What was shaping up as one of the largest environmental campaigns in the last twenty years in Australia has scored a significant victory. A recent Red Flag article covers the background to this campaign against fracking in northern NSW.

The exploration licence awarded to Metgasco to search for potential sources of coal seam gas has been suspended, and the awarding of the licence is being investigated by the NSW anti-corruption watchdog.

While the stated reasons for the suspension were that Metgasco “failed to comply with the licence requirement to conduct community consultation”, the real reason is a fantastic protest that has seen thousands of locals blockade land Metgasco wanted to conduct exploration activities on.

When the protesters feared the police might try to disperse them they were able to mobilise around 2,000 people to defend the protest camp. Ultimately, the state government looked for a way to defuse the situation and concede defeat.

Under capitalism, the victories we win usually look like this – the capitalist class never admit they backed down because of protests and they try to come up with some form of excuse to save face. The fact, however, is that without the blockade, Metgasco would be searching for coal seam gas right now.

The campaign will need to remain vigilant. This victory, while significant, is not total. The licence could be reinstated at a later date, with the same company or a different one.

Our side should nevertheless celebrate the victory and get ready for bigger fights.