Wollongong students rally for School Strike 4 Climate Australia

But hundreds of Wollongong students will still take part in this year's national School Strike 4 Climate Australia.

Ella Lee is organising a number of events around Wollongong on Friday, September 25.

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"It is us young people who are inheriting this Earth, and us who will have to deal with increasing consequences of climate change in the future," the 15-year-old said.

"The September 25th protest is taking place in various locations, with groups of 20 or less mobilising outside locations in town.

"This event has been organised by us students, and we are standing in solidarity with First Nations peoples, unions, fossil fuel workers and local climate justice organisations."

The Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts student said it was disappointing to see the "Morrison government and their COVID-19 commission proposing to hand out lots of money to various damaging fossil fuel projects".

"We are demanding that there are no public funds for gas and other damaging fossil fuel projects," Ella said.

"Instead recovery funds should be spent on firstly, resourcing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions that guarantee land rights and care for country, secondly, the creation of jobs that fast-track solutions to the climate crisis and help communities recover, and thirdly, projects that transition our economy and communities to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030 through expanded public ownership.

"Our Illawarra-specific demand is no mining under the Illawarra and Greater Sydney water catchment."

South Coast Labour Council secretary Arthur Rorris said students were right to be concerned about the absence of an energy policy in Australia and the lack of government support for energy solutions of the future.

"We actually think that what the students are demanding in terms of a renewable energy future is entirely consistent with our history here in the Illawarra of securing steel production and energy for our region," Mr Rorris said.

"It will be different in the future, it will still be reliant on steel. And, what the students are after is basically some security that takes care of the planet at the same time.

"Not only is that reasonable, it is the only solution."

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The irony is not lost on Mr Rorris that many of these Illawarra students' parents and grandparents worked in the mines and steelworks.

He said the students' future would most likely be working with renewable energy sources.

"We don't see this as a break with the roots of this region. We see it as a continuation of the story because we will need our steel industry to actually support and develop those jobs of the future."

Mr Rorris said most people in the Illawarra were fundamentally on the same page.

"That page or the foundations are built on steel," he said. "That's what gives us confidence that a faster pace towards renewables can only enhance job prospects and security of our steel and manufacturing sectors.

"We will not let our community be divided by vested interests who have no interest in our future.

"Our steel and manufacturing capacity is central to the massive growth in renewable energy industries and we are determined to press our advantage."

It's understood police are aware of the September 25 day of action.

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