Peoples Blockade of Newcastle Coal Port
Extinction Rebellion Australia, 27 Apr 2022
The peaceful flotilla was a call for an end to billions of federal funds for fossil fuel industries.
The seven-hour blockade of the world’s biggest coal port at Horseshoe beach Muloobinba / Newcastle also highlighted the need for a shift to funding climate solutions, including a transition for local coal workers and community.
Peoples Blockade spokesperson, Emily Ashton a 15 year-old student and protest organiser said:
“Scott Morrison’s coalition government has given billions of dollars to fossil fuel companies, selling out the future for all young Australians. Billions for fossil fuels is not a climate plan.
“In the Hunter, we have an opportunity to become a renewable energy powerhouse but we need federal support for the transition. We can have climate action and sustainable jobs for the future. But to get there we need a government that will stop funding the crisis and to start funding the positive solutions, which are proven and in reach.”
Zack Schofield, a law student and protest organiser said:
“Our blockade will come just weeks after the IPCC report that warned we must decarbonise ‘now or never’ to avoid catastrophic climate breakdown and only weeks before the federal election.
“We need a federal government to heed these urgent warnings because our window of opportunity to have a safe future on this planet is fast closing.”
The Newcastle Herald reported that protesters who took to Newcastle harbour on Sunday say neither major political party has credible policies to address climate change or help workers transition away from the coal industry
The Newcastle Herald story ‘Newcastle port climate protesters say major parties failing Hunter’ reported that protesters who took to Newcastle harbour on Sunday say neither major political party has credible policies to address climate change or help workers transition away from the coal industry.
Zack Schofield told the Newcastle Herald that politicians were “failing the Hunter”.
"Newcastle is a coal city, and it’s been built off the backs of union workers, and we want to make sure they’re taken care of in a planned transition, not slap-dash at the last minute,” he said.
“We don’t want to stop coal exports immediately. That won’t be good for the Hunter. But we want a swiftly planned transition for coal workers into other industries, fair retirement packages or assistance in training.
“It’s happening in other parts of the world. It’s happening in Germany and South Australia. We know we can do it, if we spend the time and money”.
Also see the facebook image of the Newcastle Herald Story.
Photos by Ed Rooney