Clausen questions lord mayor over 'help session' for independent probe submissions
More than 840 submissions were made to the Davidson Business Advisory review into the council's policies, processes and procedures.
Labor Cr Declan Clausen peppered independent Cr Kerridge with questions about the "appropriateness" of the Our Newcastle submission-writing session held by a group of people he described as having "conspiratorial views" about the administration of the council.
"That workshop specifically required or requested that participants send copies of their submissions to you in addition to submitting them to the Davidson review. Can you give us an idea about the volume of the submissions and how many of those might have come from Sydney?" Cr Clausen said.
"Having now considered the findings of the Davidson review, do you wish to comment on the appropriateness of that, given that it appears that a group of people had conspiratorial views, frankly, about the administration of council, that conspiracy theorists largely, based on the advice that we've been provided and how many of those claims were rebuked, worked together to create submissions believing some malfeasance in council, do you want to provide some comment on that?"
Our Newcastle is a grassroots group that was formally formed after the 2024 City of Newcastle local government elections and supported Cr Kerridge in his campaign.
The full 36-page review report was released late last week.
Cr Kerridge said he did not attend the help session on January 23 and was not involved in its organisation.
"I wasn't there, but certainly I know the Our Newcastle group offered to help people put in submissions," he said.
"Some of the people putting in submissions were not particularly technologically literate and just wanted assistance in doing that.
"I don't think there was anything illegitimate about the submissions."
An email written under the Our Newcastle letterhead invited recipients to drop in if they would like help with their submission or to chat through their ideas.
The letter requested recipients tell Our Newcastle when they had made a submission.
"No need to share any details - we're just trying to keep track of how many submissions are going in where we can," the letter said.
"This is a real chance to help shape how our council works - they're looking at everything from general governance to major projects."
Council papers revealed that the majority of more than 800 submissions to the review, some 70 per cent, were made from suburbs in Sydney.
That 70 per cent figure did not appear in the Davidson report.
Despite having access to a figure that was not made public in the report, the council and Davidson have repeatedly failed to answer questions from the Newcastle Herald about it.
Just this week, the Herald sent follow-up questions to the council asking how it got access to the 70 per cent figure, why it felt it was important to highlight it in a report to councillors, what steps, if any, the council took to verify the information and whether it is the result of an IP address issue or submitters entered Sydney postcodes.
Questions about key themes present in the Sydney-based submissions also went unanswered.
Instead, a City of Newcastle spokeswoman said the council placed no restriction on the identity or location of any person wishing to make a submission.
"Davidson has previously stated that when individuals made multiple submissions, it did not occur excessively," she said.
"Those that did make multiple submissions made additional submissions on multiple (separate) topics."
Of the 800 submissions received, 548 were made by individuals.
LORD mayor Ross Kerridge found himself in the hot seat at this week's council meeting over a session his campaign supporters held to help Novocastrians make submissions to an independent probe into the City of Newcastle.
More than 840 submissions were made to the Davidson Business Advisory review into the council's policies, processes and procedures.
Labor Cr Declan Clausen peppered independent Cr Kerridge with questions about the "appropriateness" of the Our Newcastle submission-writing session held by a group of people he described as having "conspiratorial views" about the administration of the council.
"That workshop specifically required or requested that participants send copies of their submissions to you in addition to submitting them to the Davidson review. Can you give us an idea about the volume of the submissions and how many of those might have come from Sydney?" Cr Clausen said.
"Having now considered the findings of the Davidson review, do you wish to comment on the appropriateness of that, given that it appears that a group of people had conspiratorial views, frankly, about the administration of council, that conspiracy theorists largely, based on the advice that we've been provided and how many of those claims were rebuked, worked together to create submissions believing some malfeasance in council, do you want to provide some comment on that?"
Our Newcastle is a grassroots group that was formally formed after the 2024 City of Newcastle local government elections and supported Cr Kerridge in his campaign.
The full 36-page review report was released late last week.
Cr Kerridge said he did not attend the help session on January 23 and was not involved in its organisation.
"I wasn't there, but certainly I know the Our Newcastle group offered to help people put in submissions," he said.
"Some of the people putting in submissions were not particularly technologically literate and just wanted assistance in doing that.
"I don't think there was anything illegitimate about the submissions."
An email written under the Our Newcastle letterhead invited recipients to drop in if they would like help with their submission or to chat through their ideas.
The letter requested recipients tell Our Newcastle when they had made a submission.
"No need to share any details - we're just trying to keep track of how many submissions are going in where we can," the letter said.
"This is a real chance to help shape how our council works - they're looking at everything from general governance to major projects."
Council papers revealed that the majority of more than 800 submissions to the review, some 70 per cent, were made from suburbs in Sydney.
That 70 per cent figure did not appear in the Davidson report.
Despite having access to a figure that was not made public in the report, the council and Davidson have repeatedly failed to answer questions from the Newcastle Herald about it.
Just this week, the Herald sent follow-up questions to the council asking how it got access to the 70 per cent figure, why it felt it was important to highlight it in a report to councillors, what steps, if any, the council took to verify the information and whether it is the result of an IP address issue or submitters entered Sydney postcodes.
Questions about key themes present in the Sydney-based submissions also went unanswered.
Instead, a City of Newcastle spokeswoman said the council placed no restriction on the identity or location of any person wishing to make a submission.
"Davidson has previously stated that when individuals made multiple submissions, it did not occur excessively," she said.
"Those that did make multiple submissions made additional submissions on multiple (separate) topics."
Of the 800 submissions received, 548 were made by individuals.
LORD mayor Ross Kerridge found himself in the hot seat at this week's council meeting over a session his campaign supporters held to help Novocastrians make submissions to an independent probe into the City of Newcastle.
