October 6 2026
Four more activists have had their charges dismissed after participating in the 2024 people’s blockade where hundreds of people entered the water at Newcastle Harbour – the site of the world’s largest coal port – to protest fossil fuel exports and their role in climate change.
More than 130 people were part of a mass-arrest for participating in the Rising Tide flotilla in November 2024, but the majority of those charges were dropped by New South Wales police in August this year after test cases failed to prosecute anti-protest laws.
Robert Goodsell, Christopher Maclurcan, Megan Quinn and a fourth person who doesn’t wish to be named in the media, faced Newcastle Local Court today charged with a different offence under section 15A of the Marine Safety Act for failing to comply with the direction of an authorised officer. Judge Scott Nash made the determination of not guilty in relation to all clients and their matters were dismissed.
Port Douglas small business owner and grandfather Robert Goodsell, said:
“I have been studying the implications of global warming for many years and was hopeful our present government would take action, including ending new coal and gas projects. I feel they have failed us, and this compelled me to take the road of civil disobedience at Rising Tide, in hope of sending a message to our government about the urgency of taking action.”
Sydney Grandmother Megan Quinn, said:
“I do not enjoy going to protests; they are noisy, unpleasantly crowded and usually boring, and I'd rather be at home with a cup of tea. But my granddaughter will be lucky if her natural lifespan is not cut short because of climate change. So I participate in protests because I can't think of what else to do at this point.
“If governments were more interested in developing a sustainable economy than repressing peaceful protest in the face of climate catastrophe, I wouldn't feel the need to protest.
“For two years they have wasted public money on prosecuting these cases, wasted court time, and wasted our time. Don't they have more important things to do?”
Christopher Maclurcan, said:
“I’m just an ordinary person who realised that waiting on the sidelines isn't an option anymore. Engaging in non-violent direct action wasn't about being radical. It was about doing what is necessary when conventional channels fail to protect our future. Stand up, speak out, and remember: real change has always started with regular people deciding to stand together.”
Climate Defenders Australia, who represented the four, had submitted that:
-
There were no reasonable grounds for the authorised officer to have given the direction they gave;
-
The defendants were not able to hear the direction that was given;
-
The prosecution is unable to identify the actual direction given and the wording of the direction was ambiguous;
-
The prosecution cannot definitively identify who was in the channel;
-
The prosecution cannot prove that the defendants failed to comply with the direction given.
Climate Defenders Australia Legal Director Josh Pallas, said:
“Our clients' rights are vindicated again. We're pleased with the result today, but are saddened at how long their lives were adversely impacted by the criminal law. We call on Police to act responsibly when dealing with cases concerning human rights defenders.
“A mature democracy should be protecting the right to a healthy environment, not criminalising the people who stand up to protect it.”
Today’s four are the last of the 2024 Rising Tide arrestees to have their cases resolved. There are still 120 arrestees waiting for their cases to be heard from the 2025 Rising Tide people’s blockade.
Audio for radio news grabs attached.
MEDIA CONTACT: Climate Defenders Australia Legal Director Josh Pallas, 0458 605 281, [email protected]
