Frequently Asked Questions
Who is organizing Switch off Hazelwood.Switch on Renewables?
Why this action? Why now?
How Do I Get Involved?
How can I stay informed?
What is Civil Disobedience? And why are you doing it?
What exactly will this action entail?
What will happen if I am arrested?
What if I don’t want to get arrested?
Why the Hazelwood coal-fired Power Plant?
So What Do You Want?
Can I participate if I’m a minor?
Who is organizing Switch off Hazelwood.Switch on Renewables?
A rapidly growing coalition of Community Climate Action Groups, Non-Government Environmental Organisations, Student groups and individuals are behind the first of a national series of such civil disobediences at major emitters of greenhouse pollution. All of us have our own specific campaigns and issues we work on – but we will unite under a common understanding that the climate crisis has to be the priority. Our first step to dealing with this crisis is to Switch off Hazelwood and Switch off Coal - to Switch on Renewables to start the transition to a clean renewable energy future. Check out the list of endorsing groups for the latest additions.
It’s time to take a stand on global warming. For more than 30 years scientists, academics and environmentalists have been showing that greenhouse polluting gases are leading us to a climate catastrophe. Yet even with the impacts of global warming, mounting–droughts and deadly bushfires, on our doorsteps all our political representatives continue in their failure to take the action we so urgently need.
It’s time for the ordinary people of Victoria, and Australia, to stand up and take action to Switch off Hazelwood. Switch off Coal and Switch on Renewables.
The most obvious way you can get involved is to be a part of this historic community event at the Hazelwood power station and to spread the word to your friends and family.
We are doing a lot of preparation in the lead up to the weekend of September 12/13 including puppet and banner making, community meetings and activist skill shares. If you plan to join us for the weekend please come to one of the skill shares, and be sure to RSVP, so we can keep you up-to-date on the latest information and logistics.
If you can help with outreach for the action, please do! Tell your friends and family about this event, down-load flyers from this website to put on your groups webpage or print off a few copies, join our Facebook group or Twitter followers, blog about the event, link back to this Web site, or help organize people to journey to Hazelwood for the weekend.
Make sure you sign our RSVP page. This helps us know how many people to expect on the day, but most importantly, it lets us get important information to you quickly. We will send email updates leading up to the action, but we also intend to try and help people find an affinity group that suits their interests, helping make Switch off Hazelwood an enjoyable and empowering day for everyone.
The day before the action we will have an overnight campsite near Hazelwood power station– stay tuned for location details.
This space will have non-violence trainings late Saturday afternoon, legal briefings, and be a place to connect with others taking part in the action.
What is Civil Disobedience? And why are we doing it?
Civil disobedience is a proven and time-honoured part of peaceful social movements. It has been used throughout history as an effective way to demonstrate the seriousness of an issue, the morality of a situation, and the commitment people have to bring about change.
There are occasions when outdated laws and policies are unable to ensure justice and the common good - and are in fact doing us harm. We are at such a point with climate change and our Governments support of coal. It is time for ordinary people to take a stand and make sure we switch from polluting coal to renewables.
As with Ghandi’s walk for independence and Martin Luther King’s march for equal rights, history now calls on people of conscience to peacefully take a principled stand on global warming. Nobel Prize laureate Al Gore, has called on people to engage in civil disobedience against coal-fired power stations, the world’s dirtiest energy source and biggest source of global warming pollution.
NASA scientist James Hansen has even taken the step of getting arrested to show how serious the problem of global warming is, and the urgent need to switch off coal fire power stations.
What exactly will this action entail?
Many participants in the Switch off Hazelwood action will choose to engage in peaceful acts of civil disobedience, while others will choose to partake in the lawful protest and not put themselves in an arrestable situation. Either way we are all united in having tried a variety of other ways to make our point clear.
We will meet at 11am on the corner of Nedenbausche and Brodribb Road.
Robbie Thorp will give an Acknowledgement of Country and perform a smoking ceremony.
Our MC will give an over view of the day then Climate Campaigner and renewable energy expert, Sven Teske (Greenpeace, Germany), will give an overview of how we can transition Victoria towards a renewable energy future.