More than 840 submissions were made to the Davidson Business Advisory review into the council's policies, processes and procedures.
Labor Cr Declan Clausen peppered independent Cr Kerridge with questions about the "appropriateness" of the Our Newcastle submission-writing session held by a group of people he described as having "conspiratorial views" about the administration of the council.
"That workshop specifically required or requested that participants send copies of their submissions to you in addition to submitting them to the Davidson review. Can you give us an idea about the volume of the submissions and how many of those might have come from Sydney?" Cr Clausen said.
"Having now considered the findings of the Davidson review, do you wish to comment on the appropriateness of that, given that it appears that a group of people had conspiratorial views, frankly, about the administration of council, that conspiracy theorists largely, based on the advice that we've been provided and how many of those claims were rebuked, worked together to create submissions believing some malfeasance in council, do you want to provide some comment on that?"
Our Newcastle is a grassroots group that was formally formed after the 2024 City of Newcastle local government elections and supported Cr Kerridge in his campaign.
The full 36-page review report was released late last week.
Cr Kerridge said he did not attend the help session on January 23 and was not involved in its organisation.
"I wasn't there, but certainly I know the Our Newcastle group offered to help people put in submissions," he said.
"Some of the people putting in submissions were not particularly technologically literate and just wanted assistance in doing that.
"I don't think there was anything illegitimate about the submissions."
An email written under the Our Newcastle letterhead invited recipients to drop in if they would like help with their submission or to chat through their ideas.
The letter requested recipients tell Our Newcastle when they had made a submission.
"No need to share any details - we're just trying to keep track of how many submissions are going in where we can," the letter said.
"This is a real chance to help shape how our council works - they're looking at everything from general governance to major projects."
Council papers revealed that the majority of more than 800 submissions to the review, some 70 per cent, were made from suburbs in Sydney.
That 70 per cent figure did not appear in the Davidson report.
Despite having access to a figure that was not made public in the report, the council and Davidson have repeatedly failed to answer questions from the Newcastle Herald about it.
Just this week, the Herald sent follow-up questions to the council asking how it got access to the 70 per cent figure, why it felt it was important to highlight it in a report to councillors, what steps, if any, the council took to verify the information and whether it is the result of an IP address issue or submitters entered Sydney postcodes.
Questions about key themes present in the Sydney-based submissions also went unanswered.
Instead, a City of Newcastle spokeswoman said the council placed no restriction on the identity or location of any person wishing to make a submission.
"Davidson has previously stated that when individuals made multiple submissions, it did not occur excessively," she said.
"Those that did make multiple submissions made additional submissions on multiple (separate) topics."
Of the 800 submissions received, 548 were made by individuals.
LORD mayor Ross Kerridge found himself in the hot seat at this week's council meeting over a session his campaign supporters held to help Novocastrians make submissions to an independent probe into the City of Newcastle.
More than 840 submissions were made to the Davidson Business Advisory review into the council's policies, processes and procedures.
Labor Cr Declan Clausen peppered independent Cr Kerridge with questions about the "appropriateness" of the Our Newcastle submission-writing session held by a group of people he described as having "conspiratorial views" about the administration of the council.
"That workshop specifically required or requested that participants send copies of their submissions to you in addition to submitting them to the Davidson review. Can you give us an idea about the volume of the submissions and how many of those might have come from Sydney?" Cr Clausen said.
"Having now considered the findings of the Davidson review, do you wish to comment on the appropriateness of that, given that it appears that a group of people had conspiratorial views, frankly, about the administration of council, that conspiracy theorists largely, based on the advice that we've been provided and how many of those claims were rebuked, worked together to create submissions believing some malfeasance in council, do you want to provide some comment on that?"
Our Newcastle is a grassroots group that was formally formed after the 2024 City of Newcastle local government elections and supported Cr Kerridge in his campaign.
The full 36-page review report was released late last week.
Cr Kerridge said he did not attend the help session on January 23 and was not involved in its organisation.
"I wasn't there, but certainly I know the Our Newcastle group offered to help people put in submissions," he said.
"Some of the people putting in submissions were not particularly technologically literate and just wanted assistance in doing that.
"I don't think there was anything illegitimate about the submissions."
An email written under the Our Newcastle letterhead invited recipients to drop in if they would like help with their submission or to chat through their ideas.
The letter requested recipients tell Our Newcastle when they had made a submission.
"No need to share any details - we're just trying to keep track of how many submissions are going in where we can," the letter said.
"This is a real chance to help shape how our council works - they're looking at everything from general governance to major projects."
Council papers revealed that the majority of more than 800 submissions to the review, some 70 per cent, were made from suburbs in Sydney.
That 70 per cent figure did not appear in the Davidson report.
Despite having access to a figure that was not made public in the report, the council and Davidson have repeatedly failed to answer questions from the Newcastle Herald about it.
Just this week, the Herald sent follow-up questions to the council asking how it got access to the 70 per cent figure, why it felt it was important to highlight it in a report to councillors, what steps, if any, the council took to verify the information and whether it is the result of an IP address issue or submitters entered Sydney postcodes.
Questions about key themes present in the Sydney-based submissions also went unanswered.
Instead, a City of Newcastle spokeswoman said the council placed no restriction on the identity or location of any person wishing to make a submission.
"Davidson has previously stated that when individuals made multiple submissions, it did not occur excessively," she said.
"Those that did make multiple submissions made additional submissions on multiple (separate) topics."
Of the 800 submissions received, 548 were made by individuals.
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The Advertiser
24-07-2025
- The Advertiser
If you could run a Newcastle council meeting, how would you do it?
