$20m public liability insurance to rally in a park: how council red tape hinders the right to protest

Public gatherings stymied by bureaucracy, Australian Democracy Network and Deakin University researchers find

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Council red tape is stymieing the right to protest, a report has said, after a regional New South Wales council told a protest organiser they needed a $20m public liability insurance policy to hold a rally in a park.

A report released on Wednesday, co-authored by Australian Democracy Network (ADN) and Deakin University's Centre for Law as Protection, raised concerns about incidents in which councils have required protest organisers to obtain insurance when rallies are held on council land.

It also expressed concern about the power some regional and urban councils have to issue financial penalties if public gatherings are held without a council permit.