Operations at one of Australia’s largest coal export ports are set to resume on Monday after climate protesters disrupted shipping at the Port of Newcastle for a second consecutive day, the port operator said.
Climate activist group Rising Tide said hundreds of demonstrators entered the Newcastle Harbour shipping lane in kayaks on Sunday morning, breaching the exclusion zone and halting vessel movements. The Port of Newcastle, located 170 km north of Sydney and the largest bulk shipping port on Australia’s east coast, confirmed that general cargo operations — including alumina shipments to the Tomago aluminium smelter — were suspended due to the protest.
“Vessel ops will resume tomorrow as scheduled,” a port spokesperson said late on Sunday.
Rising Tide claimed that more than 100 protesters were arrested. Police did not immediately confirm the figure, but earlier reported detaining 21 people on marine-related charges. Greenpeace Australia Pacific said three of its activists climbed aboard a coal ship near the port as part of what it described as a peaceful demonstration.
“Greenpeace, alongside Rising Tide and thousands of everyday people, are taking actions big and small this weekend,” said Joe Rafalowicz, the group’s head of climate and energy.
The disruption followed a similar protest on Saturday, when police arrested 11 activists after a ship was forced to turn back. A larger action last year saw 170 arrests over multiple days.
Coal remains one of Australia’s top exports alongside iron ore, even as the federal government has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.