Progressive Cinema will be screening Bimblebox, a documentary depicting stories from the front lines of the battle of rural Australians against coal and gas extraction on their land, at the Armidale Club at 7:30pm on Wednesday, May 9. Turntables Restaurant will be open for dinner from 6pm.
“This month’s film follows on from the Coal Seam Gas Forum organised by Armidale Action on Coal Seam Gas at the Armidale Town Hall at 7pm on May 2,” said Bea Bleile, one of the organisers.
“Carmel Flint, spokesperson for the Northern Inland Council for the Environment, Regional Co-Ordinator with the Lock the Gate Alliance and one of the leading members of Armidale Action on Coal Seam Gas, will be introducing the film. Carmel chained herself to a bulldozer at the Boggabri coal mine in Leard State Forest and was arrested on April 11. Her action was a measure of last resort to raise awareness and send a message to the State Government which seems to place the welfare of mining companies over that of the community.
“The coal mines at Boggabri and Tarrawonga are set to be expanded and Maules Creek is to be established as a third mine in the district. The mining projects would see 5000 hectares of bushland cleared to produce 21 million tonnes of coal each year, sending 18,000 tonnes of dust over local farmland.
Bimblebox is directed by US-based filmmaker Michael O’Connell. It presents the story of Paola Cassoni, a resident of Alpha, a tiny town in Queensland 500 km west of Rockhampton. Bimblebox Nature Refuge is an 8000 ha property directly in the path of the proposed ‘China First’ coal mine, an operation that, if given the go ahead, will be the world’s largest coal mine.
The film features interviews with leading academics and scientists, as well as members of the communities affected by mining and former miners, to provide a picture of the broader implications of Australia’s mining boom, while focussing on one woman’s fight to protect the land she loves.
“This documentary was born out of the necessity to let the broader public know that our bush, our communities, farms and our waters are going through a radical transformation,” Ms Cassoni said.
Bimblebox premiered at the Byron Bay Film Festival. Further information about the documentary is available at www.bimbleboxdocumentary.com.
The event will be free, however donations to help cover the costs of making the film are encouraged. For more information about the film call Ellie Smith, Associate Producer, on 0448335452. For more information about the screening call Bea Bleile on 0458 752 680.
