Newcastle Council Seeks Feedback On Proposed Rising Tide People's Blockade

 BY IAN CROUCH

Newcastle Council is asking for public feedback on Rising Tide's proposed People's Blockade on Newcastle Harbour this November.

Last year's event resulted in 170 arrests as protesters defied police directions and paddled out into the shipping lane in canoes and kayaks.

Organisers have applied for a licence to use Richardson Park at Hamilton North from November 25 to December 2 and Camp Shortland from November 28 to December 1.

Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge says there are strong views in the community about Rising Tide's Peoples Blockade and associated activity and it's important the community has their say.

Feedback can be emailed to events@ncc.nsw.gov.au from today (Monday 2 June, 2025) until June 30.

A report will then be prepared for Council to consider.

 

The flotilla of canoes and kayaks at last year's Rising Tide event

Emergency Services Put To The Test At Newcastle Port

 BY IAN CROUCH

We're being told not to be alarmed if we see large numbers of emergency service personnel around the Port of Newcastle today.

The Port Authority is hosting its annual multi-agency training exercise from 9 o'clock on Wednesday morning.

It will involve representatives from Fire & Rescue NSW, NSW Ambulance, Transport for NSW, Port of Newcastle, Environment Protection Authority and the Australian Maritime Authority who'll be putting their capabilities to the test.

The exercise is due to wrap up by 1.00pm.

Police Search Sydney Home In Hunt For Alleged Newcastle Port Cocaine Diver

 BY IAN CROUCH

Detectives investigating the death of a Brazillian diver over a cocaine haul in Newcastle Harbour have searched a Sydney property of a second man involved in the alleged smuggling operation.

The body of 31-year-old Bruno Martins was discovered in the water near 54 kilograms of the drug in May 2022, believed to have been taken from the hull of a ship docked in the Port.

Police searching for a second diver, 32-year-old Jhoni Fernandes Da Silva, have searched a granny flat at Lurnea where it's believed he stayed for one or two months.

They were looking for traces of blood, fingerprints and DNA.

Two men remain before the courts over the alleged drug smuggling operation.

 

A forensic officer tests for traces of blood at the Lurnea property

 

 

 

Police Renew Appeal For Missing Diver Over Port Of Newcastle Drug Haul

 BY IAN CROUCH

It's two years since the body of a diver was found floating near dozens of kilograms of cocaine believed to have been smuggled into the Port of Newcastle, and police are renewing calls to help find a second diver who's still missing.

31-year-old Brazillian diver, Bruno Borges Martins entered Australia 12 days before the grim discovery was made on May 9 2022.

Superyacht owner James Blake Blee and his son James Lake-Kusviany Blee remain before the courts charged over an alleged $20m cocaine smuggling plot.

Detectives from Strike Force Groove say a second diver, 32-year-old Jhoni Fernandes Da Silva is still missing and his family need answers.

They've now released CCTV images of two vehicles - a white Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and a Toyota Townace Van which they believe is connected to the 32-year-old's disappearance.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

Missing diver Jhoni Fernandez Da Silva

Police have released images of two vehicles as they investigate the disappearance of Brazillian diver Jhoni Fernandes Da Silva

67-Year-Old Charged Over Kooragang Island Protest

BY OLIVIA DILLON

A woman has been charged following an unauthorised protest at the Port of Newcastle today.

The 67-year-old entered Kooragang Island on her bike just after 6:00am, and locked herself onto a coal ship loader. 

She was removed by police, arrested, and taken to Newcastle Police Station, where she was charged with seriously disrupting work at a major facility and breach of bail.

The woman was refused bail to attend Newcastle Local Court later today. 

Image: Blockade Australia

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. 

Plans for Clean Energy Precinct in Newcastle Unveiled

BY EMILY WILLIAMS

The Port of Newcastle has unveiled its concept designs for its 220 hectare Clean Energy Precinct.

This is part of the region's plan to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

The Port of Newcastle's Chief Commercial Officer Simon Byrnes says the future is looking bright.

"The plan sets out how we're going to bring in 1.5 Gigawatts worth of clean energy into the site," he said. 

"Then also the hydrogen, methanol and ammonia production facilities."

The precinct is expected to create around 5,800 new jobs in the Hunter.

Wednesday's announcement is phase one of the plan and hopes to establish the Hunter region as a "clean energy powerhouse".

This coming after Muswellbrook's Liddell Power Station which stopped generating last month, after more than five decades.

There is currently no expected completion date for the site.

