Flood impacted residents of the Northern Rivers joined a Rising Tide of people blockading the world's largest coal port in Newcastle this weekend, in protest against the worsening climate impacts driven by fossil fuel. The group of Northern Rivers residents flew the iconic red heart that has come to represent the region's emergence from the 2022 climate disaster - the devastating flooding events that saw lives lost in Lismore and billions of dollars worth of residential property and infrastructure damage across the Northern Rivers. With thousands still left homeless from the flooding disasters, local residents are making the journey to call on the government to immediately and rapidly move away from coal, oil and gas. Brunswick Heads resident Valerie Thompson who was flood impacted said the action was driven by great distress at what is happening in Australia due to the climate emergency. "We are wearing red to signal we are already living in a climate emergency. We have experienced first-hand what happens when we let fossil-fuel interests dictate government energy policy. It has to stop - now!" Ms Thompson said. "It is absolute madness for Australia to continue to fuel the climate crisis which is already causing the devastation of our whole communities in the Far North Coast of NSW as well as many other parts of the world. "I stand with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres when he says we need disruption to end the destruction. No more baby steps. No more excuses. No more greenwashing, no more bottomless greed of the fossil fuel industry and its enablers." A spokesperson for the Rising Tide citizen demonstration said people all over Australia wanted immediate action. "Time is short and the stakes could not be higher. Australia's fossil fuel addiction is driving the world to the brink. We are stepping up our defence of the climate by joining together to take mass direct action against the biggest threat to our future," they said. More than 100 climate protesters will face court following a weekend blockade at Port of Newcastle. Groups began taking turns paddling into the shipping lane servicing the world's largest coal port on Saturday morning in an action planned to last 30 hours.
