Lord mayor Gavin Morris moves to ban Rising Tide events on council land

Newcastle independent lord mayor Gavin Morris will move to ban Rising Tide events on council-owned land.

A lord mayoral minute put forward late on Tuesday afternoon said Rising Tide-sponsored events have "broken the trust and faith" of the Newcastle community with numerous participants ignoring police directions.

Cr Morris will ask councillors not to license or authorise community-owned land for Rising Tide events and to throw the council's support behind the state government, NSW Police, port operators and harbour workers.

The lord mayoral minute acknowledges that the right to peaceful, lawful protest is a fundamental right of democracy, but argues the safety of residents, participants, port workers and emergency services must always come first.

"The Port of Newcastle is a working port and a workplace," the lord mayoral minute said.

"Its shipping channel is used by large bulk carriers that cannot stop or turn quickly, and it is no place for kayaks, swimmers or small craft."

Rising Tide faces another uphill battle as NSW Police take the climate activism group to the Supreme Court in an attempt to block its planned flotilla protest Paddle for the Planet.

NSW Police have applied to the Supreme Court for an order prohibiting Paddle for the Planet because of "serious safety concerns".

The application will be heard on Wednesday.

Cr Morris' lord mayoral minute argues Rising Tide's own marketing of its 2025 People's Blockade raised "serious and significant safety concerns".

"With police resources already under pressure, major operations require officers and specialist resources to be committed to managing these events, including officers brought in from other areas," the lord mayoral minute said.

"That has consequences for the resources available to the wider Newcastle and Hunter community, as well as the state."

Rising Tide is planning to hold another People's Blockade event in February next year.