Switch off Hazelwood - only two weeks left

We are now less than two weeks away from the Switch off Hazelwood – Switch on Renewables, day of peaceful community protest.Things are going incredibly well in the lead up to the weekend of camping and action for renewable energy. There have been multiple skill shares where people have learnt why we are protesting at Hazelwood, what sort of events are planned throughout the day (and evening before), how they can form affinity groups to plan their own involvement in the day. As well as other necessities such as our legal rights at such a protest and how to be part of the creative element of the day.

Saturday night campsite
We are excited to be able to announce the location of our campsite for Saturday September 12 – the Hazelwood Pondage Caravan Park and Campsite. This campsite is approx 2km down the road for Hazelwood power station and is a registered campsite with toilets, BBQ’s and is lakeside to the Hazelwood ponds. These ponds are a constant 22C, so you can bring your bathers.

Camping fees are $10 per night and we will have marquees and camp kitchen set up for the Saturday night. For more information on the site and how to get there go to;
http://www.totaltravel.com.au/travel/vic/gippsland/latrobe/accommodation...

We are hoping as many people as possible will join us for the camp on Saturday night, it will not only be the time when we can give the final legal briefings, action updates, updates on police liaison but we can also talk and meet up with like minded people who are excited about taking peaceful community action on climate change – and continue to build the movement.
We will be starting the Saturday program from 4pm on Saturday Sept 12, we strongly encourage people to come for the night. Bring your camping gear, lunch for Sunday, some money to pay for camp fees and donate to the shared dinner and be ready for some inspiring community action on climate change.

The program for Saturday night will be emailed to all who have RSVP’d and will be posted on the www.switchoffhazelwood.org website.

The day of action
Sunday Sept 13, is the day we come together as a community to show we want to Switch off Hazelwood – Switch off Coal and Switch on Renewables.

The day will start at 11am on the corner of Brodribb and Nadenbouschs Rd, 1500m up the road from Hazelwood power station. Robbie Thorp, Gunai representative, will give an acknowledgement of country ceremony.
Greenpeace Germany’s, Sven Teske will talk about the transition available for Victoria and the Latrobe Valley. Sen. Scott Ludlum will outline why events such as ours are critical to create the political will for science-based action on climate change…and then we will begin our march to the front gates of Hazelwood.

Once at the Hazelwood front gates, this may take a while as the march will be slow, we will hear from David Spratt (Co-Author Climate Code Red) on why the science is telling us to switch off coal and Dr. Merryn Redenbach on the health impacts of burning coal.

The affinity groups that are forming are planning a myriad of creative ways to keep us entertained and spirits up on the day. This includes a game of cricket that people can be part of in the main car park, circus acrobats, musicians and the like. We hope that people will think about what they want to get out of the day – and create it themselves with their friends and affinity groups.

Throughout the day people will be pasting up ‘Community Decommission Orders’ around Hazelwood, showing that we want this dinosaur switched off – so we can switch on renewables. You will be able to collect some of these CDO’s on the Saturday night or download them from the www.switchoffhazelwood.org page in the lead up to the action.

This event is organised by community – for community so the more creativity and thought you put into how you want to be part of this historic event, the better it will be.

Police liaison
We are liaising with the police re: clear demarcation of where we are able to assemble without any possibility of arrest. Essentially all spaces in front of the Hazelwood gates, -that are not fenced off - are fine for us to assemble in.
Police will be blocking off the road for the duration of our action on Sunday to make sure that we do not have to contend with traffic on the day. This will ensure that the march and front gate area of Hazelwood is safe for children, cyclists, puppet operators and all of us to be on, without having to worry about traffic safety.
Police have advised us that they will have a few mounted police on the day, to bring up the rear of the march, which will also stop any traffic from encroaching on our event.
We have two designated police liaisons appointed for the action who will liaise with the police and relay relevant information to us via the MC and PA we will have throughout the day.

www.switchoffhazelwood.org

Affinity groups
We strongly encourage you to join with other like-minded folk before the action to have a chat about what sort of experience you want to have on the day…and organise to make that happen. Such friendship groups or groups formed on similar hopes for the day are often called affinity groups. An affinity group can be anything from a ‘Parents and children’ group, ‘puppet making’ group, ‘musicians’ and ‘clowns for climate.’ The only think limiting what your affinity group can be is imagination.

Many groups are forming already, and we will be forming more such groups on the Saturday night at the campsite. These groups include:
‘Parents and Children’ (towards the front of the march)
‘Captain Planet, Planeteers’
‘Creative Collective’
‘Australian Youth Climate Coalition’
‘Windmill backpacks’
‘Climate Clowns’
‘Climate Acrobats’
‘Wheelie Bin Sound System’
‘Independent Media group’
…the list is growing

If you are part of a Climate Action Group, a university group, or sporting group this is often a good place to start building an affinity group for this action. The important thing is that you have similar aims for the day, know the people in your group and can work together on the day.

If you have already formed an affinity group and want to let the organising group know email us at info@switchoffhazelwood.org. We will be trying to get all the affinity groups together the week before the action to meet each other, talk about the day of action and how we can support each other and have a safe, successful and uplifting day of community action.

What to bring.
For camping
-tent
-fold out chairs
-sleeping gear
-toiletries (we have toilets on site).
-bathers and towel (you can swim in the lake –its warm)
-warm clothes
- some pocket money for campsite fees and dinner that is being provided.
-readiness to meet lots of like minded people and be inspired.
-your pre-made banners, props and affinity group for the action.

for the action
Our best advice is to bring what you think you may need on the day to be self-sufficient. This includes;
-warm clothes
-rain jacket
-walking boots
-lunch/snacks
-water
-any medication you may need
-banners, signs, placards etc
-umbrella
-banners/puppets/props
-your camera (bound to be lots of great photo opportunities)
-friends and family.
-picnic blanket or something light and easy to carry to sit on or take a break on…
www.switchoffhazelwood.org

Counting down to action for renewable energy
Switch off Hazelwood – Switch on Renewables is a first for the Victorian climate movement. We have signed petitions, met with our political representatives and Walked Against Warming – now we are taking our voices to the gates of one of the biggest polluters in Australia with the message we want it Switched off, and renewables Switched on!
The technology and money is there for us to make the transition to renewable energy solutions what is lacking is the political will. This action is about ordinary Australians saying we want action on climate that is strong, science based and now.
Switch off Hazelwood - Switch on Renewables; is a day of peaceful community protest and mass civil disobedience, that shows ordinary Australians are serious about taking action on climate change. Switching Australia away from coal and switching on the transition to renewable energy solutions.
www.switchoffhazelwood.org