In a shocking turn of events, the New South Wales government has taken the drastic step of completely cutting off public access to Newcastle harbour for four days leading up to a planned peaceful climate protest by the Rising Tide activist group. The move, which the activists have condemned as an “unprecedented abuse of power”, bans all unauthorized vessels and persons from entering the port zone from 5pm Thursday November 21 to 8am Monday November 25.
Rising Tide had originally planned to stage one of Australia’s biggest ever climate protests, with activists paddling into the port on kayaks and rafts to block coal exports for 50 hours straight. The action was aimed at highlighting the need to end new coal and gas approvals and to implement a steep tax on fossil fuel exports to help fund a just transition for workers.
However, those ambitious plans were scaled back after NSW police won a legal challenge to restrict the protest. Rising Tide then revised their approach, deciding to stay close to shore and out of shipping channels while still making their point. The group had reached an agreement with senior local police earlier in the week and gained council approval for a drug- and alcohol-free festival behind Nobbys beach, complete with live music acts.
Extreme Overreach By NSW Government, Say Activists
So it came as a complete shock to Rising Tide when, late on Friday, they received a letter from Transport NSW outlining the sweeping exclusion zone being placed on the entire harbour. Organizer Zack Schofield slammed it as a draconian overreaction, saying “these powers are incredibly excessive” and will impact far more than just the protesters.
“[The exclusion zone] means that locals swimming at Nobbys beach, Horseshoe beach and Newcastle beach will be breaking the law, and could potentially face arrests and fines.”
– Rising Tide organizer Zack Schofield
Rising Tide argues that their planned “flotilla protest” is a time-honored tradition in Newcastle and does not pose any real safety threat. They are demanding that NSW Premier Chris Minns immediately overturn the “outrageous” harbour lockdown.
“If Chris Minns is scared of families and kids paddling off a beach in protest, then he’s not cut out for the job,” Schofield said bluntly. “The Minns Government should be supporting young people and Hunter workers, not trying to suppress dissent.”
NSW Greens Denounce “Criminalizing of Protest”
The NSW Greens have also come out strongly against what they see as the unjustified quashing of the right to peaceful protest. Greens MP and democracy spokesperson Kobi Shetty noted there have been “no major safety concerns at previous Rising Tide events”.
“The People’s Blockade is a peaceful, family-friendly event where people can express their frustration at the continuing lack of action by governments to tackle climate change. This response is just another attempt to deter protesters under the cover of vague and unsubstantiated safety concerns.”
– Kobi Shetty, NSW Greens MP
Shetty urged the government to focus its efforts on addressing the climate crisis rather than “trying to criminalize protest”. Premier Minns’ office did not respond to requests for comment on the controversy.
Government Claims Protest Must Consider “Reasonable” Community Impact
A spokesperson for NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen defended the move, arguing that while the right to protest is important, it “must also be viewed within the context of what is a reasonable impact on others in the community”.
The spokesperson cited previous disruptive actions by protest groups that had “shut down passenger and freight services on the Hunter Line, putting rail workers, emergency services personnel and protesters themselves in danger”. The government says it wants to avoid similar scenes on the harbour.
“The government does not want to see these same groups endangering maritime workers, police and themselves out on the water while disrupting the safe navigation of Newcastle harbour,” the Transport official stated.
Rising Tide Vows to Press Ahead with “Protestival”
Despite losing their legal bid and now facing an exclusion order, Rising Tide insists that the show will go on. While the on-water protest will be greatly limited, the group still plans to hold their 3 day “protestival” on Nobbys Beach.
Well-known artists like Peter Garrett, John Butler, Angie McMahon and Dobby are all scheduled to perform at the family-oriented event. Activists have put up signs at beaches around the harbour to alert residents to the controversial ban and urge them to join the festival instead.
Rising Tide, a seasoned environmental organization, has held a dozen previous floating protests against fossil fuel exports at the port, which is the largest coal shipping hub in the world. The group argues there has never been a serious incident or safety risk from the “peaceful, colorful displays of dissent”.
As Newcastle transitions away from its long history as a coal capital, Rising Tide and its supporters say it is more important than ever to take a vocal stand and pressure governments to accelerate the shift to clean energy. Whether on land or sea, they have vowed to make their message heard despite the NSW government’s efforts to dampen the protest.
