Hi, I’m Bryce Ham, a 21-year-old climate activist, urban planning advocate, and former Greens candidate for Lake Macquarie City Council. I’ve lived my entire life in the Hunter Valley and am deeply committed to building a sustainable, equitable future for our region.
My activism began in 2018 with Newcastle School Strike 4 Climate, where I helped organise climate protests and I later became a media spokesperson for the Hunter Valley Statehood Movement. I believe that local communities deserve more control over their future, especially when state-level decisions consistently overlook our needs.
In 2021, I ran as an independent candidate in the Lake Macquarie council elections. Although I wasn't elected, the experience reinforced my commitment to local issues. In 2024, I ran again—this time as a Greens candidate—because I believe our council needs bold leadership to address the housing crisis, rising cost of living, and climate change. You can learn more about my campaign at bryce4lakemac.com.
Professionally, I work as a team lead and project manager at a local software company. This role has honed my skills in collaboration, problem-solving, and delivering results—skills I aim to bring to council to serve our community effectively.
During the 2021 Hunter COVID outbreak, I created a website to track regional data, addressing the lack of localized information due to our region often being grouped with Sydney. You can visit the archive of that website at covid.bryce.eco.
As part of my climate activism, I participated in a Rising Tide blockade at the Port of Newcastle in late 2023, advocating for a 75% tax on coal profits to fund community transition and climate damage repair. I was among those arrested. I stand by my decision, as I believe in taking bold steps to address the climate crisis.
This blog is where I share my thoughts on climate activism, Hunter Valley statehood, and urban planning. Here are a few posts to get you started: