Newcastle Council Bans Rising Tide from Using Public Land for Protests
Lord Mayor Gavin Morris used his casting vote to block event licenses following a warning from NSW Premier Chris Minns that the council would be complicit in illegal activities at the port.
By Amina Yusuf ·
Newcastle council voted to ban climate group Rising Tide from holding events on municipal land. Lord Mayor Gavin Morris used his casting vote on Tuesday night to block any licensing of the group's gatherings. The decision came after Morris claimed in a mayoral minute that Rising Tide had broken the trust of the Newcastle community by defying police directions during previous demonstrations.
The ban affects the group's annual blockade of the Port of Newcastle, the world's largest coal port. Rising Tide typically organizes a six-day event where thousands of protesters use kayaks and rafts to stop coal ships. The protest includes camping on council land and a music festival. The group aims to force the cancellation of new fossil fuel projects, end coal exports by 2030, and tax fossil fuel profits at 78% to fund industrial transitions.
The conflict dates back to 2024, when the New South Wales government attempted to halt the protest by creating a four-day maritime exclusion zone. The Supreme Court ruled the zone invalid after Rising Tide challenged the move. During that event, 173 protesters were charged, but police withdrew charges against 125 of them in August. In 2025, the government did not attempt a similar exclusion. Police arrested and charged 129 protesters who entered the water, and those cases remain in court. The 2025 blockade successfully stopped three coal ships from entering the port.
NSW Premier Chris Minns wrote to the council before the vote, stating that the council could not distance itself from illegal activities at the protests. Minns argued that the protest relies on council licensing for a local park. He wrote that while he understands the right to protest, the activities disrupt shipping traffic. Minns stated that Rising Tide has a history of intent to disrupt the shipping channel without regard for the law. He warned that formally endorsing the protest would put lives at risk and make the police job impossible.
Yasmin Catley, the minister for the Hunter and police, supported the council's decision in a letter. Catley labeled Rising Tide bad faith actors. She noted that the group flouted a 2024 Supreme Court ruling prohibiting their assembly and ignored statutory requirements in 2025, resulting in 141 arrests.
Rising Tide faces a smaller paddle-out event this Saturday at Horseshoe Beach. Police denied the group's application for a form 1 permit, which would protect protesters from charges under the Summary Offences Act. The group appeared in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday regarding this Saturday's event. A court decision is expected later on Wednesday on whether to support the police decision.
Zack Schofield, a Rising Tide spokesperson, said the ban proves the group has been effective in building pressure against the port. Schofield stated that the group intends to exercise its right to protest because the climate is collapsing. The group confirmed that Paddle for the Planet will go ahead this Saturday, as will future protests.
