Environmental Protestor Blocks Coal Train Line at Kooragang

BY OLIVIA DILLON 

An environmental activist is protesting in Newcastle this morning, blocking off trains at a vital rail bottleneck. 

The Blockade Australia protestor is suspended from a tri-pod above the trainline, blocking access to the Kooragang Island terminals at the Port of Newcastle. 

Zelda Grimshaw from Blockade Australia, says the organisation believes the entire network of systems Australia has in place to exploit and extract, including, but not limited to, coal, is a problem for the climate. 

"We're hoping to build a resistance movement that will continue to disrupt the destructive machine that is Australia, until we get a system in place that can sustain life," she said. 

Ms. Grimshaw says it's part of a coordinated action, aimed at ending climate destruction. 

"Our young person will be up there as long as she possibly can. She's in a very inaccessible position where she is, so I think it will take them a while to get her down." 

The protest has been reported to Newcastle police, and it's believed they are on the scene. 

School students and climate protestors to block the Port of Newcastle

BY JORDAN REGNIS

School students from the School Strike for Climate and climate protest group Extinction Rebellion will lead a blockade of the Port of Newcastle this Sunday.

They're demanding an end to federal funding for fossil fuel industries, and instead, to invest the money into climate solutions, along with transition arrangements for coal workers and communities. 

The People's Occupation of the World's Biggest Coal Port event will take place at Horseshoe Beach between 8am and 3pm, where people from across the Hunter will enter the harbour and stop coal ships from moving throughout the day.

Organiser Zack Schofield says he'd love to see the community get involved.

"We will get some kayaks out and run a blockade across the shipping channel, to make sure the coal ships don't come into the port for the day," Mr Schofield said.

"This event is about getting out on the water and showing the government we care about our community."

Speeches and live music will also feature on the beach throughout the day. 

Image credit: Newcastle School Strike 4 Climate

City of Newcastle Commits to United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The City of Newcastle has joined a global movement to commit to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and build a better and brighter future for the Hunter Region.

The seventeen goals set out by the United Nations address complex global challenges from human rights and gender equality to clean energy and climate action.

Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen says the goals will help guide local action and are a "wide-ranging roadmap of how we'd like the world to look in 2030".

Newcastle, the only United Nations city in Australia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a number of Hunter organisations, including Compass Housing, CIFAL at the University of Newcastle, Kumalie, Hunter Water, the Port of Newcastle, and Port Waratah Coal Services.

Cr Clausen says Newcastle is dedicated to achieving all of the goals within the next ten years and building on the city's current work in sustainability.

“City of Newcastle is already leading the local government sector on climate action, making great strides in the field over the past five years and becoming the first NSW Council to become powered by 100% renewable energy,” Cr Clausen said.

"Our 2025 Climate Action Plan, currently in development, will set our goals and priorities for the next five years to build on these achievements."

The City of Newcastle has also become the 11th city in the Oceania and Asia-Pacific Region to join the 2020 SDGs Cities Challenge - participating cities will work together with government, academic, and business experts in a 10-month action research project to identify the best approaches to implementing the UN goals.

Representatives of the Hunter Region SDG Memorandum of Understanding meet via Zoom.

Hunter Climate Summit Demands Action

By MEGHAN RICHARDSON

The Hunter's biggest climate meeting was held at the University of Newcastle's Wollotuka Institute on Friday. 

More than one hundred community members met alongside local scientific, policy and activist experts to discuss the effects of climate change and explore possible solutions.

The summit offered a chance for local voices that are not usually represented to be heard, with leaders from community groups like local businesses, First Nations, emergency services, LGBTQIA groups, the media and many more.

Keynote speaker for the event, Greg Mullins, said the focus of the summit was taking local action.

"We're working out what can be done about climate change and not taking 'no' as an answer from our national government."

Mr Mullins, the former NSW Commissioner for Fire and Rescue, said he has firsthand experience with the effect of global warming.

"I've been fighting fires since 1972," said Mr Mullins, who has worked in Newcastle, California, Spain and France.

"Look, worldwide the bush-fire problem is getting worse, but particularly here in Australia. We're getting longer fire seasons, and overlapping fire seasons with other states that's stopping us sharing resources." Mr Mullins noted.

"It's all driven by climate change so we must take action now."

The summit addressed the impacts of climate change on vulnerable people in the Hunter and members discussed a short term plan for climate action moving forward.

Image MJF Productions