Eight protesters from the group Rising Tide disrupted Question Time today at NSW Parliament, throwing dozens of pages from government and academic climate reports into the chamber. One protester climbed over the public gallery barrier, aiming to address Premier Chris Minns directly.
The protest targeted the Minns Government’s recent approval of Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) Extension, which the group says represents the biggest climate policy failure in NSW history and a failure to heed the advice of the NSW Government’s own Net Zero Commission.
Among the documents thrown into the chamber was the Net Zero Commission’s report on coal mining emissions. The report states that continued coal mine extensions and expansions are not aligned with the state’s legislated emissions reduction targets under the Climate Change (Net Zero Future) Act 2023.
Protesters also threw copies of research from the University of Chicago’s Climate Impact Lab, which projects that the current El Niño could cause approximately 451,000 additional heat-related deaths worldwide by February 2027, compared with an average year. This includes 260 additional deaths in Australia, almost half of which are projected to be in NSW.
Other protesters held up images of recent Australian climate disasters.
Photos and videos can be found here.
Andrew Snedden, 36, an environmental educator who grew up in the Northern Rivers, directly confronted Premier Chris Minns in the chamber.
“I was driven to act today by the Minns Government’s failure to address the climate crisis. By approving HVO, NSW is choosing more coal over the future of our children and our Pacific neighbours. They are driving us towards more intense floods, storms, heatwaves and droughts – that threaten lives, drive up insurance and grocery prices and deepen economic insecurity.
“I grew up in the beautiful Northern Rivers, where family and friends have been battered by devastating floods and fires. These disasters are getting worse, year after year. Unless we urgently phase out fossil fuels, we face a future where Australia becomes increasingly unliveable.”
“This summer’s “Godzilla” El Niño is intensified by climate change and is a warning of the deadly heat ahead as global temperatures rise. With projections of 451,000 additional heat-related deaths worldwide, scientists have called it a ‘postcard from the future’. We must prepare for the heat already locked in and urgently slash emissions to protect our future.”
“We need a government that listens to its own experts, stops approving new fossil fuel projects and delivers an urgent, fair transition for coal workers and communities.”
“As the world hurtles towards climate catastrophe, we cannot stand by in silence. If our government won’t act with the urgency this crisis demands, everyday people like myself are forced to step up.”
