In unity is strength - and as 161 unity groups poured onto the grounds outside Parliament House last week, the message for politicians at the National Rally Against Reckless Renewables was clear.
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One of the causes leading the charge was Save Eungella's fight against a multi-faceted 'green energy' push from local member Julie-anne Gilbert and the state government.
A wind farm, a hydrogen electrolyser, and a pumped hydro dam, including the 'world's biggest pumped hydro battery', have been proposed for one of the country's most diverse and natural assets, Eungella.
Joined by Jonelle Neilsen, and Rob and Robyn Burns, Save Eungella secretary Mandy Tennent spent February 6 at Canberra.
While Queensland senator Nita Green says "green renewables is the way to go", David Pocock is also not agreeing to a senate enquiry, the Greens party was absent from the rally, Tanya Plibersek has not responded to 18 months of letters, and David Crisafulli is "still missing in action", Ms Tennent was encouraged to receive support from politicians like Barnaby Joyce, Michelle Landry, Matt Canavan, Pauline Hansen, and Bob Katter.
"The day was just astonishing. Everyone was peaceful. There was no drama," Ms Tennent said.
"I've only just heard of Get Up - they've been calling us out for being funded by coal mines and being pro-coal, which is really hurtful, when we spent our own money to get down there."
Ms Neilsen, whose Netherdale parents have been forced from their home, spoke for the group, along with internationally renowned environmental activist from Earth Animal Australia, Sybelle Foxcroft.
"She's got a 400-page environmental report that's almost ready to go...Queensland Hydro have not sent environmentalists out that we've seen...and we're all looking," Ms Tennent said.
"Sybelle has been out there on her hands and feet, crawling through the bush. She found all the platypus in the footprint, she has proof...and she's logging it all."
It's a bleak future for Eungella's horizon - with wind turbines expected to tower over the town.
"We're 810m above sea level at the house, and...some stuff at Mt Barket is actually at 800m...and their turbines are 165m high. So we are absolutely going to see the stinking things...they'll be looking up at them at Eungella," Ms Tennent said.
"It's awful. It's ruining why we came here, why we're building a tourism business...I'd rather not have tourists sitting here and surrounded by turbines."
Ms Tennent said the group is determined to "educate" senators into reviewing their stance on renewables.
"It's so indoctrinated in them, like a religion. They truly believe this is the way of the future, that they've got to do this and save the planet and that all these naysayers are evil," she said.
"All these off-shore corporations, they're having to shut down a lot of their overseas stuff now. There was one turbine farm that killed something like a thousand raptors in a year...the government said to pull them down.
"I think that's why (the proposed) Capricornia Energy Hub is going so fast at the moment...they want to get their government subsidy before the gravy train runs out.
"I don't know what they've paid the landholder per turbine but in general it's about $15,000-$30,000 for each turbine they put on your land. The Australian government is paying (the contractors) with taxpayer money - $800,000 per turbine to put the turbines up. They are just laughing all the way to the bank."
Capricornia Energy Hub is owned by Danish company, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.
"None off them are Australian. If you look into it, the only Aussie-owned ones are things like Queensland Hydro which is a Queensland government corporation, but follow that money, who knows who owns them too?" Ms Tennent said.
"The government is touting that it's always going to be Queensland-owned, but in fact it's 51 per cent Queensland-owned and I don't know who those other 49 per cent offshore partners are. It is so, so dirty."
Ms Tennent said last year, Ms Gilbert sent out letters to year 12 students within the region, encouraging them to start their "new career", "this is the new way forward", "green energy, jump on board, get a job with Queensland Hydro".
"They're not renewable. (The turbines are) made out of critical minerals that have to be mined and they don't replicate themselves. That's a finite resource...it s**** me when I see the five massive trucks in a row just to pull one wind turbine blade. The diesel those things are burning is just a f****** joke. You've got to laugh or you'll cry."
Another spokesperson gave an impassioned warning about what is in store for Eungella.
"She went to Canberra 13 years ago in a similar rally against South Australian renewables...she said 'it's too late for us'...but she doesn't want to see that for the rest of Australia," Ms Tennent said.
"They told us stories about living near the turbines which enclose her whole town. Nobody can sleep, they all have mental health issues, people go away just for a good night's sleep because of the thump-thump-thump noise coming from them.
"There were stories of the solar farms, and all the toxic run offs going into the waterways.
"The offshore turbines - they're now a thing popping up all over the east coast...Illawara was one of them. They had a fishing tour...operator who said 'this will destroy my business'. He said he had to get all the 9-12 approvals which cost him thousands, millions from two different governments to operate in these waters, and he said now these wind companies are coming in and doing whatever they want without any checks and balances."
While the rally brought Aussie battlers together, providing relief that they're "not alone", Ms Tennent was startled to see how many people have been impacted.
"We need a senate enquiry into renewables...and for the suspension of all renewables pending the outcomes of that enquiry," she said.
"This is not green in any way shape or form. From building and mining of the materials, to carving all the countryside up...the rio pile is about 20m high...that's to hold all the massive amounts of concrete that they pour into this big hole. The sheer size is just astronomical."
Community stalwarts Maz and Ian Wright, who lived in and served Eungella for 29 years, left due to the stress of the unknown and "the lack of transparency", while a young family - who worked in holistic and regenerative farming, with plans for a farming enterprise, also recently left town.
Save Eungella is also taking a stand at Queensland's upcoming local elections.
"If a candidate will not stand up and publicly oppose reckless renewables...in our case, pumped hydro and the Capricornia Energy Hub...we won't support them," she said.
"And then in October, the state election will be happening so we might even do a rally in Brisbane leading up to that...then heading back to Canberra to try and get it up to that next level (for the federal election)."