Image: Port of Newcastle

Newcastle Still in the Running for East Coast Submarine Base

BY OLIVIA DILLON 

 

The Hunter Defence Chair says Newcastle is still in the race to be selected as the location for an AUKUS Submarine Base, despite reportedly falling out of favour to Port Kembla.

Tim Owen says the City's long-running shipbuilding industry, RAAF base, and strong engineering workforce, make a strong case for the base to be placed there. 

 

However, there's concern Port of Newcastle's half-Chinese ownership could cause issues.

Newcastle was short-listed for the project in March last year. 

Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon, said no matter where it's placed, the region would benefit from an East Coast submarine base. 

A decision is set to be made later in the year. 

 

Image: Defence Connect

 

 

Two Men Charged Over Alleged Drug-Smuggling Incident at the Port of Newcastle

BY OLIVIA DILLON

Two men have been charged over an alleged attempt to retrieve cocaine off a ship in the Port of Newcastle. 

Police allege the two Norwegian nationals, Johan-Martinius Halversen and Jon Birger Karlsen, were seen in the water at the Port at around 4am on Wednesday wearing scuba diving gear. 

It's believed they were attempting to retrieve 82kgs of cocaine off a visiting ship. 

They were arrested at Honeysuckle that afternoon by organised crime squad detectives and federal police. 

Newcastle Bail Court heard yesterday, the pair were a part of a sophisticated international crime syndicate, which both men deny. 

They are facing a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and will face local court today. 

Government changes tune on Port of Newcastle container terminal

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Legislation to remove the restrictions, preventing the Port of Newcastle from becoming a container terminal, is likely to pass State Parliament on Tuesday evening. 

Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper has reached a breakthrough with the Government, who are expected to support the bill with new amendments. 

The Treasurer will be able to appoint an independent expert to decide a fair market value for the Port's lease, if the container terminal penalties weren't included. 

The Port's private operator will be able to ignore the compensation requirements, if it covers the difference between the $1.7 billion dollars it paid in 2014, and the new amount.

t's unclear what the top-up will amount to, but it could be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Second man charged in Newcastle cocaine diver investigation

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Detectives have charged a second man as part of investigations into the death of a Brazilian diver in Newcastle Harbour, and $20 million of cocaine found in the water.

A 62-year-old Queensland man, James Blee, was charged earlier in the year in relation to the incident and remains before the courts.

A second man attended Tweed Heads Police Station yesterday and was arrested and refused bail.

The 20-year-old, from Southport in Queensland, is facing charges relating to commercial drug supply.

Investigations continue.

Foreign seafarers shorted millions at Port of Newcastle

BY DAKOTA TAIT

A new report's found, seafarers working on foreign freight ships in the Port of Newcastle are being underpaid around $25 million every year.

The Australia Institute's Robbed at Sea study explored the past ten years of data from the International Transport Workers' Federation Australian Inspectorate, finding 70 percent of foreign-registered ships didn't meet the minimum wage standards.

Across the country, the report estimated $65 million in underpayment, some seafarers being paid as little as $2 an hour.

Maritime Union of Australia Newcastle Branch Secretary Glen Williams says it's appalling.

"I think Australia should be outraged," he said. "It's not right." 

"If any of our families or our kids or ourselves went to work and we didn't get paid by our employers, there's remedies for us to be able to fix that, and if there wasn't, there would be outrage in the community."

"It shouldn't be any different for these people. They don't have a voice. They've got nobody to speak for them. It's up to us to do that."

Around 2500 foreign-registered freight ships visit Newcastle every year and are critical to the country's supply chains.

But according to Mr Williams  only a small number of those ships are inspected, and the issue's been "out of sight" and "out of mind".

"There's no oversight for these people," he said. "There's nobody keeping an eye on them."

"The ones that we've found that have been underpaid or not paid at all, they're the ones that have contacted us. It's the ones that don't contact us, I suppose, that will be the real concern around how much of this is actually going on."

The report recommends closing legal loopholes which allow foreign ships to ignore local labour laws, as well as better resourcing for inspection authorities and the ombudsman.

The union's also supporting calls for stricter rules to protect vulnerable seafarers at risk of exploitation at work.

"I think we need to resource an inspectorate through the Australian Maritime Safety Authority," Mr Williams said. "We need to provide people to make sure that we can get down on every ship and make sure these people are alright."

"We don't mind using them to export our coal and other products and imports. We import so much product into this country but we don't mind using these people to do that, so we should make sure that they're at least being paid properly."

