Newcastle council barred Rising Tide from accessing local grounds following warnings that assisting the demonstrations would facilitate illegal and dangerous shipping blockades. The climate organization holds an annual gathering combining a music festival and kayak flotillas aimed at ending coal transport by 2030 and imposing taxes on fossil fuel profits. Past blockades triggered mass arrests, including 173 people charged in 2024 and 129 detained in 2025. Organizers are now contesting police permit rejections in the NSW Supreme Court while preparing an upcoming paddle-out at Horseshoe Beach.
Key points
Rising Tide is pursuing a case in the NSW Supreme Court after police refused a permit tha…: Rising Tide is pursuing a case in the NSW Supreme Court after police refused a permit that offers legal protections under the Summary Offences Act.
Activists demand an immediate halt to new fossil fuel projects, an end to Newcastle coal…: Activists demand an immediate halt to new fossil fuel projects, an end to Newcastle coal exports by 2030, and a 78% tax on industry profits.
Organizers plan to proceed with demonstrations regardless of council bans, beginning with…: Organizers plan to proceed with demonstrations regardless of council bans, beginning with a paddle-out protest at Horseshoe Beach.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Newcastle council – home to the world’s largest coal port – has banned a climate group from holding any events on its land after consulting the New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, who warned the council would be complicit in any “illegal activities that occur at these protests”.
On Tuesday night the council’s independent lord mayor, Gavin Morris, used his casting vote to ban any licensing of Rising Tide’s events, claiming in a mayoral minute that the group had “broken the trust and faith of the Newcastle community” by defying police directions during past protests.
Rising Tide holds an annual event where thousands of protesters wade into the port with kayaks and rafts over the course of the six-day protest to blockade coal ships. The protest includes camping on council land and a music festival where major Australian bands have played, including Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett.
The protest is run to draw attention to the group’s demands for the immediate cancellation of all new fossil fuel projects, the end of coal exports from Newcastle by 2030, and taxing fossil…
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