A CLIMATE demonstration at the entrance to Port Botany this morning has prevented trucks from entering the port, causing major delays.
A NSW Police Force spokesperson told DCN police were called to the scene at 0620 this morning, where a man had tied himself to a pole at the entrance to the port.
The man, representing climate activism group Blockade Australia, live-streamed the demonstration to the group’s facebook page. He has since been arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station.
The Police spokesperson said at around 0930 the heavy traffic was gradually beginning to move, but it may take some time for it to return to normal.
“There’s still a bit of traffic build-up in the area, and we are working with the transport management centre to get that backlog cleared and get the heavy vehicles to where they need to be as soon as possible,” the spokesperson said.
A NSW Ports spokesperson told DCN port security and police responded to the incident promptly. They confirmed it was resolved just after 0815.
A DP World spokesperson told DCN vessel and rail operations had not been impacted, though the terminal operator did experience minor disruptions to landside operations which were soon resolved.
Container Transport Alliance Australia director Neil Chambers highlighted the responsibility the NSW government, ports, and police have to mitigate the “absolute chaos” caused by such demonstrations ahead of another planned protest later this year.
“We certainly need to better prepare in case Port Botany is again targeted during the larger protest actions planned for the end of June and early July,” he said in a statement.
NSW deputy premier Paul Toole told 2GB in an interview this morning the activist’s behaviour was “absolutely disgraceful”.
“We’ve seen this kind of behaviour before. I can’t believe these people are kicking our hard-working mining families our farming businesses in the guts once again,” he said.
“What they’re doing is impacting on people’s lives and businesses.”
He said the police involved were putting their lives at risk to bring the protester down and were doing so to protect people.
“What [the activists] are doing is causing major disruption, and it’s absolutely disgraceful.
“It’s a kick in the guts to our farming and mining industries, and these are the people that actually put food on the table and keeping the lights on.
“I will expect the police to do everything to ensure that these individuals, these organisations feel the full weight of the law and they get what they deserve.”
NSW transport minister David Elliot told 2GB the demonstration was “nothing short of economic vandalism”.
“To do this to inconvenience a workforce that quite frankly doesn’t deserve it … it will very much inhibit our economic recovery as we come out of the pandemic and we face the challenges of the geo-political lifestyle that’s been forced upon us,” he said.
“On top of that, we’re still dealing with the freight issues caused by the 16-metre sink hole in the Blue Mountains, amongst other things that the weather conditions delivered.
“I can’t imagine a fellow Australian being so selfish, self-centred and arrogant as to think that this sort of protest will get any empathy from the people of this city towards their cause.
“I’m sorry to the workforce … I really do feel sorry for them.”
