Bushfire survivors respond to the 2035 climate target announcement

This is a weak target - from a government that simultaneously claims to be proactive on climate. It is a betrayal of every survivor of bushfires, floods and storms - every person the Prime Minister has hugged or consoled on the fireground or floodplain, in the wreckage of their lives. This target sets us on a path of 2 degrees of warming and that means more summers like Black Summer, and more families and communities devastated by loss. Disappointed doesn’t even begin to describe how we feel.

Serena Joyner*

Location: Blue Mountains, NSW 

I know that others like me will suffer the loss of everything, like my family has endured.

Jan Harris*

Location: Tathra, Bega 

A weak target means the Government is not listening to the Science, not listening to climate scientists, the over 500 businesses, sports leaders, climate disaster survivors or climate impacted communities that want a strong target. Who are they listening to? The betrayal is astonishing and devastating. This points to a weak or heartless Prime Minister, perhaps both; one certainly who is failing us

Amy Blain*

Location: 

Canberra, ACT 

Our government, with full knowledge of the human costs, has made a choice to trade lives, wellbeing and communities for the profits of the fossil fuel industry - and to make Australia responsible for a wrongful act under international law.

Angela Frimberger*

Location: Mid North Coast

A weak target means my community faces more extreme weather events and the damage they cause.

Janet Meade

Location: Christmas Hills, Vic

A weak 20235 target is devastating - a knife in the wound of my bushfire trauma. And a confirmation that my government prioritises corporate greed over my community’s needs.

Ellen Burbidge

Location: Hobart, Tas

A weak target means me, my family, my community, my country would face increased  extreme weather events (like 2020 Black Summer when I and thousands of others lost their homes), with thanks to our government.

Donna Andrews

Location: Southern Highlands NSW

A weak target means our government has signed us up for more and more, and worse and worse unnatural disasters.

Jack Egan*
Location: Batemans Bay

Today we finally got roof sprinklers on our new house. It's a small step to protect our family from the growing threat of bushfires after losing our home in the Black Summer bushfires. On the same day the Federal Government announces its 2035 emissions target, we need them to do what we’re doing - take real, necessary action to protect communities. That means setting strong targets that actually deal with the climate hazards we're already experiencing. 

Fi Lee 

Location: Elands, NSW