Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Three charged over coal port protests

Three people have been charged after chaining themselves to a conveyor during a climate change protest in NSW.

A NSW mother says she hopes she has inspired Australians to take a stand on climate change after chaining herself to a conveyor during a protest in Newcastle.

Vanessa Wiebford was one of three protesters charged after chaining themselves to the conveyor at Newcastle Port just after 5am on Thursday.

Protesters blocked three east coast coal ports - Newcastle, Port Kembla and Brisbane - on Thursday morning, coinciding with the Paris climate change summit.

The NSW Police Bomb Disposal Unit released the Newcastle trio, who were arrested and charged with entering an enclosed land.

"It was ... the first time I have done anything like that," Ms Wiebford told AAP.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"We feel like the concerns of the Australian people aren't really being heard by our leaders so we wanted to make a stand to remind them that coal is a pretty big contributor."

More than 30 protesters blocked access to trucks at Port Kembla port in the Illawarra region on Thursday morning.

The trio are due to appear in Newcastle Local Court in January.


1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world