Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens Climate Change spokesperson
The Premier’s casual climate change inaction is putting Tasmanians at risk. In Parliament today he refused to stand against his coal-loving party, and reassure Tasmanians he would provide substantial resourcing for climate change adaptation, bushfire preparation and response capability in the upcoming State Budget.
Yesterday’s intense bushfire at Dolphin Sands on the east coast, which torched 56 hectares and forced residents to flee their homes, is further evidence climate change is here – in case the Premier needed it.
Fire chiefs from around the country – including Tasmania’s former Fire Service head, Mike Brown - yesterday demanded politicians wake up to the life threatening reality of climate change and fire.
In response to their call, Prime Minister Scott Morrison referred to the Tasmanian bushfire response as a success. Despite losing 6% of the World Heritage Area, and the luck of a wind change that saved towns and other irreplaceable iconic wilderness, he thinks we have all the response we need at hand. It’s clear the Liberal Party has lost touch with reality.
The 23 fire chiefs stressed the notion of a ‘fire season’ is now a thing of the past. The Dolphin Sands fire started after an ‘out of season’ burn off, and this coming summer is predicted to be an El Nino scorcher.
While the risk through climate-induced fire to life, property and wilderness is ever increasing, the Premier of Tasmania refuses to hear the advice of those who are far more in touch with the urgency of preparing for bushfire.