Students target NAB in anti-coal mine protest

Last week (April 24), Phillip Island school students travelled to Inverloch, to be part of a protest against National Australia Bank (NAB) funding new coal mines.

The group had previously held a demonstration outside the NAB in Thompson Avenue.

Six students from Newhaven and Bass Coast Colleges led the “teach-in” in the Inverloch Branch, explaining the bank is using “green-washing” to disguise their investments.

“The NAB is financially supporting Whitehaven’s Vickery mine in NSW,” said Joey Thompson, 15-year-old Newhaven student and Phillip Island resident.

“In a court case brought by high school students last year, the court found that new coal mines will cause harm to young people. Whitehaven continues their expansion plans.”

Indigo, 15, Newhaven student and Cape Paterson resident said if NAB renews its funding for Whitehaven in June, “it will allow them to go ahead with the larger scale Vickery mine. This will mean 900 per cent more coal mined in the future”.

A national campaign “Move Beyond Coal" is pressuring NAB to stop funding any corporations expanding the coal industry, starting with Whitehaven.

It says NAB has loaned hundreds of millions of dollars to Whitehaven Coal. Between 2016 and 2020, NAB lent $9.5 billion to fossil fuel companies.

“The NAB manager refused to listen to our concerns. It’s our future we are talking about,” said Tom, student from Phillip Island.

The NAB Branch closed for the morning, after the protest.

“We spoke to a NAB shareholder today, and he is following up our issues with NAB and coal mine funding. We know NAB are listening, and we are not giving up,” said Joey Thompson.