Newcastle City Council Bans Rising Tide Climate Protests
Newcastle City Council banned the activist group Rising Tide from using council land following warnings from New South Wales officials about shipping disruptions and illegal activities.
The Newcastle City Council has banned the climate activist group Rising Tide from holding events on council land. Lord Mayor Gavin Morris implemented the ban via a casting vote, citing the group's history of defying police directions and breaking community trust.
The decision followed consultations with New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and Minister Yasmin Catley. Minns argued that formally endorsing the protests would put lives at risk and make police work impossible, while Catley noted the group's history of ignoring statutory requirements and supreme court rulings, which led to 141 arrests in 2025.
Rising Tide organizes an annual blockade of coal ships using kayaks and rafts to demand an end to coal exports from Newcastle by 2030 and the cancellation of new fossil fuel projects. Despite the ban and legal challenges surrounding a planned Paddle for the Planet event this Saturday, spokesperson Zack Schofield stated the group intends to continue protesting, describing the council's action as a desperate attempt to suppress their effectiveness.
