City of Newcastle Councillors has voted to approve an amended motion to allow Rising Tide’s application to use community land for its People’s Blockade event in November.
Councillors voted at last night’s Extraordinary Council Meeting to endorse an event authorisation for Camp Shortland and in-principle support for Foreshore Park, pending public notification and a requirement for a Form 1 from NSW Police consistent with the event licence application.
Rising Tide applied for a licence to utilise Hamilton North’s Richardson Park from 25 November to 2 December, and Camp Shortland from 28 November to 1 December.
The application included the erection of temporary structures, amusement rides, live performances and amplified sound at both Camp Shortland and Richardson Park, along with the provision for camping at the Hamilton North site.
Council manages community land on the behalf of the NSW Government and licences events in line with the Local Government Act. Public notice is required for events that occupy community land for longer than three consecutive days.
A total of 1,855 submissions were received by City of Newcastle during the public notice period, which were submitted through the formal Have Your Say online portal, along with paper and email correspondence.
A subsequent request was received from Rising Tide to amend their application to transfer the activities at Richardson Park to Foreshore Park.
Lord Mayor Dr Ross Kerridge called an Extraordinary Council Meeting to ensure the proposed use of community land by Rising Tide could be considered and debated, the Council said in a statement.
In an online statement, Rising Tide thanked the Council “for making the right call: backing the community, supporting climate justice and the fight for funding for coal workers and communities to transition to new industries. And thank you to those councillors who spoke in support of Rising Tide late into the night.
“This is our collective win — and it is a powerful reminder that people power works.”
