevin Buzzacott made by Old Country Calling in September 2023.Olympic Dam copper, gold and uranium mine has been taking huge amounts of precious water from the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) since they began operating in 1982. Up to 42 million litres of water is drawn from Arabunna country each day without consent and has destroyed many of the incredible Mound Springs sacred sites, unique ecosystems that are fed by ancient waters the come to the surface due to pressure at the southern end of the GAB.Under the 1982 Roxby Downs Indenture Act, the original Olympic Dam owner Western Mining and now present owner BHP are afforded special privileges that exempt them from the Aboriginal Heritage Protection Act, Water Act, Natural Resources Act, Environmental Protection and Bidoversity Act and the Freedom of Information Act.
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