Majority of Novocastrians back Rising Tide's push for People's Blockade, poll shows
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.
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