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The Advertiser
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
'Gullible council of Newcastle': Rising Tide application 'approved' under strict conditions
RISING Tide's divisive application to hold its 2025 People's Blockade on council-owned land in November has been handed 'in-principle' approval under strict conditions. The decision on will ultimately be in the hands of City of Newcastle chief executive Jeremy Bath once further public exhibition is undertaken on the newly-proposed Foreshore Park campsite. He will not make a decision on Camp Shortland. The council approved Rising Tide's application to hold a climate concert at Camp Shortland, but its push to use Foreshore Park will need to go back to the drawing board. The council's in-principle approval is not unconditional; Rising Tide organisers will need to submit a new event application for Foreshore Park, which will go back on public exhibition for an undisclosed period of time. The climate activist group will need to submit and maintain a valid 'Form 1' to the NSW Police covering all locations for an authorised public assembly, consistent with the event licence application. Rising Tide will also need to make a commitment that its organisers and participants will follow all "lawful" police directions. Independent Cr Peter Gittins said he is an "old-school" type of person and if Rising Tide goes against its word, he would see it as a "fundamental breach of integrity". "I wish and hope Rising Tide does not, under any circumstances, enter the shipping lanes, a commitment they gave to the lord mayor last year and broke," he said. "I implore those involved with the protest, which I have said earlier, I support, to think seriously about the economic impact, the messaging, and health and safety in our port must be at the forefront of everything that is being done." Newcastle council chambers were packed to the rafters on Tuesday night, spilling out the doors, as about 100 Rising Tide members anxiously awaited a decision. Labor councillors Declan Clausen and Peta Winney-Baartz did not debate the application, having declared conflicts of interest in the matter and excusing themselves from the chamber. The climate activist group threw a spanner in the works with a last-minute proposal to move the protest campsite from Hamilton North's Richardson Park back to Foreshore Park, where it was held in 2024. City of Newcastle took Camp Shortland and Richardson Park to the public and received more than 1850 submissions, of which 86 per cent backed the event. Members of the community did not have the opportunity to make submissions on Foreshore Park. The 11th-hour change raised questions about whether approving a new location without further public exhibition would breach the Local Government Act. Greens councillor Charlotte McCabe said the decision was a "defining moment" for the elected council to demonstrate its position on the right to protest and its commitment to "ensuring a safe climate future". Cr McCabe said those against the event "demanded" councillors consider the actions of a small percentage of Rising Tide protestors, despite arrests being the responsibility of NSW Police. Despite what she called "public pressure" from the premier and state government to refuse the application, Cr McCabe said there will be members of the community who feel compelled to participate in non-violent civil disobedience and would be "rightly enraged" if the application were shot down. "If our priority is safety for everyone, event attendees, community members, residents and police officers, then it is our duty to ensure that a coordinated event with clear expectations and clear lines of open communication takes place," she said. "If we reject this application, we risk an occurrence where potentially thousands of people will arrive in our city who are angry ... they will find somewhere to set up in our city, on our community land, without any of the agreements that we currently have in place for this licence application." On Monday, Liberal deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, a vocal critic of the blockade, said an approval of the event licence without further exhibition would not be compliant with the requirements of the Act. He reiterated those thoughts at Tuesday night's meeting. "Lord mayor, as we well know, you were branded the gullible mayor of Newcastle after making a single undertaking just last year," Cr Pull said. "If this event succeeds, and the event is approved, and en masse arrests occur for a third time in a row, the council will rightfully be branded the gullible council of Newcastle." Cr Pull said the council as a whole would wear any reputational impacts, and pushed for the council to deny both event licences, arguing, "the buck stops with us". According to the Act, a proposal must be notified and exhibited publicly if a council proposes to grant a lease or license, including on the council's website and on the land the proposal relates to. An internal City of Newcastle email to councillors said the council did not approve the event licence in line with legislation in 2024. The email to councillors said failure to follow the legislation would not automatically invalidate any resolution of the council. Independent lord mayor Ross Kerridge found himself in hot water with his fellow councillors when he used his delegated powers to approve the 