-
Posted by David Sexton
- |
-
11 Nov, 2026
NEWCASTLE Council has passed a by-law banning activist group Rising Tide from its land.
Local radio station 2HD reported a narrow seven-to-six vote, with the by-law driven by lord mayor Gavin Morris.
The matter has pitted competing ideas of safety against civil liberties.
Rising Tide is opposed to the coal export trade and has staged several protests in the waters of Newcastle Harbour.
In an at times fiery meeting, Cr Morris said Rising Tide had broken public trust and put people's safety at risk with blockades at the harbour and shipping channel.
"Newcastle has never been shy about speaking its mind and I will defend that right for anyone, including people that I may disagree with," Cr Morris was quoted as saying by 2HD.
"This Lord Mayoral Minute is about safety, the potential risks to everyone that works on the harbour, to New South Wales Police, but also to the protesters themselves."
Newcastle Greens councillor Charlotte McCabe spoke against the motion.
"You speak a lot about safety and I just would like to remind you of the fact that that is precisely the reason why people come from all over the country to the biggest coal port in the world, is because they are worried about their immediate safety, their lives, their livelihoods and for those in the future," Cr McCabe was quoted as saying.
Facebook footage showed activists confronting councillors during the meeting, denying their conduct had risked safety and accusing council of caving to pressure from the coal industry.
Newcastle harbour master Vikas Bangia spoke about the issue during the AMPI conference in Darwin in June, calling for local government to be more active in resolving the issue.
In social media posts, Rising Tide described the Newcastle Council decision as "shocking" and "draconian", blaming NSW Premier Chris Minns and police minister Yasmin Catley for the legislation.
"You cannot suppress and arrest your way out of an existential climate crisis," Rising Tide said in a social media post.
Rising Tide is this week defending its right to hold its Newcastle flotilla scheduled for this Saturday, the NSW Police having applied to the Supreme Court to prevent it, again citing "serious safety concerns".