"We've highlighted over the years the number of abuses of these foreign seafarers. They're stood over. They're murdered - we've had three murders in this port on ships coming in and out of the port."

"It happens. People disappear off these ships. They're replaceable, and nobody really cares about them."

Image credit: Port of Newcastle.

Funding For Newcastle Hydrogen Hub Under Threat

 BY IAN CROUCH

Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Ted O'Brien will be in Newcastle On Monday morning to step up pressure on the Albanese Government to honour a funding commitment to a Green Hydrogen Hub in Newcastle.

The previous government included $100 million in the budget to set up the hub at the Port of Newcastle.

The Labor government has refused to confirm if it will support the project.

Ted O'Brien says the Hunter is perfectly positioned to become a booming hydrogen production and export hub.

Former Energy Minister Angus Taylor and Port of Newcastle CEO Craig Carmody announced $41mil towards stage 1 of the Hydrogen Hub project in April 2022. Picture: Port of Newcastle 

Newcastle container terminal proposal under fire by NSW Ports

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The Hunter's state MPs have been sent a letter from NSW Ports, arguing the push for a container terminal at the Port of Newcastle is misguided.

The Port is hoping to diversify away from coal exports, though container traffic above a certain threshold would require Newcastle financially compensate NSW Ports, as part of a deal entered into during the privatisation of Port Botany and Port Kembla.

Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp received a copy of the letter.

He's described the move as disappointing and condescending.

"They've got a monopoly on containers," he said. "And they're writing to us, to tell us the disadvantages of Newcastle getting a container terminal. It's pretty outrageous, actually."

"They must be very worried if they're resorting to such tactics. There is broad support across the whole state for this. National Party, Labor Party, most of the Liberal Party. I've had people from the Liberal Party in my office, saying, what is the Government doing on this? It's absolutely crazy."

"The only thing going on here is that the operator of the monopoly and the Liberal Government are worried about competition from the Port of Newcastle."

In the letter, NSW Ports, which operates Port Botany, claims there's not sufficient demand for another container terminal in the state, and that the automated terminal could not deliver more than one or two hundred jobs.

The Port of Newcastle has defended the project, however, arguing an estimated 15,000 jobs would be created across the region both directly and indirectly, and could be a strong alternative to the often-congested Port Botany.

The Port received two new mobile harbour cranes earlier this week, a sign it's intending to push ahead and prove its case to the State Government, so that the controversial commitment deeds might be repealed.

Mr Crakanthorp says the only misinformation is coming from NSW Ports.

"I'll be asking them to come up to Newcastle," he said. "Not to meet in the Sydney parliament office."

"Come up here, meet with me, and go and have a look at the port."

A pair of mobile harbour cranes arrived at the Port of Newcastle earlier this week.

Newcastle varroa mite outbreak highlights national biosecurity concerns, farmers say

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The varroa mite outbreak at the Port of Newcastle has sparked concern, Australia's biosecurity systems aren't up to scratch.

NSW Farmers has raised the alarm on the possibility of more diseases breaching the country's border screening protocols.

The organisation's calling for the Government to undertake urgent reform of the biosecurity system.

Biosecurity Chair Ian McColl says it's deeply concerning.

"We've also had khapra beetle, we've had Japanese encephalitis affecting the pig industry," he said.

"Clearly the protocols that we have in place at the moment for our borders, aren't giving us the level of protection that we need as a community and as an industry."

"There's been a number of calls for reform over quite a long period of time, and I think this is just bringing home to us that the current system is not delivering what we need, and we need to reassess resourcing at our borders and at our ports."

Although the State Government has increased funding for biosecurity preparedness and response, NSW Farmers is calling for more investment in preventing the incursion of diseases, rather than a reactionary approach.

Mr McColl says livelihoods and industries are at risk

"There's no doubt that the recent incursions of foot-and-mouth disease in Indonesia have the potential to cost us $80 billion across the whole industry and the wider community," he said.

"The potential impact of that is really difficult to even get your head around those sorts of numbers."

Image credit: Port of Newcastle.

Hunter beekeepers heartbroken amid emergency eradication order

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Hunter beekeepers are facing a tough future, after a deadly parasite detected at the Port of Newcastle has led to emergency orders across the state.

The Department of Primary Industries has issued a statewide lockdown in response to the detection of varroa mite last week, meaning hives and bees cannot be moved anywhere across NSW.