2024 event application. Cr Kerridge defended his decision at the time, saying he came into the situation late in the piece, having been elected just two months before the event. The extraordinary meeting marks the first time in recent history that councillors have determined an event authorisation. In January 2025, Cr Kerridge asked City of Newcastle chief executive Jeremy Bath to bring the decision to the elected council. According to a report to councillors, the event attracted about 3000 attendees in 2023 and about 5000 in 2024. RISING Tide's divisive application to hold its 2025 People's Blockade on council-owned land in November has been handed 'in-principle' approval under strict conditions. The decision on will ultimately be in the hands of City of Newcastle chief executive Jeremy Bath once further public exhibition is undertaken on the newly-proposed Foreshore Park campsite. He will not make a decision on Camp Shortland. The council approved Rising Tide's application to hold a climate concert at Camp Shortland, but its push to use Foreshore Park will need to go back to the drawing board. The council's in-principle approval is not unconditional; Rising Tide organisers will need to submit a new event application for Foreshore Park, which will go back on public exhibition for an undisclosed period of time. The climate activist group will need to submit and maintain a valid 'Form 1' to the NSW Police covering all locations for an authorised public assembly, consistent with the event licence application. Rising Tide will also need to make a commitment that its organisers and participants will follow all "lawful" police directions. Independent Cr Peter Gittins said he is an "old-school" type of person and if Rising Tide goes against its word, he would see it as a "fundamental breach of integrity". "I wish and hope Rising Tide does not, under any circumstances, enter the shipping lanes, a commitment they gave to the lord mayor last year and broke," he said. "I implore those involved with the protest, which I have said earlier, I support, to think seriously about the economic impact, the messaging, and health and safety in our port must be at the forefront of everything that is being done." Newcastle council chambers were packed to the rafters on Tuesday night, spilling out the doors, as about 100 Rising Tide members anxiously awaited a decision. Labor councillors Declan Clausen and Peta Winney-Baartz did not debate the application, having declared conflicts of interest in the matter and excusing themselves from the chamber. The climate activist group threw a spanner in the works with a last-minute proposal to move the protest campsite from Hamilton North's Richardson Park back to Foreshore Park, where it was held in 2024. City of Newcastle took Camp Shortland and Richardson Park to the public and received more than 1850 submissions, of which 86 per cent backed the event. Members of the community did not have the opportunity to make submissions on Foreshore Park. The 11th-hour change raised questions about whether approving a new location without further public exhibition would breach the Local Government Act. Greens councillor Charlotte McCabe said the decision was a "defining moment" for the elected council to demonstrate its position on the right to protest and its commitment to "ensuring a safe climate future". Cr McCabe said those against the event "demanded" councillors consider the actions of a small percentage of Rising Tide protestors, despite arrests being the responsibility of NSW Police. Despite what she called "public pressure" from the premier and state government to refuse the application, Cr McCabe said there will be members of the community who feel compelled to participate in non-violent civil disobedience and would be "rightly enraged" if the application were shot down. "If our priority is safety for everyone, event attendees, community members, residents and police officers, then it is our duty to ensure that a coordinated event with clear expectations and clear lines of open communication takes place," she said. "If we reject this application, we risk an occurrence where potentially thousands of people will arrive in our city who are angry ... they will find somewhere to set up in our city, on our community land, without any of the agreements that we currently have in place for this licence application." On Monday, Liberal deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, a vocal critic of the blockade, said an approval of the event licence without further exhibition would not be compliant with the requirements of the Act. He reiterated those thoughts at Tuesday night's meeting. "Lord mayor, as we well know, you were branded the gullible mayor of Newcastle after making a single undertaking just last year," Cr Pull said. "If this event succeeds, and the event is approved, and en masse arrests occur for a third time in a row, the council will rightfully be branded the gullible council of Newcastle." Cr Pull said the council as a whole would wear any reputational impacts, and pushed for the council to deny both event licences, arguing, "the buck stops with us". According to the Act, a proposal must be notified and exhibited publicly if a council proposes to grant a lease or license, including on the council's website and on the land the proposal relates to. An internal City of Newcastle email to councillors said the council did not approve