I call upon Pru Goward, MP for Goulburn and NSW Minister for Planning to give the community some cause to celebrate or at least break into a long overdue smile.

The Leard State Forest is the largest piece of Australian bush remaining in the Liverpool Plains. Critically endangered wildlife that inhabits a 5000 hectare expanse of the forest hangs in the balance as Ms Goward considers over the next few days whether to grant the Whitehaven Coal company special licence to bulldoze the joint.

There are farmers, lawyers, religious leaders, war veterans, environmentalists from all over who have been peacefully protesting against the bloody-minded stupidity of it all.  They would breathe a huge sigh of relief if the forest and its natural inhabitants were granted a reprieve.

There are countless other people who know about the death sentence hanging over the Leard Forest. They will be crossing their fingers as they go about their daily business, willing our MP to do the right thing.

And sure as eggs there are even more folk who know diddley-squat about it all. But when they see the headlines that a brave decision has been made in favour of our Australian landscape, they’ll feel inspired by the revelation that our MP has got her priorities right and Australia’s future at heart.

Here’s hoping.

Yours sincerely,

Iain Fyfe

Greens Candidate for Goulburn NSW State Election 2015