AS AUSTRALIANS prepare to embark on their favourite summer roadtrips, a new poll shows the majority of us are worried about extreme weather ruining our plans.
An Essential Research survey for the Climate Council found 61% of Australians are concerned about unnatural disasters disrupting their summer holidays and are adopting strategies to cope, such as shifting their destinations from the bush to the coast, or travelling in cooler months.
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The nationally representative poll of 1200 Australians found:
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Climate Councillor Professor Lesley Hughes said: “Worsening extreme weather events, caused by burning coal, oil and gas, are threatening our treasured holiday plans and endangering our way of life.
“More intense and frequent unnatural disasters are turning Australian summers from a season of joy to a season of dread. Aussie families know that even as they head away for an end of year break, the chances of plans being disrupted by floods, storms, heatwaves or bushfires are increasing each year.
“As Climate Council’s analysis shows, the 2024-2025 summer outlook for December is hot and wet, which won’t bring much summer holiday joy. The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting unusually high rainfall for parts of Queensland's coast, Cape York Peninsula, southern New South Wales, eastern parts of Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, northern Western Australia and parts of the interior, which sets our pulses racing before we head off on holidays.“
Professor Hughes said: “There’s also a chance of intense tropical cyclones developing up north and fire hot spots in parts of southern Australia, as well as hotter than average days and hot nights. We need to be prepared for anything because burning coal, oil and gas has warmed our oceans and made weather patterns less predictable. This makes it harder to know where the safest, least impacted place will be for a family holiday.”
“Australians tell us they’re already taking steps to save their summer holidays, like avoiding camping or travelling inland. To avoid even greater summer holiday disruption in the future, it’s critical we slash climate pollution this decade.“
Also available for interview:
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Berish Bilander, Green Music Australia. Berish can talk about how climate pollution is harming summer music festivals as camping conditions becomes increasingly tricky to predict.
Location: Sydney, NSW
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Tony Fontes, veteran great barrier reef dive operator. Tony can talk about the local tourism industry and his 40-plus years’ experience diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and share first-hand accounts of the climate impacts he has witnessed over that time. Location: Whitsundays, Queensland
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Thomas Ebersoll, Owner, Newnes Hotel Cabins, NSW. Thomas can talk about the impact of extreme weather on his holiday bookings after losing the road into the Wolgan Valley in November 2022, after the fires of 2019 were followed by three years of very wet weather.
Location: Newnes, NSW
ENDS
Contact details:
For interviews please contact
Jacqui Street 0498 188 528 / jacqui.street@climatecouncil.org.au
Or the Climate Council media team media@climatecouncil.org.au or call 0485 863 063.