the event licence in line with legislation in 2024. The email to councillors said failure to follow the legislation would not automatically invalidate any resolution of the council. Independent lord mayor Ross Kerridge found himself in hot water with his fellow councillors when he used his delegated powers to approve the 2024 event application. Cr Kerridge defended his decision at the time, saying he came into the situation late in the piece, having been elected just two months before the event. The extraordinary meeting marks the first time in recent history that councillors have determined an event authorisation. In January 2025, Cr Kerridge asked City of Newcastle chief executive Jeremy Bath to bring the decision to the elected council. According to a report to councillors, the event attracted about 3000 attendees in 2023 and about 5000 in 2024. RISING Tide's divisive application to hold its 2025 People's Blockade on council-owned land in November has been handed 'in-principle' approval under strict conditions. The decision on will ultimately be in the hands of City of Newcastle chief executive Jeremy Bath once further public exhibition is undertaken on the newly-proposed Foreshore Park campsite. He will not make a decision on Camp Shortland. The council approved Rising Tide's application to hold a climate concert at Camp Shortland, but its push to use Foreshore Park will need to go back to the drawing board. The council's in-principle approval is not unconditional; Rising Tide organisers will need to submit a new event application for Foreshore Park, which will go back on public exhibition for an undisclosed period of time. The climate activist group will need to submit and maintain a valid 'Form 1' to the NSW Police covering all locations for an authorised public assembly, consistent with the event licence application. Rising Tide will also need to make a commitment that its organisers and participants will follow all "lawful" police directions. Independent Cr Peter Gittins said he is an "old-school" type of person and if Rising Tide goes against its word, he would see it as a "fundamental breach of integrity". "I wish and hope Rising Tide does not, under any circumstances, enter the shipping lanes, a commitment they gave to the lord mayor last year and broke," he said. "I implore those involved with the protest, which I have said earlier, I support, to think seriously about the economic impact, the messaging, and health and safety in our port must be at the forefront of everything that is being done." Newcastle council chambers were packed to the rafters on Tuesday night, spilling out the doors, as about 100 Rising Tide members anxiously awaited a decision. Labor councillors Declan Clausen and Peta Winney-Baartz did not debate the application, having declared conflicts of interest in the matter and excusing themselves from the chamber. The climate activist group threw a spanner in the works with a last-minute proposal to move the protest campsite from Hamilton North's Richardson Park back to Foreshore Park, where it was held in 2024. City of Newcastle took Camp Shortland and Richardson Park to the public and received more than 1850 submissions, of which 86 per cent backed the event. Members of the community did not have the opportunity to make submissions on Foreshore Park. The 11th-hour change raised questions about whether approving a new location without further public exhibition would breach the Local Government Act. Greens councillor Charlotte McCabe said the decision was a "defining moment" for the elected council to demonstrate its position on the right to protest and its commitment to "ensuring a safe climate future". Cr McCabe said those against the event "demanded" councillors consider the actions of a small percentage of Rising Tide protestors, despite arrests being the responsibility of NSW Police. Despite what she called "public pressure" from the premier and state government to refuse the application, Cr McCabe said there will be members of the community who feel compelled to participate in non-violent civil disobedience and would be "rightly enraged" if the application were shot down. "If our priority is safety for everyone, event attendees, community members, residents and police officers, then it is our duty to ensure that a coordinated event with clear expectations and clear lines of open communication takes place," she said. "If we reject this application, we risk an occurrence where potentially thousands of people will arrive in our city who are angry ... they will find somewhere to set up in our city, on our community land, without any of the agreements that we currently have in place for this licence application." On Monday, Liberal deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, a vocal critic of the blockade, said an approval of the event licence without further exhibition would not be compliant with the requirements of the Act. He reiterated those thoughts at Tuesday night's meeting. "Lord mayor, as we well know, you were branded the gullible mayor of Newcastle after making a single undertaking just last year," Cr Pull said. "If this event succeeds, and the event is approved, and en masse arrests occur for a third time in a row, the council will rightfully be branded the gullible council of Newcastle." Cr Pull said the council as a whole would wear any reputational impacts, and pushed for the council to deny both event