Lock the Gate

The Lock the Gate Alliance is an incorporated Australian community action group which was formed in 2010 in response to the expansion of the coal mining and coal seam gas industries, which were encroaching on agricultural land, rural communities and environmentally sensitive areas. The organisation has initially focused on responding to developments in the states of Queensland and New South Wales, through peaceful protest and noncooperation. Lock the Gate Alliance's stated mission is "to protect Australia’s natural, environmental, cultural and agricultural resources from inappropriate mining and to educate and empower all Australians to demand sustainable solutions to food and energy production." The Alliance claims to have over 40,000 members and 250 local groups constitute the alliance including farmers, traditional custodians, conservationists and urban residents. The organisation was incorporated in 2011 in New South Wales and became a registered company, limited by guarantee on 6 March 2012. The inaugural AGM was held in Murwillumbah on 11 June 2011 at which Drew Hutton was elected president. Another notable member is Dayne Pratzky, whose activism became the subject of the 2015 documentary film, Frackman.

On 21 June 2017, Drew Hutton announced his resignation as the president of the Lock the Gate Alliance via Facebook. In the post Hutton noted that he "made this decision with great sadness but I have serious, chronic health issues that simply won't allow me to do what is needed in such a position." Hundreds of tributes to his work and dedication followed this announcement.

Lock the Gate's supporter base includes notable individuals from across the political spectrum, including former Greens party leader Bob Brown and conservative 2GB radio personality, Alan Jones. Despite the diverse political backgrounds and regional distribution of its member base, the Lock the Gate Alliance's opponents have labelled them a "green" group and suggested that their membership is urban and anti-development. In 2015 an editorial in Queensland's Courier Mail said of the group: "The mindless demonisation of industries that offer the chance to ensure the continuing prosperity of Queensland – and therefore Queenslanders – does nobody any favours." The organisation features in the media regularly and lobbies government for stronger protections for productive agricultural land, groundwater resources and catchment areas.

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