Tropical Cyclone Alfred is passing through my home region in north east NSW, bringing extreme and frightening dangerous conditions and damage. The Northern Rivers community are once again on the frontline of the climate crisis. It is terrifying and we don’t know how it ends! 

While we don’t know the full extent of the damage, one thing is clear - the impacts of climate breakdown are intensifying, and these extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more severe.

Right now, here in our region the ocean temperature has been sitting at 27 degrees - it is not normal, it’s too warm for here in the subtropics!

Now is the time to demand real action on the climate crisis. We cannot wait for the next disaster. 

What's happening:

Average ocean temperatures around Australia are 0.89 degrees warmer than the long term average. We know what is the main cause of ocean and land surface heating - it’s the continued extraction and burning of fossil fuels. The warming of the world’s oceans is having catastrophic consequences on the whole planet - and driving cyclones further south, with more intensity.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred’s arrival is part of the growing and escalating devastating climate impacts that we keep having to survive - just like the catastrophic 2022 Northern Rivers floods, and before that the 2019 - 2020 black summer fires which followed and the extreme enduring drought.

Why it matters:

It drives me mad that again the government members come to our region claiming to help us but they are the same people who keep approving new coal and gas. Unless governments act now to cut emissions, protect critical ecosystems and invest in disaster preparedness, we will continue to face these devastating consequences. The science is clear - this crisis is accelerating, and communities and the environment will keep paying the price.

What we're calling for:

We’re asking the NSW Government to:

• Stop approving new coal and gas projects.
• Protect our forests and rivers as natural climate defences.
• Immediately increase funding for climate impacts preparation and community resilience.
• Provide lasting support to communities still recovering from past disasters.

How you can help:

If you aren’t directly impacted by the cyclone, you can help right now by telling the Government that you want real action on the Climate Crisis.

Send an email to the Premier and key Ministers demanding urgent climate action. Let them know we need leadership now to protect our communities, our environment, and our future.