licences, arguing, "the buck stops with us". According to the Act, a proposal must be notified and exhibited publicly if a council proposes to grant a lease or license, including on the council's website and on the land the proposal relates to. An internal City of Newcastle email to councillors said the council did not approve the event licence in line with legislation in 2024. The email to councillors said failure to follow the legislation would not automatically invalidate any resolution of the council. Independent lord mayor Ross Kerridge found himself in hot water with his fellow councillors when he used his delegated powers to approve the 2024 event application. Cr Kerridge defended his decision at the time, saying he came into the situation late in the piece, having been elected just two months before the event. The extraordinary meeting marks the first time in recent history that councillors have determined an event authorisation. In January 2025, Cr Kerridge asked City of Newcastle chief executive Jeremy Bath to bring the decision to the elected council. According to a report to councillors, the event attracted about 3000 attendees in 2023 and about 5000 in 2024. RISING Tide's divisive application to hold its 2025 People's Blockade on council-owned land in November has been handed 'in-principle' approval under strict conditions. The decision on will ultimately be in the hands of City of Newcastle chief executive Jeremy Bath once further public exhibition is undertaken on the newly-proposed Foreshore Park campsite. He will not make a decision on Camp Shortland. The council approved Rising Tide's application to hold a climate concert at Camp Shortland, but its push to use Foreshore Park will need to go back to the drawing board. The council's in-principle approval is not unconditional; Rising Tide organisers will need to submit a new event application for Foreshore Park, which will go back on public exhibition for an undisclosed period of time. The climate activist group will need to submit and maintain a valid 'Form 1' to the NSW Police covering all locations for an authorised public assembly, consistent with the event licence application. Rising Tide will also need to make a commitment that its organisers and participants will follow all "lawful" police directions. Independent Cr Peter Gittins said he is an "old-school" type of person and if Rising Tide goes against its word, he would see it as a "fundamental breach of integrity". "I wish and hope Rising Tide does not, under any circumstances, enter the shipping lanes, a commitment they gave to the lord mayor last year and broke," he said. "I implore those involved with the protest, which I have said earlier, I support, to think seriously about the economic impact, the messaging, and health and safety in our port must be at the forefront of everything that is being done." Newcastle council chambers were packed to the rafters on Tuesday night, spilling out the doors, as about 100 Rising Tide members anxiously awaited a decision. Labor councillors Declan Clausen and Peta Winney-Baartz did not debate the application, having declared conflicts of interest in the matter and excusing themselves from the chamber. The climate activist group threw a spanner in the works with a last-minute proposal to move the protest campsite from Hamilton North's Richardson Park back to Foreshore Park, where it was held in 2024. City of Newcastle took Camp Shortland and Richardson Park to the public and received more than 1850 submissions, of which 86 per cent backed the event. Members of the community did not have the opportunity to make submissions on Foreshore Park. The 11th-hour change raised questions about whether approving a new location without further public exhibition would breach the Local Government Act. Greens councillor Charlotte McCabe said the decision was a "defining moment" for the elected council to demonstrate its position on the right to protest and its commitment to "ensuring a safe climate future". Cr McCabe said those against the event "demanded" councillors consider the actions of a small percentage of Rising Tide protestors, despite arrests being the responsibility of NSW Police. Despite what she called "public pressure" from the premier and state government to refuse the application, Cr McCabe said there will be members of the community who feel compelled to participate in non-violent civil disobedience and would be "rightly enraged" if the application were shot down. "If our priority is safety for everyone, event attendees, community members, residents and police officers, then it is our duty to ensure that a coordinated event with clear expectations and clear lines of open communication takes place," she said. "If we reject this application, we risk an occurrence where potentially thousands of people will arrive in our city who are angry ... they will find somewhere to set up in our city, on our community land, without any of the agreements that we currently have in place for this licence application." On Monday, Liberal deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, a vocal critic of the blockade, said an approval of the event licence without further exhibition would not be compliant with the requirements of the Act. He reiterated those thoughts at Tuesday night's meeting. "Lord mayor, as we well know, you were branded the gullible mayor of Newcastle after making a single undertaking just last year," Cr