An unlikely group of leaders have broken away from the historic state rivalry to pressure the Morrison government for ‘urgent action’.
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Noosa Council is concerned by climate change.
Credit: Supplied
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Seventeen mayors and councillors from Shellharbour, south of Wollongong, to Port Douglas, in the Sunshine State’s far north, have joined forces to send a message to Canberra, declaring “extreme weather is hurting Australia and our communities are paying the price”.
The local government areas stretch along the nation’s east coast and have been particularly exposed to devastating bushfires and destructive storm events in recent years.
“We are exhausted by the immediate costs and challenges, and we are worried about what’s to come,” the group’s statement declares.
“Extreme weather disasters used to occur every few years. Now, we are facing them every few months.”
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Noosa is vulnerable to climate change. Source: News Regional Media
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“We can’t do this alone,” the group of concerned councils said.
“We need more support from the federal government to further reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and invest in clean industries that create regional jobs, unlock business investment and spur technological innovation.”
Noosa Shire Councillor Brian Stockwell called on both the Morrison and Palaszczuk governments to listen to the urgent fears and present danger for local communities.
The tourist hot spot is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and storm damage while the warming climate has also increased the fire risk with the popular Sunshine Coast resort area the first of hundreds engulfed in flames during the previous summer.
“The one we’re experiencing already is our early summers and springs are much hotter and much drier,” he told the NCA NewsWire.
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Brian Stockwell is keen to see have governments take action
against climate change. Source: News Regional Media
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“These are significant issues and local governments can address them through practical measures right now.”
Mr Stockwell said the federal government had failed to offer a meaningful response to the present threat with a “business as usual approach to dealing with the fossil fuel industry and ignoring the need to convert our economy to a green economy”.
“We saw the debacle of gas being a preferred option identified by the federal government whereas it‘s really clear that new solar power on large farms are far more cost effective at the moment compared to new coal fired electricity.”
Communities across Australia have clearly had enough of the growing cost of extreme weather disasters, Climate Council researcher Dr Simon Bradshaw said.
“All types of extreme weather events — storms, coastal erosion, flooding, bushfires, heatwaves and drought — are influenced by climate change,” he said.
“Australian communities are already paying the price, with the past twelve months seeing a devastating run of extreme weather disasters.”
“Extreme weather has cost our national economy at least $35 billion over the past decade. And it's going to get worse — by 2038, the price tag of climate impacts could climb to $100 billion a year.”
Links
- 'Exhausted' councils sign joint plea for urgent federal help to cover disaster clean-up costs
- (NSW) South Coast mayors, councillors, call for more climate change action
- Giving community tools to take climate action
- Our 'tree-change' and 'sea-change' dreams are under threat as scientists warn about building homes in 'risky areas'
- The Hunter can do more to establish green cities to help adapt to climate change and reduce the heat-island effect
- Less than half of the government's bushfire recovery funds have been allocated, new research shows
- Qld cops $18bn bill due to extreme weather
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