CITY of Newcastle has asked community members for their input into the set of rules that govern council meetings. The Code of Meeting Practice applies to all Newcastle council meetings and covers all aspects of them. That includes the agenda, order of business, rules of debate and voting, the timing and notification of meetings, who can attend, and the way they are recorded and broadcast to the public. City of Newcastle director of corporate services David Clarke said NSW laws required all councils to accept a Code of Meeting Practice, based on the prescribed model, within 12 months after an election. Mr Clarke said it was "timely" that the review was coming after the Davidson independent review, which made findings and recommendations into the conduct of Newcastle council meetings. "The draft code also contains some additional clauses and changes to align with City of Newcastle practices and procedures," he said. "We're asking community members to take a look at the code and share their thoughts on the provisions, as well as any changes they think should be considered." The findings in the Davidson review related to council meetings included that management, or chairing, would benefit from greater structure and clearer adherence to speaking timelines. The report detailed how meetings have extended beyond six hours and into the early hours of the morning on several occasions. It also found that clarifying chief executive officer (CEO) Jeremy Bath's role in council meetings could enhance understanding among councillors and the community. "Additionally, there is an opportunity to further strengthen the professional relationship between the lord mayor, councillors, and the CEO to support effective governance," the review said. City of Newcastle will review submissions received during the public exhibition period for the draft Code of Meeting Practice and prepare a summary to be included in a report to the council meeting in September. The draft will be considered adopted without a further report if no submissions are received by 5pm on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. Community members can make submissions on the Have Your Say page on City of Newcastle's website. CITY of Newcastle has asked community members for their input into the set of rules that govern council meetings. The Code of Meeting Practice applies to all Newcastle council meetings and covers all aspects of them. That includes the agenda, order of business, rules of debate and voting, the timing and notification of meetings, who can attend, and the way they are recorded and broadcast to the public. City of Newcastle director of corporate services David Clarke said NSW laws required all councils to accept a Code of Meeting Practice, based on the prescribed model, within 12 months after an election. Mr Clarke said it was "timely" that the review was coming after the Davidson independent review, which made findings and recommendations into the conduct of Newcastle council meetings. "The draft code also contains some additional clauses and changes to align with City of Newcastle practices and procedures," he said. "We're asking community members to take a look at the code and share their thoughts on the provisions, as well as any changes they think should be considered." The findings in the Davidson review related to council meetings included that management, or chairing, would benefit from greater structure and clearer adherence to speaking timelines. The report detailed how meetings have extended beyond six hours and into the early hours of the morning on several occasions. It also found that clarifying chief executive officer (CEO) Jeremy Bath's role in council meetings could enhance understanding among councillors and the community. "Additionally, there is an opportunity to further strengthen the professional relationship between the lord mayor, councillors, and the CEO to support effective governance," the review said. City of Newcastle will review submissions received during the public exhibition period for the draft Code of Meeting Practice and prepare a summary to be included in a report to the council meeting in September. The draft will be considered adopted without a further report if no submissions are received by 5pm on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. Community members can make submissions on the Have Your Say page on City of Newcastle's website. CITY of Newcastle has asked community members for their input into the set of rules that govern council meetings. The Code of Meeting Practice applies to all Newcastle council meetings and covers all aspects of them. That includes the agenda, order of business, rules of debate and voting, the timing and notification of meetings, who can attend, and the way they are recorded and broadcast to the public. City of Newcastle director of corporate services David Clarke said NSW laws required all councils to accept a Code of Meeting Practice, based on the prescribed model, within 12 months after an election. Mr Clarke said it was "timely" that the review was coming after the Davidson independent review, which made findings and recommendations into the conduct of Newcastle council meetings. "The draft code also contains some additional clauses and changes to align with City of Newcastle practices and procedures," he said. "We're asking community members to take a look at the code and share their thoughts on the provisions, as well as any changes they think should be considered." The findings in the Davidson review related to council meetings included that management, or chairing, would benefit from greater structure and clearer adherence to speaking timelines. The report detailed how meetings have extended beyond six hours and into the early hours of the morning on several occasions. It also found that clarifying chief executive officer (CEO) Jeremy Bath's role in council meetings could enhance understanding among councillors and the community. "Additionally, there is an opportunity to further strengthen the professional relationship between the lord mayor, councillors, and the CEO to support effective governance," the review said. City of Newcastle will review submissions received during the public exhibition period for the draft Code of Meeting Practice and prepare a summary to be included in a report to the council meeting in September. The draft will be considered adopted without a further report if no submissions are received by 5pm on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. Community members can make submissions on the Have Your Say page on City of Newcastle's website. CITY of Newcastle has asked community members for their input into the set of rules that govern council meetings. The Code of Meeting Practice applies to all Newcastle council meetings and covers all aspects of them. That includes the agenda, order of business, rules of debate and voting, the timing and notification of meetings, who can attend, and the way they are recorded and broadcast to the public. City of Newcastle director of corporate services David Clarke said NSW laws required all councils to accept a Code of Meeting Practice, based on the prescribed model, within 12 months after an election. Mr Clarke said it was "timely" that the review was coming after the Davidson independent review, which made findings and recommendations into the conduct of Newcastle council meetings. "The draft code also contains some additional clauses and changes to align with City of Newcastle practices and procedures," he said. "We're asking community members to take a look at the code and share their thoughts on the provisions, as well as any changes they think should be considered." The findings in the Davidson review related to council meetings included that management, or chairing, would benefit from greater structure and clearer adherence to speaking timelines. The report detailed how meetings have extended beyond six hours and into the early hours of the morning on several occasions. It also found that clarifying chief executive officer (CEO) Jeremy Bath's role in council meetings could enhance understanding among councillors and the community. "Additionally, there is an opportunity to further strengthen the professional relationship between the lord mayor, councillors, and the CEO to support effective governance," the review said. City of Newcastle will review submissions received during the public exhibition period for the draft Code of Meeting Practice and prepare a summary to be included in a report to the council meeting in September. The draft will be considered adopted without a further report if no submissions are received by 5pm on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. Community members can make submissions on the Have Your Say page on City of Newcastle's website.
