Personal reflections on a year of climate activism
Jeanette Hunter joined It’s Alive to reflect on a year of climate activism with Rising Tide and Lock the Gate Alliance, sharing the experiences and relationships that had shaped her involvement.
Jeanette joined Rising Tide a couple of months after her mother’s death, in time to help prepare for the 2025 People’s Blockade. She spoke about the many roles she had taken on, including cooking, craftivism, legal observation, police liaison, court support and community care. Along the way, she had learnt and performed protest songs with Rising Voices and helped turn two coal ships around.
Her involvement with Lock the Gate began in January 2026, when around 60 people helped build a giant swift parrot to protest the proposed Maules Creek coal mine expansion. Through weekly protests outside Tim Crakanthorp’s office, she found opportunities to learn about climate issues and support to express herself as an activist.
Jeanette also reflected on the campaign against the Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) coal mine expansion. She had spoken at the Independent Planning Commission hearings and a Sydney rally, written three submissions and supported efforts to encourage others to have their say. Despite the expansion’s approval, the commitment to continuing the work remained.
Throughout her account, Jeanette described the brave, talented and caring community she had found: people contributing in different ways to a shared effort to make the world a better place.
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