Pull said. "If this event succeeds, and the event is approved, and en masse arrests occur for a third time in a row, the council will rightfully be branded the gullible council of Newcastle." Cr Pull said the council as a whole would wear any reputational impacts, and pushed for the council to deny both event licences, arguing, "the buck stops with us". According to the Act, a proposal must be notified and exhibited publicly if a council proposes to grant a lease or license, including on the council's website and on the land the proposal relates to. An internal City of Newcastle email to councillors said the council did not approve the event licence in line with legislation in 2024. The email to councillors said failure to follow the legislation would not automatically invalidate any resolution of the council. Independent lord mayor Ross Kerridge found himself in hot water with his fellow councillors when he used his delegated powers to approve the 2024 event application. Cr Kerridge defended his decision at the time, saying he came into the situation late in the piece, having been elected just two months before the event. The extraordinary meeting marks the first time in recent history that councillors have determined an event authorisation. In January 2025, Cr Kerridge asked City of Newcastle chief executive Jeremy Bath to bring the decision to the elected council. According to a report to councillors, the event attracted about 3000 attendees in 2023 and about 5000 in 2024.
The Advertiser
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Rising Tide and NSW Police set to go head-to-head at Newcastle council briefing
RISING Tide and NSW Police will go head-to-head at a public briefing next week with an opportunity to state their cases for and against the climate activism group's application for an event licence to hold the 2025 People's Blockade. Newcastle lord mayor Ross Kerridge has called an extraordinary meeting next month to consider Rising Tide's application to use Richardson Park and Camp Shortland. A report to councillors ahead of the briefing said NSW Police and Transport for NSW opposed the council's decision to approve an event licence last year, seeing it as "inadvertently enabling illegal activity" and "contravening" a NSW Supreme Court ruling. The report said NSW Police told the council the 2024 event was the "most dangerous event to public safety" since the People's Blockade began, resulting in 170 arrests and "stretching" police resources across the state. An estimated 5000 people took part in last year's event, held across 10 days, and Rising Tide community organiser Alexa Stuart said she is hopeful the council will be guided by the results of community consultation and the best interests of the city. "We will present our case that the People's Blockade is an important, peaceful community event that has a proud tradition in Newcastle," she said. "It would be disappointing if the council were to go against the community's wishes and attempt to deny our right to come together and protest peacefully." The harbour blockade became the subject of a Supreme Court ruling and an 11th-hour victory for the protesters when the court overturned state efforts to lock them out of the Camp Shortland waterfront last year. Climate scientist and author Dr Joëlle Gergis will join Rising Tide at the council briefing to talk about the impacts of climate change and why stronger action needs to be taken. Ms Stuart said Rising Tide's number one priority is to run a safe, peaceful and inclusive event that calls for a fast and fair transition for coal workers, and a safe future for all. "To this end, we have extensive safety precautions and risk management strategies in place," she said. "We stand by our very strong safety record, and no safety concerns have been raised by police in subsequent debriefs with them." Newcastle council is in the process of reviewing and assessing 1,855 submissions to Rising Tide's event application. A council spokesman said the submissions were received through its 'Have Your Say' online portal, along with paper and email correspondence. The submissions will be shared with councillors before they make their decision. Ms Stuart said Rising Tide members spent the last month having hundreds of conversations with locals at market stalls, door knocking and speaking to local businesses. Newcastle East resident Tracy Busch said she was approached by Rising Tide representatives about writing a submission. "They just asked us a couple of times," she said. "They were lovely, they did ask us a couple of times, we certainly weren't offended by it, we were just a little bit taken aback." A submission page on Rising Tide's website offered participants a drop-down menu of Hunter postcodes when making a submission, with a description that read: "Only local submissions will influence this outcome, so only postcodes within the Hunter are available. There will be many other ways for non-locals to support Rising Tide!" Ms Stuart said people were required to enter their full residential address. "We understand and respect that the council submission process is about hearing the perspective of local residents, so we used a drop-down of Hunter postcodes to deter anyone who lived outside the region from making a submission," she said. "We absolutely refute claims that submissions are not valid and feel confident that submissions on this issue are from genuine