The Advertiser
24-07-2025
- The Advertiser
'They weren't threatening but they were very clear': what the Chinese said during their visit to Newcastle
Newcastle Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge admits he was "a bit surprised" the subjects of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines arose during a meeting with Chinese Consul General Wang Yu, which had been pitched as a 'meet and greet'. The same issues were again raised during a lunch with Hunter union representatives following the meeting. Last Thursday's meeting with the Lord Mayor, chief of staff Gina Hanson and government relations manager Nikki Taylor had been scheduled with the recently appointed Consul General about six weeks ago. No agenda was provided, and no other councillors, nor members of the City of Newcastle's executive leadership team, were present. After exchanging pleasantries and engaging in a general discussion about the city, the delegation proactively raised their country's position on Tibet and Taiwan. "We talked about Tibet and how many Tibetans live in Newcastle. I said, yes, there is a Tibetan community in Newcastle and they don't cause any trouble," Cr Kerridge said. "They talked about their position on Taiwan in much the same way. "I was a bit surprised; they weren't threatening, but they were very clear." The conversation then moved to whether Newcastle was going to be a nuclear submarine base. "I remarked that Newcastle Council's long-standing policy is that we are a non-nuclear city, but that any decision about a submarine base would be a matter for the state and federal governments. He did explain that a submarine base in Newcastle would make China less interested in investing in the area," Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said that, while he was satisfied with how he handled the conversation, he said he would have sought advice if he had been aware the contentious issues were going to be raised. "If they had said that they wanted to talk about those things, we would have sought advice. By putting it on the agenda, it would have been more than just, 'this is our position', Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said the meeting highlighted the need for the council to develop an external relations policy. 'As I see it, part of our role is to liaise with groups like this. You should have a standard approach about what you engage in and how you do it." Minutes of the meeting were circulated to councillors and subsequently leaked to the Daily Telegraph. "(Leaking the minutes) doesn't help our relationship with China. It's important that we are polite and respectful to all countries," Cr Kerridge said. The lord mayor's second-in-charge, Liberal deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, said he was left in the dark about the meeting with the Chinese diplomat. Cr Pull said it was "made clear" to the lord mayor that the meeting should be reported to Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong. "Reading the record of this meeting immediately rang alarm bells," he said. "I and other councillors have questioned why we were not informed of, or invited to the meeting, and why the meeting occurred with apparently no agenda, stated intent or clear purpose." The Newcastle Herald understands at least one other councillor was invited to the meeting. Since Cr Kerridge's election, he has held meetings with Kongsberg Defence Australia, the Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Newcastle Airport, the Port of Newcastle and the Hunter Defence Task Force. Defence has signed an $850 million contract with Kongsberg to establish Australia's first guided weapons production factory at Williamtown. Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic, duty senator for the Hunter, has publicly stated that the meeting should "ring alarm bells at the highest levels of government". Cr Pull said the Opposition's concerns about the matter are "well-founded" as it is unclear whether the lord mayor was exposed to sensitive information concerning national security at prior meetings. "I encourage the Commonwealth to take all necessary steps to assess and respond to any potential national security risks this meeting may have caused," he said. "I am also deeply concerned about what seem to be threats if we support the Tibetan or Taiwanese communities. "As councillors, we should support all communities regardless of their ethnic background." Following the meeting with the Lord Mayor, the Chinese delegation met with Hunter union representatives for lunch at the Dockyard Hotel in Honeysuckle. Hunter Workers secretary Leigh Shears said the lunch followed a dinner he had recently attended at the Chinese embassy with members of the South Coast Labour Council to commemorate the 1938 Dalfram Dispute. "The dinner was the initial contact for us. We saw the delegation's visit to Newcastle as an opportunity to establish a relationship with the Chinese companies that own 21 per cent of our electricity assets, are a major owner of coal assets in our region as well as the port," Hunter Workers Secretary Leigh Shears said. "From our perspective, those were the things we wanted to talk to them about." Mr Shears confirmed the issues of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines were raised. "They didn't go into detail about their positions or what their concerns were. They said there is a Tibetan community here in Newcastle. Do you know them? "I said I don't know personally and we left it at that. They didn't raise it in a confrontational way and it wasn't awkward." Hunter Workers presented the delegation with a framed print of Newcastle Trades Hall secretary George Bass leaving Newcastle Courthouse with Chinese seafarers during the 1937 Silksworth Dispute at the Port of Newcastle. Newcastle Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge admits he was "a bit surprised" the subjects of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines arose during a meeting with Chinese Consul General Wang Yu, which had been pitched as a 'meet and greet'. The same issues were again raised during a lunch with Hunter union representatives following the meeting. Last Thursday's meeting with the Lord Mayor, chief of staff Gina Hanson and government relations manager Nikki Taylor had been scheduled with the recently appointed Consul General about six weeks ago. No agenda was provided, and no other councillors, nor members of the City of Newcastle's executive leadership team, were present. After exchanging pleasantries and engaging in a general discussion about the city, the delegation proactively raised their country's position on Tibet and Taiwan. "We talked about Tibet and how many Tibetans live in Newcastle. I said, yes, there is a Tibetan community in Newcastle and they don't cause any trouble," Cr Kerridge said. "They talked about their position on Taiwan in much the same way. "I was a bit surprised; they weren't threatening, but they were very clear." The conversation then moved to whether Newcastle was going to be a nuclear submarine base. "I remarked that Newcastle Council's long-standing policy is that we are a non-nuclear city, but that any decision about a submarine base would be a matter for the state and federal governments. He did explain that a submarine base in Newcastle would make China less interested in investing in the area," Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said that, while he was satisfied with how he handled the conversation, he said he would have sought advice if he had been aware the contentious issues were going to be raised. "If they had said that they wanted to talk about those things, we would have sought advice. By putting it on the agenda, it would have been more than just, 'this is our position', Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said the meeting highlighted the need for the council to develop an external relations policy. 