Lock the Gate Alliance

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 organisation features in the media regularly and lobbies government for stronger protections for productive agricultural land, groundwater resources and catchment areas.

[7] 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 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".

The organisation claimed several successes in 2014, including the cancellation of 35,000,000 hectares (86,000,000 acres) of gas licence applications, the extension of a moratorium on drilling in the state of Victoria, the declaration of 280 mining-free communities across Australia and the perpetuation of the water trigger requirement in Federal environmental approvals under the EPBC Act.

[12] The Lock the Gate Alliance is listed on the Australian Government's Register of Environmental Organisations which provides them with a range of tax concessions, including the ability to receive tax-deductible gifts and contributions.

Legal experts from the Adelaide University Law School, however, warned that any move to narrow the definition of what constitutes an "environmental organisation" – and strip them of their charitable status as a result - would represent an "attack on Australian democracy".

It was narrated by actor Jack Thompson, and featured footage from many sources, including Richard Todd, Dayne Pratzky and documentary filmmaker David Bradbury.