Hunter residents." Last year's event saw City of Newcastle staff record more than 25 event authorisation breaches, the report to councillors said. Breaches included storing and making flotation devices, pegging that caused damage to an irrigation system and damage to vegetation, including mature trees. The council report said other breaches were around faulty waste management amenities, prohibited open fire, inadequate traffic management and non-qualified site security. However, the report said Rising Tide otherwise left Foreshore Park in a "largely satisfactory condition" and had most of their bond refunded. A City of Newcastle spokesman said the breaches were "relatively minor" and said organisers responded quickly when staff monitoring the event raised concerns. Ms Stuart said Rising Tide worked closely with council staff before, during and after the event. "We took great care of council facilities, it was a safe, drug and alcohol free event, and we left the park in a better condition than we found it," she said. Rising Tide has applied for an event licence to use Hamilton North's Richardson Park from November 25 to December 2 and Camp Shortland from November 28 to December 1. The public briefing will be held July 15. RISING Tide and NSW Police will go head-to-head at a public briefing next week with an opportunity to state their cases for and against the climate activism group's application for an event licence to hold the 2025 People's Blockade. Newcastle lord mayor Ross Kerridge has called an extraordinary meeting next month to consider Rising Tide's application to use Richardson Park and Camp Shortland. A report to councillors ahead of the briefing said NSW Police and Transport for NSW opposed the council's decision to approve an event licence last year, seeing it as "inadvertently enabling illegal activity" and "contravening" a NSW Supreme Court ruling. The report said NSW Police told the council the 2024 event was the "most dangerous event to public safety" since the People's Blockade began, resulting in 170 arrests and "stretching" police resources across the state. An estimated 5000 people took part in last year's event, held across 10 days, and Rising Tide community organiser Alexa Stuart said she is hopeful the council will be guided by the results of community consultation and the best interests of the city. "We will present our case that the People's Blockade is an important, peaceful community event that has a proud tradition in Newcastle," she said. "It would be disappointing if the council were to go against the community's wishes and attempt to deny our right to come together and protest peacefully." The harbour blockade became the subject of a Supreme Court ruling and an 11th-hour victory for the protesters when the court overturned state efforts to lock them out of the Camp Shortland waterfront last year. Climate scientist and author Dr Joëlle Gergis will join Rising Tide at the council briefing to talk about the impacts of climate change and why stronger action needs to be taken. Ms Stuart said Rising Tide's number one priority is to run a safe, peaceful and inclusive event that calls for a fast and fair transition for coal workers, and a safe future for all. "To this end, we have extensive safety precautions and risk management strategies in place," she said. "We stand by our very strong safety record, and no safety concerns have been raised by police in subsequent debriefs with them." Newcastle council is in the process of reviewing and assessing 1,855 submissions to Rising Tide's event application. A council spokesman said the submissions were received through its 'Have Your Say' online portal, along with paper and email correspondence. The submissions will be shared with councillors before they make their decision. Ms Stuart said Rising Tide members spent the last month having hundreds of conversations with locals at market stalls, door knocking and speaking to local businesses. Newcastle East resident Tracy Busch said she was approached by Rising Tide representatives about writing a submission. "They just asked us a couple of times," she said. "They were lovely, they did ask us a couple of times, we certainly weren't offended by it, we were just a little bit taken aback." A submission page on Rising Tide's website offered participants a drop-down menu of Hunter postcodes when making a submission, with a description that read: "Only local submissions will influence this outcome, so only postcodes within the Hunter are available. There will be many other ways for non-locals to support Rising Tide!" Ms Stuart said people were required to enter their full residential address. "We understand and respect that the council submission process is about hearing the perspective of local residents, so we used a drop-down of Hunter postcodes to deter anyone who lived outside the region from making a submission," she said. "We absolutely refute claims that submissions are not valid and feel confident that submissions on this issue are from genuine Hunter residents." Last year's event saw City of Newcastle staff record more than 25 event authorisation breaches, the report to councillors said. Breaches included storing and making flotation devices, pegging that caused damage to an irrigation system and damage to vegetation, including mature trees. The council report said other breaches were around faulty waste management amenities, prohibited open