'As I see it, part of our role is to liaise with groups like this. You should have a standard approach about what you engage in and how you do it." Minutes of the meeting were circulated to councillors and subsequently leaked to the Daily Telegraph. "(Leaking the minutes) doesn't help our relationship with China. It's important that we are polite and respectful to all countries," Cr Kerridge said. The lord mayor's second-in-charge, Liberal deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, said he was left in the dark about the meeting with the Chinese diplomat. Cr Pull said it was "made clear" to the lord mayor that the meeting should be reported to Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong. "Reading the record of this meeting immediately rang alarm bells," he said. "I and other councillors have questioned why we were not informed of, or invited to the meeting, and why the meeting occurred with apparently no agenda, stated intent or clear purpose." The Newcastle Herald understands at least one other councillor was invited to the meeting. Since Cr Kerridge's election, he has held meetings with Kongsberg Defence Australia, the Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Newcastle Airport, the Port of Newcastle and the Hunter Defence Task Force. Defence has signed an $850 million contract with Kongsberg to establish Australia's first guided weapons production factory at Williamtown. Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic, duty senator for the Hunter, has publicly stated that the meeting should "ring alarm bells at the highest levels of government". Cr Pull said the Opposition's concerns about the matter are "well-founded" as it is unclear whether the lord mayor was exposed to sensitive information concerning national security at prior meetings. "I encourage the Commonwealth to take all necessary steps to assess and respond to any potential national security risks this meeting may have caused," he said. "I am also deeply concerned about what seem to be threats if we support the Tibetan or Taiwanese communities. "As councillors, we should support all communities regardless of their ethnic background." Following the meeting with the Lord Mayor, the Chinese delegation met with Hunter union representatives for lunch at the Dockyard Hotel in Honeysuckle. Hunter Workers secretary Leigh Shears said the lunch followed a dinner he had recently attended at the Chinese embassy with members of the South Coast Labour Council to commemorate the 1938 Dalfram Dispute. "The dinner was the initial contact for us. We saw the delegation's visit to Newcastle as an opportunity to establish a relationship with the Chinese companies that own 21 per cent of our electricity assets, are a major owner of coal assets in our region as well as the port," Hunter Workers Secretary Leigh Shears said. "From our perspective, those were the things we wanted to talk to them about." Mr Shears confirmed the issues of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines were raised. "They didn't go into detail about their positions or what their concerns were. They said there is a Tibetan community here in Newcastle. Do you know them? "I said I don't know personally and we left it at that. They didn't raise it in a confrontational way and it wasn't awkward." Hunter Workers presented the delegation with a framed print of Newcastle Trades Hall secretary George Bass leaving Newcastle Courthouse with Chinese seafarers during the 1937 Silksworth Dispute at the Port of Newcastle. Newcastle Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge admits he was "a bit surprised" the subjects of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines arose during a meeting with Chinese Consul General Wang Yu, which had been pitched as a 'meet and greet'. The same issues were again raised during a lunch with Hunter union representatives following the meeting. Last Thursday's meeting with the Lord Mayor, chief of staff Gina Hanson and government relations manager Nikki Taylor had been scheduled with the recently appointed Consul General about six weeks ago. No agenda was provided, and no other councillors, nor members of the City of Newcastle's executive leadership team, were present. After exchanging pleasantries and engaging in a general discussion about the city, the delegation proactively raised their country's position on Tibet and Taiwan. "We talked about Tibet and how many Tibetans live in Newcastle. I said, yes, there is a Tibetan community in Newcastle and they don't cause any trouble," Cr Kerridge said. "They talked about their position on Taiwan in much the same way. "I was a bit surprised; they weren't threatening, but they were very clear." The conversation then moved to whether Newcastle was going to be a nuclear submarine base. "I remarked that Newcastle Council's long-standing policy is that we are a non-nuclear city, but that any decision about a submarine base would be a matter for the state and federal governments. He did explain that a submarine base in Newcastle would make China less interested in investing in the area," Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said that, while he was satisfied with how he handled the conversation, he said he would have sought advice if he had been aware the contentious issues were going to be raised. "If they had said that they wanted to talk about those things, we would have sought advice. By putting it on the agenda, it would have been more than just, 'this is our position', Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said the meeting highlighted the need for the council to develop an external relations policy. 'As I see it, part of our role is to liaise with groups like this. You should have a standard approach about what you engage in and how you do it." Minutes of the meeting were circulated to councillors and subsequently leaked to the Daily Telegraph. "(Leaking the minutes) doesn't help our relationship with China. It's important that we are polite and respectful to all countries," Cr Kerridge said. The lord mayor's second-in-charge, Liberal deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, said he was left in the dark about the meeting with the Chinese diplomat. Cr Pull said it was "made clear" to the lord mayor that the meeting should be reported to Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong. "Reading the record of this meeting immediately rang alarm bells," he said. "I and other councillors have questioned why we were not informed of, or invited to the meeting, and why the meeting occurred with apparently no agenda, stated intent or clear purpose." The Newcastle Herald understands at least one other councillor was invited to the meeting. Since Cr Kerridge's election, he has held meetings with Kongsberg Defence Australia, the Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Newcastle Airport, the Port of Newcastle and the Hunter Defence Task Force. Defence has signed an $850 million contract with Kongsberg to establish Australia's first guided weapons production factory at Williamtown. Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic, duty senator for the Hunter, has publicly stated that the meeting should "ring alarm bells at the highest levels of government". Cr Pull said the Opposition's concerns about the matter are "well-founded" as it is unclear whether the lord mayor was exposed to sensitive information concerning national security at prior meetings. "I encourage the Commonwealth to take all necessary steps to assess and respond to any potential national security risks this meeting may have caused," he said. "I am also deeply concerned about what seem to be threats if we support the Tibetan or Taiwanese communities. "As councillors, we should support all communities regardless of their ethnic background." Following the meeting with the Lord Mayor, the Chinese delegation met with Hunter union representatives for lunch at the Dockyard Hotel in Honeysuckle. Hunter Workers secretary Leigh Shears said the lunch followed a dinner he had recently attended at the Chinese embassy with members of the South Coast Labour Council to commemorate the 1938 Dalfram Dispute. "The dinner was the initial contact for us. We saw the delegation's visit to Newcastle as an opportunity to establish a relationship with the Chinese companies that own 21 per cent of our electricity assets, are a major owner of coal assets in our region as well as the port," Hunter Workers Secretary Leigh Shears said. "From our perspective, those were the things we wanted to talk to them about." Mr Shears confirmed the issues of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines were raised. "They didn't go into detail about their positions or what their concerns were. They said there is a Tibetan community here in Newcastle. Do you know them? "I said I don't know personally and we left it at that. They didn't raise it in a confrontational way and it wasn't awkward." Hunter Workers presented the delegation with a framed print of Newcastle Trades Hall secretary George Bass leaving Newcastle Courthouse with Chinese seafarers during the 1937 Silksworth Dispute at the Port of Newcastle. Newcastle Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge admits he was "a bit surprised" the subjects of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines arose during a meeting with Chinese Consul General Wang Yu, which had been pitched as a 'meet and greet'. The same issues were again raised during a lunch with Hunter union representatives following the meeting. Last Thursday's meeting with the Lord Mayor, chief of staff Gina Hanson and government relations manager Nikki Taylor had been scheduled with the recently appointed Consul General about six weeks ago. No agenda was provided, and no other councillors, nor members of the City of Newcastle's executive leadership team, were present. After exchanging pleasantries and engaging in a general discussion about the city, the delegation proactively raised their country's position on Tibet and Taiwan. "We talked about Tibet and how many Tibetans live in Newcastle. I said, yes, there is a Tibetan community in Newcastle and they don't cause any trouble," Cr Kerridge said. "They talked about their position on Taiwan in much the same way. "I was a bit surprised; they weren't threatening, but they were very clear." The conversation then moved to whether Newcastle was going to be a nuclear submarine base. "I remarked that Newcastle Council's long-standing policy is that we are a non-nuclear city, but that any decision about a submarine base would be a matter for the state and federal governments. He did explain that a submarine base in Newcastle would make China less interested in investing in the area," Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said that, while he was satisfied with how he handled the conversation, he said he would have sought advice if he had been aware the contentious issues were going to be raised. "If they had said that they wanted to talk about those things, we would have sought advice. By putting it on the agenda, it would have been more than just, 'this is our position', Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said the meeting highlighted the need for the council to develop an external relations policy. 'As I see it, part of our role is to liaise with groups like this. You should have a standard approach about what you engage in and how you do it." Minutes of the meeting were circulated to councillors and subsequently leaked to the Daily Telegraph. "(Leaking the minutes) doesn't help our relationship with China. It's important that we are polite and respectful to all countries," Cr Kerridge said. The lord mayor's second-in-charge, Liberal deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, said he was left in the dark about the meeting with the Chinese diplomat. Cr Pull said it was "made clear" to the lord mayor that the meeting should be reported to Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong. "Reading the record of this meeting immediately rang alarm bells," he said. "I and other councillors have questioned why we were not informed of, or invited to the meeting, and why the meeting occurred with apparently no agenda, stated intent or clear purpose." The Newcastle Herald understands at least one other councillor was invited to the meeting. Since Cr Kerridge's election, he has held meetings with Kongsberg Defence Australia, the Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Newcastle Airport, the Port of Newcastle and the Hunter Defence Task Force. Defence has signed an $850 million contract with Kongsberg to establish Australia's first guided weapons production factory at Williamtown. Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic, duty senator for the Hunter, has publicly stated that the meeting should "ring alarm bells at the highest levels of government". Cr Pull said the Opposition's concerns about the matter are "well-founded" as it is unclear whether the lord mayor was exposed to sensitive information concerning national security at prior meetings. "I encourage the Commonwealth to take all necessary steps to assess and respond to any potential national security risks this meeting may have caused," he said. "I am also deeply concerned about what seem to be threats if we support the Tibetan or Taiwanese communities. "As councillors, we should support all communities regardless of their ethnic background." Following the meeting with the Lord Mayor, the Chinese delegation met with Hunter union representatives for lunch at the Dockyard Hotel in Honeysuckle. Hunter Workers secretary Leigh Shears said the lunch followed a dinner he had recently attended at the Chinese embassy with members of the South Coast Labour Council to commemorate the 1938 Dalfram Dispute. "The dinner was the initial contact for us. We saw the delegation's visit to Newcastle as an opportunity to establish a relationship with the Chinese companies that own 21 per cent of our electricity assets, are a major owner of coal assets in our region as well as the port," Hunter Workers Secretary Leigh Shears said. "From our perspective, those were the things we wanted to talk to them about." Mr Shears confirmed the issues of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines were raised. "They didn't go into detail about their positions or what their concerns were. They said there is a Tibetan community here in Newcastle. Do you know them? "I said I don't know personally and we left it at that. They didn't raise it in a confrontational way and it wasn't awkward." Hunter Workers presented the delegation with a framed print of Newcastle Trades Hall secretary George Bass leaving Newcastle Courthouse with Chinese seafarers during the 1937 Silksworth Dispute at the Port of Newcastle.
