The NSW Nature Conservation Council held it's annual on October 29. The awards celebrate and acknowledge the inspiring contributions made by environmental groups and individuals over the past year.
Jess Moore won the 鈥淩ising Star鈥 award for being the 鈥渕ost outstanding campaigner under the age of 30鈥. Moore is a key organiser in campaigns to stop coal seam gas mining in NSW and for the roll out of renewable energy. She's a leading figure in groups such as Stop CSG Illawarra, the Wollongong Climate Action Network and Socialist Alliance.
On receiving the award, Moore said: 鈥淭hank you, I鈥檓 very grateful for this award. But as any environmental campaigner would know, anything I鈥檝e ever done that's worthwhile has been done as part of a team. Stop CSG Illawarra is the most amazing team of people I've ever worked with.鈥
Stop CSG Illawarra took out the Maria Byles award for the 鈥渕ost outstanding new environmental campaign鈥. The group only formed in March 2011 and has already made an impressive contribution to the campaign to halt coal seam gas mining.
Averaging more than 100 people at its monthly organising meetings, Stop CSG Illawarra has organised two events this year that have each been attended by more than 3000 people. On May 29, the group organised a human sign that spelt out 鈥淪top Coal Seam Gas鈥 at Austinmer beach. On October 16, it held a 鈥淏ridge Walk to Stop CSG鈥 in Coalcliff.
The prize for the Maria Byles award was $1000 worth of printing services, which Stop CSG Illawarra has promised to put to good use.
Moore told 麻豆传媒 Weekly: 鈥淚n the face of risks coal seam gas poses to our drinking water, health and the environment, it鈥檚 great to recognise what an amazing and powerful campaign the community has built.鈥
Beyond Zero Emissions won the 鈥淐ommunity Climate Action Award鈥 for the 鈥渕ost inspiring climate action initiative by a community climate change group鈥. Chris Jonkers from the Rivers SOS Network won the 鈥淒unphy Award鈥 for the 鈥渕ost outstanding environmental effort of an individual鈥.