fire, inadequate traffic management and non-qualified site security. However, the report said Rising Tide otherwise left Foreshore Park in a "largely satisfactory condition" and had most of their bond refunded. A City of Newcastle spokesman said the breaches were "relatively minor" and said organisers responded quickly when staff monitoring the event raised concerns. Ms Stuart said Rising Tide worked closely with council staff before, during and after the event. "We took great care of council facilities, it was a safe, drug and alcohol free event, and we left the park in a better condition than we found it," she said. Rising Tide has applied for an event licence to use Hamilton North's Richardson Park from November 25 to December 2 and Camp Shortland from November 28 to December 1. The public briefing will be held July 15. RISING Tide and NSW Police will go head-to-head at a public briefing next week with an opportunity to state their cases for and against the climate activism group's application for an event licence to hold the 2025 People's Blockade. Newcastle lord mayor Ross Kerridge has called an extraordinary meeting next month to consider Rising Tide's application to use Richardson Park and Camp Shortland. A report to councillors ahead of the briefing said NSW Police and Transport for NSW opposed the council's decision to approve an event licence last year, seeing it as "inadvertently enabling illegal activity" and "contravening" a NSW Supreme Court ruling. The report said NSW Police told the council the 2024 event was the "most dangerous event to public safety" since the People's Blockade began, resulting in 170 arrests and "stretching" police resources across the state. An estimated 5000 people took part in last year's event, held across 10 days, and Rising Tide community organiser Alexa Stuart said she is hopeful the council will be guided by the results of community consultation and the best interests of the city. "We will present our case that the People's Blockade is an important, peaceful community event that has a proud tradition in Newcastle," she said. "It would be disappointing if the council were to go against the community's wishes and attempt to deny our right to come together and protest peacefully." The harbour blockade became the subject of a Supreme Court ruling and an 11th-hour victory for the protesters when the court overturned state efforts to lock them out of the Camp Shortland waterfront last year. Climate scientist and author Dr Joëlle Gergis will join Rising Tide at the council briefing to talk about the impacts of climate change and why stronger action needs to be taken. Ms Stuart said Rising Tide's number one priority is to run a safe, peaceful and inclusive event that calls for a fast and fair transition for coal workers, and a safe future for all. "To this end, we have extensive safety precautions and risk management strategies in place," she said. "We stand by our very strong safety record, and no safety concerns have been raised by police in subsequent debriefs with them." Newcastle council is in the process of reviewing and assessing 1,855 submissions to Rising Tide's event application. A council spokesman said the submissions were received through its 'Have Your Say' online portal, along with paper and email correspondence. The submissions will be shared with councillors before they make their decision. Ms Stuart said Rising Tide members spent the last month having hundreds of conversations with locals at market stalls, door knocking and speaking to local businesses. Newcastle East resident Tracy Busch said she was approached by Rising Tide representatives about writing a submission. "They just asked us a couple of times," she said. "They were lovely, they did ask us a couple of times, we certainly weren't offended by it, we were just a little bit taken aback." A submission page on Rising Tide's website offered participants a drop-down menu of Hunter postcodes when making a submission, with a description that read: "Only local submissions will influence this outcome, so only postcodes within the Hunter are available. There will be many other ways for non-locals to support Rising Tide!" Ms Stuart said people were required to enter their full residential address. "We understand and respect that the council submission process is about hearing the perspective of local residents, so we used a drop-down of Hunter postcodes to deter anyone who lived outside the region from making a submission," she said. "We absolutely refute claims that submissions are not valid and feel confident that submissions on this issue are from genuine Hunter residents." Last year's event saw City of Newcastle staff record more than 25 event authorisation breaches, the report to councillors said. Breaches included storing and making flotation devices, pegging that caused damage to an irrigation system and damage to vegetation, including mature trees. The council report said other breaches were around faulty waste management amenities, prohibited open fire, inadequate traffic management and non-qualified site security. However, the report said Rising Tide otherwise left Foreshore Park in a "largely satisfactory condition" and had most of their bond refunded. A City of Newcastle spokesman said the breaches were "relatively minor" and said organisers responded quickly when staff monitoring the event raised concerns. Ms Stuart said Rising Tide worked closely with council