A 50 kilometre biosecurity zone remains in force around the Port of Newcastle, but amateur and commercial beekeepers within a 10 kilometre will likely see their bee populations euthanised as a precaution.

Hunter Valley Amateur Beekeepers Association Vice-President David Vial says it's the right move, but local beekeepers are understandably devastated.

"Hundreds of beekeepers and thousands of hives," he said. "I'm at Williamtown, and I've got about 160 or 180 hives, so they'll all be euthanised.

"I know of a couple of commercial beekeepers in the area that have probably got roughly 3000 hives between them, plus all the other smaller beekeepers around the area."

"I've got a queen breeding program here at Williamtown, that I've been working on for the last five or six years. That's all going to be lost, so we've basically got to start again. We'll need new bee stock. From what I can hear, we can't have bees for the next six months."

Australia is the only major honey producer free of the pest, but no country has ever succeeded in containing the parasite.

90 percent of hived bees in New Zealand were wiped out when the parasite arrived across the ditch two years ago.

NSW Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders says varroa mite could cost the local industry as much as $70 million a year if it wasn't quashed early, by affecting both the production of honey for food, and the pollination of plant species.

"The financial impact, through pollination - it's all going to be reduced," Mr Vial said.

"Your local vegetables aren't going to be pollinated like they were. We're already seeing food shortages in the supermarkets because of the floods, but this is just another impact that we weren't even expecting to happen."

$250mil Coalition Commitment To Container Terminal Dumped During Election Campaign

 BY IAN CROUCH

It's been revealed the former Morrison government was planning to unveil a $250 million commitment to help establish a container terminal at the Port of Newcastle, but it was shelved at the last minute.

Nationals leader, Barnaby Joyce has told Fairfax  they dumped the announcement fearing it would be seen as giving money to the Port's Chinese owners.

It's understood the money was already allocated to the Port to construct stage one of the terminal.

Port of Newcastle CEO Craig Carmody has been pushing the container terminal idea for some time, arguing it would contribute $2.5 billion to the national economy and create 15,000 local jobs.

 

A Coalition announcement to fund Stage One of a container terminal in Newcastle was shelved at the last minute

Hydrogen 'Super Hub' For Newcastle

 BY IAN CROUCH

Much has already been made of plans to create a hydrogen hub at the Port of Newcastle, but today (Thursday 28 April, 2022) Energy Minister Angus Taylor will announce further funding to create a Hunter Super Hydrogen Hub.

$41 million dollars will be added to the Newcastle Hydrogen project and a further $41 million will be added to Origin Energy's H2 Hub project, which the government estimates will create more than 2,300 jobs.

The government says national clean energy projects could directly support 16,000 jobs by 2050, along with a further 13,000 jobs in renewable energy construction.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the investment will unlock the Hunter's clean energy future.

 Energy Minister Angus Taylor

 

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

Farmers get behind push for Newcastle container terminal

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The Former Agriculture Minister is backing a push for the Port of Newcastle to open to container trade and grain exports.

The Port of Newcastle is currently in the courts, disputing restrictions which make it financially unviable for the port to operate container traffic.

As part of privatisation agreements, the Port of Newcastle is required to reimburse Port Kembla, Port Botany, and the NSW Government for container traffic beyond a given cap.

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall says the State Government could take action to resolve the situation, if they wanted to.

Farmers NSW Vice President Xavier Martin is welcoming the move.

He says opening up the port to more agricultural trade is an obvious decision.

"Many of the storages up-country are full to the brim, and so we've got a major task on getting the produce to the market," Mr Martin said.

"There's no point growing the fibre unless you can get it to your customer, and it's great that we've got transport and rail options, but the most efficient ones into the most efficient ports, such as Newcastle, are critical."

It's believed a multi-purpose deepwater terminal at Newcastle could create more than 15,000 jobs, both directly and indirectly, as well as $2.5 billion to the Commonwealth economy.

Mr Martin says it would benefit the economy in both the country and the city, and provide more certainty when it comes to planning.

"A vessel loaded with canola in Newcastle, is worth 20 to 30 percent than the pricing offered for a vessel loaded in Vancouver," Mr Martin said. 

"These sorts of discounts, coming back to the farm gates, are affecting the returns on the economy, farmers, the whole community. The money just is not being efficiently returned."

"Even to deal with the constraints of the landscape, you know, if we are going to upgrade rail, for example, let's make sure that a tunnel through the range has the capacity to transport double-stacked containers. We need to get more efficiency into the port."