Anti-fracking campaigners honoured with environment award

AWARD RECOGNITION: Limestone Coast Protection Alliance members Cate Cooper, Dennis Vice, Angus Ralton and Tony Beck were honoured for their tireless community campaign agaisnt fracking in the South East at the annual SA Environmental Awards. The group was one of three finalists in the 20th Jill Hudson Award, along with Great Australian Bight advocate Cristel Chambers and award winner and Maralinga surivor Sue Coleman-Haseldine.

AWARD RECOGNITION: Limestone Coast Protection Alliance members Cate Cooper, Dennis Vice, Angus Ralton and Tony Beck were honoured for their tireless community campaign agaisnt fracking in the South East at the annual SA Environmental Awards. The group was one of three finalists in the 20th Jill Hudson Award, along with Great Australian Bight advocate Cristel Chambers and award winner and Maralinga surivor Sue Coleman-Haseldine.

ALMOST five years of active and tireless engagement with the South East community saw the Limestone Coast Protection Alliance honoured at the 2018 SA Environment Awards.

The anti-fracking group was one of three finalists for the 20th annual Jill Hudson Award for Environmental Protection based on efforts to raise awareness of gas extraction and other mining activities in the region.

The alliance was also selected for influencing the State Government’s decision to legislate a 10-year moratorium on fracking in the South East.

Alliance chair Angus Ralton was joined by representatives Dennis Vice, Tony Beck and Cate Cooper at the award ceremony, held at Adelaide’s Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute last
week.

The award was won by Indigenous Australian nuclear test survivor Sue Coleman-Haseldine, who has since been at the forefront of the campaign to abolish nuclear weapons.

Mr Ralton said the group was thrilled to have been shortlisted for the prestigious award.

The annual awards are sponsored by the state’s environment and water department and celebrates its 20th year in 2018 and recognises a person who has made an outstanding contribution to protecting the South Australian environment.

Environment and Water Minister David Speirs was among the special presenters for the evening.

The award seeks not only to recognise the efforts of the recipient, but also the circumstances under which they worked in their efforts to protect the environment.

Special consideration was given to nominees contending with significant government, political, media, corporate or institutional prejudice in their efforts to mobilise public opinion to protect the environment.