staff before, during and after the event. "We took great care of council facilities, it was a safe, drug and alcohol free event, and we left the park in a better condition than we found it," she said. Rising Tide has applied for an event licence to use Hamilton North's Richardson Park from November 25 to December 2 and Camp Shortland from November 28 to December 1. The public briefing will be held July 15. RISING Tide and NSW Police will go head-to-head at a public briefing next week with an opportunity to state their cases for and against the climate activism group's application for an event licence to hold the 2025 People's Blockade. Newcastle lord mayor Ross Kerridge has called an extraordinary meeting next month to consider Rising Tide's application to use Richardson Park and Camp Shortland. A report to councillors ahead of the briefing said NSW Police and Transport for NSW opposed the council's decision to approve an event licence last year, seeing it as "inadvertently enabling illegal activity" and "contravening" a NSW Supreme Court ruling. The report said NSW Police told the council the 2024 event was the "most dangerous event to public safety" since the People's Blockade began, resulting in 170 arrests and "stretching" police resources across the state. An estimated 5000 people took part in last year's event, held across 10 days, and Rising Tide community organiser Alexa Stuart said she is hopeful the council will be guided by the results of community consultation and the best interests of the city. "We will present our case that the People's Blockade is an important, peaceful community event that has a proud tradition in Newcastle," she said. "It would be disappointing if the council were to go against the community's wishes and attempt to deny our right to come together and protest peacefully." The harbour blockade became the subject of a Supreme Court ruling and an 11th-hour victory for the protesters when the court overturned state efforts to lock them out of the Camp Shortland waterfront last year. Climate scientist and author Dr Joëlle Gergis will join Rising Tide at the council briefing to talk about the impacts of climate change and why stronger action needs to be taken. Ms Stuart said Rising Tide's number one priority is to run a safe, peaceful and inclusive event that calls for a fast and fair transition for coal workers, and a safe future for all. "To this end, we have extensive safety precautions and risk management strategies in place," she said. "We stand by our very strong safety record, and no safety concerns have been raised by police in subsequent debriefs with them." Newcastle council is in the process of reviewing and assessing 1,855 submissions to Rising Tide's event application. A council spokesman said the submissions were received through its 'Have Your Say' online portal, along with paper and email correspondence. The submissions will be shared with councillors before they make their decision. Ms Stuart said Rising Tide members spent the last month having hundreds of conversations with locals at market stalls, door knocking and speaking to local businesses. Newcastle East resident Tracy Busch said she was approached by Rising Tide representatives about writing a submission. "They just asked us a couple of times," she said. "They were lovely, they did ask us a couple of times, we certainly weren't offended by it, we were just a little bit taken aback." A submission page on Rising Tide's website offered participants a drop-down menu of Hunter postcodes when making a submission, with a description that read: "Only local submissions will influence this outcome, so only postcodes within the Hunter are available. There will be many other ways for non-locals to support Rising Tide!" Ms Stuart said people were required to enter their full residential address. "We understand and respect that the council submission process is about hearing the perspective of local residents, so we used a drop-down of Hunter postcodes to deter anyone who lived outside the region from making a submission," she said. "We absolutely refute claims that submissions are not valid and feel confident that submissions on this issue are from genuine Hunter residents." Last year's event saw City of Newcastle staff record more than 25 event authorisation breaches, the report to councillors said. Breaches included storing and making flotation devices, pegging that caused damage to an irrigation system and damage to vegetation, including mature trees. The council report said other breaches were around faulty waste management amenities, prohibited open fire, inadequate traffic management and non-qualified site security. However, the report said Rising Tide otherwise left Foreshore Park in a "largely satisfactory condition" and had most of their bond refunded. A City of Newcastle spokesman said the breaches were "relatively minor" and said organisers responded quickly when staff monitoring the event raised concerns. Ms Stuart said Rising Tide worked closely with council staff before, during and after the event. "We took great care of council facilities, it was a safe, drug and alcohol free event, and we left the park in a better condition than we found it," she said. Rising Tide has applied for an event licence to use Hamilton North's Richardson Park from November 25 to December 2 and Camp Shortland from November 28 to December 1. The public briefing will be held July 15.