From this point we will march down Brodribb Rd, to the front gates of Hazelwood Power Station.
At the front gates of Hazelwood we will hear from physician, and one of the protest organisers, Dr Merryn Redenbach on why we are protesting at Hazelwood.
There will be clearly marked areas where people can gather that will not put them in an arrestable position. Marshalls will be present during the day will warn people if they are at risk of being arrested. If in doubt please check with one of the marshalls on the day (identifiable by vests).
Our intent is to slap a Community Decommission Order on Hazelwood.
If by doing so we risk arrest, so be it, a safe climate is worth being arrested for.
While we are making every effort to give people a clear idea of what the day will involve, your experience of the this peaceful protest will be shaped by the level of preparation you put into the day.
Whether you choose to form an affinity group with similarly minded people (perhaps your climate action group), create banners and placards, or come just to enjoy the day - we highly recommend you come to a skillshare session to help you make the most of the day.
We reflect the growing global movement that is not quietly asking for, but demanding, climate justice. We will be the first such event in a string of similar national community protests and mass civil disobedience events.
Whether you are already committed to joining the civil disobedience, or will be part of teh non arrestable supporting protest, please attend a skillhsare session, and we ask all attending to agree to our Action Guidelines.
What will happen if I am arrested?
We can’t promise anything, but we highly encourage you to attend a legal briefing, that is part of the skill share activist trainings, prior to the action. In these briefings you can learn about your legal rights, have questions answered by lawyers, and learn about what typically has happened with similar peaceful actions.
Thousands of activists from all walks of life engage in acts of civil disobedience every day and the risks involved are generally things you need to be informed about, but not fearful of.
We are organizing a legal support team, comprised of experienced legal activists, lawyers, and members of the Community Legal Centres.
We will provide legal briefings and trainings before the action, legal observers during the action, and help inform of you what you will need to do to obtain legal support after the action. For more information, please visit out the Action Guidelines page and don’t forget to come to one of the skill share training sessions!
What if I don’t want to get arrested?
There are many ways to be part of this protest in an entirely lawful way that will build and strengthen this day of action. Being arrestable is only one of the ways you can contribute to this event.
We are always looking for supporting roles from people who are not able to be arrested in the civil disobedience, but that can help in other ways…the most important thing is that you are part of this community day of action.
In addition, there will be an area away from the civil disobedience for people to be together and support the rest of the activities. We will have legal observers, marshalls, and agreed-upon action guidelines, for all participants, to ensure a safe and enjoyable event for all.
Why the Hazelwood Power Station?
Hazelwood Power Station is one of the dirtiest coal power plants in the industrialised world and was due to be shut down in 2009 – however the Victorian ALP Government allowed its life span to be extended to 2031. Hazelwood emits around 17 million tonnes of CO2 every year and is a dangerous, polluting and outdated way to make electricity.
Hazelwood is a dinosaur from the past – it’s time to Switch off Hazelwood and switch onto renewable energy.
So What Do You Want?
We want a rapid and just transition away from coal mining and coal based electricity to a future that is powered by clean, job rich, renewable energy.
Coal is killing our economy, communities, and future. From the deadly dangers of mining, to the destruction towns, landscapes and forests, to the poisoning of water and air, to the disposal of coal ash threatening homes and rivers, to the build-up of greenhouse gases from burning coal in the atmosphere, coal is dirty and dangerous.
There is a better way and we have the technology and ability to make the necessary changes – all we need now is a strong community based movement to create the political will to change.
As Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said: “What we do in the next two or three years will determine our future. This is the defining challenge”.
Investing in renewable energy, like wind and solar power, creates almost four times as many jobs as the same amount spent on coal. We are calling for climate justice at all levels of government, industry, and society. We need new national laws, international agreements, an economy that reflects ecological sustainability, and politics that empower communities. Together, we can build a clean energy future.
Can I participate if I’m under 18 years of age?
There are many roles for people to play at the Switch off Hazelwood peaceful mass civil disobedience. We are encouraging those under 18 years of age not to risk arrest and instead to take a role that is less likely to result in arrest – and there are plenty of those roles! If you are under 18 years of age and choose to get arrested, please make sure you have spoken with your parents, or guardians, and have their consent and support.