Lesley's steaming over CSG
LESLEY McQueen is fit but she will need to be fitter to walk 80km over three days in August to raise funds and raise awareness about opposition to the coal seam gas industry.
She lives at Lynchs Creek, north of Kyogle and in the foothills of the Border Ranges National Park.
She's in training walking the slopes of those ranges and along the route of the Lions Way pipeline proposed by coal seam gas company Metgasco.
The pipeline would run next to the 4ha property Ms McQueen shares with her three young children. It would run through Lynchs Creek locality where her family have lived for five generations.
She will walk from Casino to Kyogle and then via the proposed pipeline route to the Queensland border to hand over to another walker to continue the journey to Ipswich.
She will carry a bottle of water from the Richmond River at Casino and at the end of the walk it will be poured into the river at Ipswich.
"I believe water is the key to life, if we haven't got clean water we have got nothing," Ms McQueen said.
"I think it is really important for people to understand the issues of coal seam gas mining and how much it jeopardises our clean water.
"This is paradise, why would you want to jeopardise it?"
Ms McQueen is hoping to raise funds for scientific studies, legal costs, advertising and campaigning.
A website will be set up soon. To donate, phone Ms McQueen on 6636 2241.