The Advertiser
15-07-2025
- The Advertiser
Majority of Novocastrians back Rising Tide's push for People's Blockade, poll shows
YOUGOV polling commissioned by Rising Tide shows an "overwhelming majority" of Novocastrians support its push to hold the 2025 People's Blockade. City of Newcastle councillors will decide whether to approve or deny the group's application for an event licence to hold its 2025 People's Blockade at Richardson Park and Camp Shortland at an extraordinary meeting next month. The polling showed that of 310 Newcastle residents surveyed, 66 per cent supported the application, 21 per cent were opposed, and 13 per cent were undecided. Rising Tide spokeswoman Alexa Stuart said they expect the council to listen to the community and approve the application. "This polling shows that in a progressive town like Newcastle, people understand the role of protest in fighting for a better world, and see our protestival as an important cultural institution," she said. Ms Stuart said Greens, Labor and independent voters "overwhelmingly" support the event. "Even among Liberal voters, there is more support for our application than opposition," she said. "We suggest that deputy lord mayor Callum Pull would be well served to engage more actively with his constituents rather than continuing to use his office to broadcast his personal views on this issue." Liberal Cr Pull has been vocal in his opposition to the event, publicly urging the council to say no to what he has called "another series of damaging, dangerous and costly stunts". Cr Pull said Newcastle residents should be sceptical of the reported results of the polling. "The polling question that was put to respondents included absolutely no mention of the illegal activity, which has become the problem," he said. "For two years in a row, they have defied police orders and affected their own credibility. "I'll be keen to see what they have to say ... and whether they're going to try and con the councillors with the same false or empty promises that they promised the lord mayor last year." NSW Police have told Newcastle council the 2024 event was the "most dangerous event to public safety" since the People's Blockade began, resulting in 170 arrests and "stretching" police resources across the state. Participants in the poll were told Rising Tide conducts an annual protestival, which combines headline musical acts and non-violent protest at the port to pressure the government to fund local jobs as part of the transition away from coal. The poll then asked whether participants thought the council should approve the application "subject to appropriate conditions that would apply to a similar event", if they thought it should be rejected, or if they were not sure. The survey was conducted online between July 3 and July 10. According to the poll report, a majority of voters of all parties in the 2025 federal election supported approval. The report said that of those surveyed, 66 per cent of Labor, 49 per cent of Liberal, 86 per cent of Greens, and 64 per cent of others were in favour of the application being approved. Rising Tide and NSW Police will go head-to-head at a public briefing today with an opportunity to state their cases for and against the event licence application before the council makes its decision next month. A report to councillors ahead of the briefing said NSW Police and Transport for NSW opposed the council's decision to approve an event licence last year, seeing it as "inadvertently enabling illegal activity" and "contravening" a NSW Supreme Court ruling. YOUGOV polling commissioned by Rising Tide shows an "overwhelming majority" of Novocastrians support its push to hold the 2025 People's Blockade. City of Newcastle councillors will decide whether to approve or deny the group's application for an event licence to hold its 2025 People's Blockade at Richardson Park and Camp Shortland at an extraordinary meeting next month. The polling showed that of 310 Newcastle residents surveyed, 66 per cent supported the application, 21 per cent were opposed, and 13 per cent were undecided. Rising Tide spokeswoman Alexa Stuart said they expect the council to listen to the community and approve the application. "This polling shows that in a progressive town like Newcastle, people understand the role of protest in fighting for a better world, and see our protestival as an important cultural institution," she said. Ms Stuart said Greens, Labor and independent voters "overwhelmingly" support the event. "Even among Liberal voters, there is more support for our application than opposition," she said. "We suggest that deputy lord mayor Callum Pull would be well served to engage more actively with his constituents rather than continuing to use his office to broadcast his personal views on this issue." Liberal Cr Pull has been vocal in his opposition to the event, publicly urging the council to say no to what he has called "another series of damaging, dangerous and costly stunts". Cr Pull said Newcastle residents should be sceptical of the reported results of the polling. "The polling question that was put to respondents included absolutely no mention of the illegal activity, which has become the problem," he said. "For two years in a row, they have defied police orders and affected their own credibility. "I'll be keen to see what they have to say ... and whether they're going to try and con the councillors with the same false or empty promises that they promised the lord mayor last year." NSW Police have told Newcastle council the 2024 event was the "most dangerous event to public safety" since the People's Blockade began, resulting in 170 arrests and "stretching" police resources across the state. Participants in the poll were told Rising Tide conducts an annual protestival, which combines headline musical acts and non-violent protest at the port to pressure the government to fund local jobs as part of the transition away from coal. The poll then asked whether participants thought the council should approve the application "subject to appropriate conditions that would apply to a similar event", if they thought it should be rejected, or if they were not sure. The survey was conducted online between July 3 and July 10. According to the poll report, a majority of voters of all parties in the 2025 federal election supported approval. The report said that of those surveyed, 66 per cent of Labor, 49 per cent of Liberal, 86 per cent of Greens, and 64 per cent of others were in favour of the application being approved. Rising Tide and NSW Police will go head-to-head at a public briefing today with an opportunity to state their cases for and against the event licence application before the council makes its decision next month. A report to councillors ahead of the briefing said NSW Police and Transport for NSW opposed the council's decision to approve an event licence last year, seeing it as "inadvertently enabling