Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action (BSCA) welcomes policies such as the Climate Resilience Plan announced earlier today by federal independent MP Zali Steggall, which proposes a practical way forward to ensuring climate readiness across Australia, but says stronger action is needed from all political parties.
The plan announced today by Ms Steggall proposes establishing a $10 billion fund to support communities and homes to be better prepared for climate damage by diverting taxpayer funded subsidies away from carbon polluting fossil fuel industries and into vital initiatives like prioritising resilient infrastructure.
BSCA CEO Serena Joyner said: “Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action strongly supports all genuine policy progress on climate change mitigation and adaptation and asks all political leaders to work together on this important challenge. We think the proposed Climate Resilience Plan is a smart solution.’’
BSCA is calling on all parties to take stronger action on climate resilience following Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ announcement earlier this week that Cyclone Alfred will cost $1.2 billion and could pose a threat to inflation.
As residents of south-east Queensland and northern NSW are left to clean up the billion-dollar mess left by the cyclone, BSCA says political leaders must do more to tackle climate change that is escalating these extreme weather events without delay.
The Federal Government has indicated it will release the National Adaptation Plan before the election. This plan will set the framework for supporting people and communities to be better prepared for the impacts of climate change.
“We urge the government to release the National Adaptation Plan soon and to significantly increase the funding available to support our communities to prepare for, and recover from climate fuelled disasters,“ Ms Joyner said.
“As well as staying the course on the renewable energy rollout and phasing out the use of polluting fossil fuels, we must have a greater commitment to ensuring our communities on the frontline can withstand the impacts of climate change.”
Media enquiries: Serena Joyner, [email protected] 0450 538 340 (available until 2pm Thursday 20th March, anytime Friday 21st March.)
Note to editors:
Last month, BSCA launched the Australian Bushfire Survivor Declaration calling on Australia’s governments to put human lives before the profits of the fossil fuel industry. The declaration includes calls for ongoing commitment to the rollout of renewable energy and that the rising costs of climate-fuelled disasters are paid for by the big profiting, big polluting corporations, not the survivors.
About Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action:
Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action (BSCA) is a non-partisan, community organisation made up of bushfire survivors, firefighters and their families working together to call on our leaders to take action on climate change. BSCA formed in 2018, and its founding members were all impacted by bushfires, including Tathra 2018, the Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20, Blue Mountains in 2013, Black Saturday in 2009 and Canberra in 2003.
BSCA has been at the cutting edge of legal reform to reduce climate emissions and hold governments, agencies and companies to account. In 2021 we took the NSW Environment Protection Authority to court challenging them on their lack of action on climate change and won. Our landmark win in the NSW Land and Environment Court was the first time that an Australian Court ordered a government to take meaningful action on climate change.