Page 12 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 11 February 2020
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former member of our own Climate Change Council. They made a statement together saying that climate scientists have been warning Australian governments about the escalating threat of catastrophic bushfire conditions because of climate change for 30 years. They said:
Climate change is fuelling the national bushfire catastrophe, and it will get worse without radical action.
The fact is that climate change is leading to hotter temperatures, a drier environment, more frequent, longer and more intense heatwaves, shifting rain patterns and more severe bushfire conditions. The ACT is simply getting hotter and drier. Last year, 2019, was the hottest year on record, with the annual temperature 1.52 degrees Celsius above the long-term average. Nine of the ten hottest years have been recorded since 2005. The year 2019 also had the lowest rainfall since records began. This is the first time this has occurred in the same year as the high temperature record.
These discussions will continue. But in response to the Chief Minister’s motion, I firstly thank him for bringing it forward and providing this Assembly with the opportunity to reflect on what has been an extremely difficult time. In conclusion, I simply again emphasise the heartfelt thanks and admiration we have for all the people who have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to keep our community safe, to help those who have found themselves deeply impacted and to begin the rebuilding process. It really shows humanity at its best. I hope that we can reflect on these moments, draw on the strengths that we have seen and go forward together to tackle the challenges that we face in the future.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Advanced Technology and Space Industries, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (10.40): I want to start by commending the ACT Emergency Services Agency, ESA, for their efforts in preparing and protecting the ACT community so far this bushfire season. they have stood up and protected our community, along with communities in Queensland and New South Wales. The over 2,000 men and women who make up the ESA as paid and volunteer staff are Australia’s best. They are leaders and proud Canberrans.
This fire season was always going to be difficult, as I reported to the Assembly in September last year. Changes in climate have contributed further to the threat of bushfire in the region and we cannot escape the realities of climate change and the consequential risk it brings. This season has shown the types of more frequent and severe consequences our city will face if we do not meet our obligations to limit global warming to two degrees or less. We cannot wait. We must act now, and I am very proud to serve in a government that is leading action on climate change while also preparing for the threats global warming will bring.
The 2019-20 bushfire and storm season has produced some of the most unprecedented weather conditions in Australia’s history. Large parts of Australia have been impacted by significant fires, with unpredictable and dangerous fire behavior fuelled by hot, dry and windy conditions. These conditions mean fires have started easily and are hard to stop. Since August 2019, unprecedented fire activity has heavily impacted large areas
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