illegal activity" and "contravening" a NSW Supreme Court ruling. YOUGOV polling commissioned by Rising Tide shows an "overwhelming majority" of Novocastrians support its push to hold the 2025 People's Blockade. City of Newcastle councillors will decide whether to approve or deny the group's application for an event licence to hold its 2025 People's Blockade at Richardson Park and Camp Shortland at an extraordinary meeting next month. The polling showed that of 310 Newcastle residents surveyed, 66 per cent supported the application, 21 per cent were opposed, and 13 per cent were undecided. Rising Tide spokeswoman Alexa Stuart said they expect the council to listen to the community and approve the application. "This polling shows that in a progressive town like Newcastle, people understand the role of protest in fighting for a better world, and see our protestival as an important cultural institution," she said. Ms Stuart said Greens, Labor and independent voters "overwhelmingly" support the event. "Even among Liberal voters, there is more support for our application than opposition," she said. "We suggest that deputy lord mayor Callum Pull would be well served to engage more actively with his constituents rather than continuing to use his office to broadcast his personal views on this issue." Liberal Cr Pull has been vocal in his opposition to the event, publicly urging the council to say no to what he has called "another series of damaging, dangerous and costly stunts". Cr Pull said Newcastle residents should be sceptical of the reported results of the polling. "The polling question that was put to respondents included absolutely no mention of the illegal activity, which has become the problem," he said. "For two years in a row, they have defied police orders and affected their own credibility. "I'll be keen to see what they have to say ... and whether they're going to try and con the councillors with the same false or empty promises that they promised the lord mayor last year." NSW Police have told Newcastle council the 2024 event was the "most dangerous event to public safety" since the People's Blockade began, resulting in 170 arrests and "stretching" police resources across the state. Participants in the poll were told Rising Tide conducts an annual protestival, which combines headline musical acts and non-violent protest at the port to pressure the government to fund local jobs as part of the transition away from coal. The poll then asked whether participants thought the council should approve the application "subject to appropriate conditions that would apply to a similar event", if they thought it should be rejected, or if they were not sure. The survey was conducted online between July 3 and July 10. According to the poll report, a majority of voters of all parties in the 2025 federal election supported approval. The report said that of those surveyed, 66 per cent of Labor, 49 per cent of Liberal, 86 per cent of Greens, and 64 per cent of others were in favour of the application being approved. Rising Tide and NSW Police will go head-to-head at a public briefing today with an opportunity to state their cases for and against the event licence application before the council makes its decision next month. A report to councillors ahead of the briefing said NSW Police and Transport for NSW opposed the council's decision to approve an event licence last year, seeing it as "inadvertently enabling illegal activity" and "contravening" a NSW Supreme Court ruling. YOUGOV polling commissioned by Rising Tide shows an "overwhelming majority" of Novocastrians support its push to hold the 2025 People's Blockade. City of Newcastle councillors will decide whether to approve or deny the group's application for an event licence to hold its 2025 People's Blockade at Richardson Park and Camp Shortland at an extraordinary meeting next month. The polling showed that of 310 Newcastle residents surveyed, 66 per cent supported the application, 21 per cent were opposed, and 13 per cent were undecided. Rising Tide spokeswoman Alexa Stuart said they expect the council to listen to the community and approve the application. "This polling shows that in a progressive town like Newcastle, people understand the role of protest in fighting for a better world, and see our protestival as an important cultural institution," she said. Ms Stuart said Greens, Labor and independent voters "overwhelmingly" support the event. "Even among Liberal voters, there is more support for our application than opposition," she said. "We suggest that deputy lord mayor Callum Pull would be well served to engage more actively with his constituents rather than continuing to use his office to broadcast his personal views on this issue." Liberal Cr Pull has been vocal in his opposition to the event, publicly urging the council to say no to what he has called "another series of damaging, dangerous and costly stunts". Cr Pull said Newcastle residents should be sceptical of the reported results of the polling. "The polling question that was put to respondents included absolutely no mention of the illegal activity, which has become the problem," he said. "For two years in a row, they have defied police orders and affected their own credibility. "I'll be keen to see what they have to say ... and whether they're going to try and con the councillors with the same false or empty promises that they promised the lord mayor last year." NSW Police have told Newcastle council the 2024 event was the "most dangerous event to public safety" since the People's Blockade began, resulting in 170 arrests and "stretching" police resources across the state. Participants in the poll were told Rising Tide conducts an annual protestival, which combines headline musical acts and non-violent protest at the port to pressure the government to fund local jobs as part of the transition away from coal. The poll then asked whether participants thought the council should approve the application "subject to appropriate conditions that would apply to a similar event", if they thought it should be rejected, or if they were not sure. The survey was conducted online between July 3 and July 10. According to the poll report, a majority of voters of all parties in the 2025 federal election supported approval. The report said that of those surveyed, 66 per cent of Labor, 49 per cent of Liberal, 86 per cent of Greens, and 64 per cent of others were in favour of the application being approved. Rising Tide and NSW Police will go head-to-head at a public briefing today with an opportunity to state their cases for and against the event licence application before the council makes its decision next month. A report to councillors ahead of the briefing said NSW Police and Transport for NSW opposed the council's decision to approve an event licence last year, seeing it as "inadvertently enabling illegal activity" and "contravening" a NSW Supreme Court ruling.
