DEAR News Of The Area,
IN May this year, the Port Macquarie Hastings Council repealed its Climate Change Response Policy.
The timing could hardly have been worse: it was followed, almost immediately, by an exceptionally warm winter here, and at the same time as an extraordinary summer in the northern hemisphere.
France, England, other parts of Western Europe, and the United States were all reported to have had their hottest summers on record.
Severe drought reduced the Danube River to record low levels, causing problems for shipping, power generation, agriculture, and domestic water supply in several countries.
While Europe sweltered and burned, we learned that NSW, Victoria and Tasmania each recorded their warmest winter on record and very little snow fell in the Alps, contributing to one of our worst skiing seasons ever.
In Asia, a massive section of a glacier collapsed, causing enormous devastation in Nepal and Tibet.
The list goes on…
Of course, national governments bear primary responsibility for tackling global warming, but it’s local councils that are on the frontline of managing the impacts.
Given the extremes of the last northern summer and our winter – and the prospect of a severe Australian summer ahead marked by high temperatures and bushfires – how can we be assured that the Council is doing everything possible to protect residents and ratepayers, and their property; and also reducing Council’s own carbon emissions, and safeguarding its own assets?
Maybe now is an opportune time for the council and the community to reconsider the need to have a robust set of local climate change policies and procedures.
Regards,
Tom Ledden,
Port Macquarie.
You can help your local paper.
Make a small once-off, or (if you can) a regular donation.
We are an independent family owned business and our newspapers are free to collect and our news stories are free online.
Help support us into the future.
