An activist who fought to save her home from bushfires has likened the government’s approval of new fossil fuel projects to standing on every street with a jerry can of petrol.
Anna Hedigan was among scores of people in court on Tuesday 13 January over the multi-day People’s Blockade of the Port of Newcastle organised by climate group Rising Tide in November.
More than 8,000 individuals gathered at the world’s largest coal port for the “protestival”, when activists boarded coal ships and chained themselves to machinery in a bid to disrupt operations.
Their mission of ending new gas and coal projects has never felt more urgent for Ms Hedigan, who drove from her bushfire-ravaged home in Victoria to face Newcastle Local Court this week.
“To continue to open new projects is like the Prime Minister and his government are standing at the end of every street in Australia with a jerry can of petrol,” she said outside the courthouse.
“It is unbelievably irresponsible.”
Given the effects of the climate crisis are already being felt, the only reason she can conceive that the government has not transitioned rapidly away from fossil fuels is money.
“They are literally selling the future for money,” Ms Hedigan said.
“I cannot begin to express how angry I feel at that.”
The frustration was echoed by her fellow arrestee, former senator Janet Rice, who has championed climate action for nearly half a century.
The co-founder of the Victorian Greens party said she had seen growing ire at the government’s inaction on climate change, which won’t be quashed by arrests.
“They need to realise that that’s not going to stop us,” she told AAP.
“People are going to keep on being arrested.
“If they end up sending us to jail, people will go to jail because the future of a safe life on this planet, life as we know it, is at stake.”
Ms Rice and Ms Hedigan were two of 129 protesters whose cases were mentioned in a very crowded Newcastle Local Court on Tuesday.
In the end, they were adjourned to February to allow the parties time to grapple with the volume of the matters.
Magistrate Ron Maiden thanked the activists for their attendance at court, noting it’s an “important part of the process”.
The protesters were involved in significantly disrupting the Port of Newcastle for three days, delaying the transport of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of coal and forcing two ships to turn around.
More than 150 people were arrested.
On 1 December, activists locked onto conveyor belts and coal loaders and unfurled a banner telling Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to “stop all new coal and gas – or we will!”
At the time, Premier Chris Minns said it was regrettable police were forced to step in to such an extent but defended their actions.
“If the police would turn a blind eye, it would make a mockery of the state’s laws, and it would effectively be a green light for more of this kind of behaviour,” he told reporters.
State opposition police spokesman Paul Toole criticised the activists for reckless and selfish behaviour and causing economic damage, as have several councillors from Newcastle, Port Stephens and Maitland.
Newcastle is the world’s largest coal export port, sending 150 million tonnes offshore annually, mostly to east Asia.
For more news stories:
- Maitland councillor slams City of Sydney’s ‘rent-free’ proposal for Rising Tide
- Cessnock councillors to vote on 40% rate rise
- Police vow to keep Port Stephens beaches safe over holiday period
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