• New poll shows two thirds of Australians want Qld Premier to veto $1B loan
• Massive human sign at Sea Shepherd’s 40th Birthday Festival
• Other human signs at 45 national locations, including 10 in Queensland

VISUALS: High quality images (here) and drone footage and b-roll from all 45 events (here) are being made available as events happen. As of 1.30pm AEST,  11,000 Australians had already gathered at different actions, including 2000 at Bondi Beach and 2000 in Melbourne. Bondi Beach photo here, drone vision here.

Brisbane is today hosting a massive “STOP ADANI” human sign as part of a day of action to spell it out for Annastasia Palaszczuk - Queenslanders don’t want Adani’s dangerous coal mine. Thousands of people are gathering at Brothers Rugby Club, Albion, for a colourful and family friendly action from 2PM. 

The Stop Adani campaign has released new, national ReachTEL polling showing:

• A clear majority (56%) of Australians now oppose Adani’s coal project.
• In relation to the controversial prospect of a $1 billion loan of public money to Adani, two thirds of Australians believe the Queensland Government should keep its election promise to not spend public money on Adani’s private rail line. The poll shows 66% of Australians want the Queensland government to use its power to veto the loan. (Poll here).

National Director of Sea Shepherd Australia Jeff Hansen said, "Sea Shepherd is best known for defending whales in their Antarctic feeding grounds.  However, in their Great Barrier Reef nursing grounds, whales face an even bigger threat than the Japanese whaling fleet: the Adani coal mine.

“Recent polls show the majority of Australians oppose Adani’s coal mine. Adani has a track history as a shonky operator, with an opaque corporate structure.  13 of their companies registered to operate in Australia are ultimately owned in overseas tax havens. Why should $1 billion in taxpayers’ money be spent on Adani’s private mine project?

“Global warming is already playing havoc with the overall health of our oceans, and the burning of fossil fuels like coal is the chief culprit. If we want to safeguard iconic marine treasures like the Great Barrier Reef for future generations, we cannot allow this Adani coal mine to go ahead.”

Mathilde Gordon, Conservation Field Officer from Cairns and member of Stop Adani Brisbane said, “Both our land and ocean ecosystems are under enormous pressure from climate change and fossil fuel extraction. The Adani mine would take us in the exact opposite direction to where we need to go when it comes to protecting the unique environment right here on our doorstep in Queensland.”

Nick Carter, Communications Coordinator and Volunteer Organiser for the Australian Youth Climate Coalition said, “Young people want a fair and just future and handing $1 billion in public money to Adani is not compatible with that future.”

“Governments should not be wasting $1 billion on a mine project which will accelerate climate change and rob Queensland farmers of water, when we have just experienced the hottest September on record.

“Premier Palaszczuk needs to keep her election promise and use her power to veto the Turnbull government handing over $1 billion of our money to Adani.”

The Stop Adani Alliance has more than doubled its membership since it was launched in March 2017 and now has 31 member organisations. More than 160 local Stop Adani groups have also formed, including over 40 in Queensland.