Climate change
Flooding up north, record hot weather in January, fires threatening World Heritage forests to the South. This is climate change - it’s here and it’s hitting hard.
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It was great to hear about the formation of Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action (SMH, 5 February). The community is leading the way in demanding solutions and urgent action to avoid the worst of climate change and help our communities adapt to its impacts. We don’t have time for denial or procrastination. Burning coal is the number one cause of climate change and if we don’t stop soon then we risk the future of our planet and everyone we love.
We can, and should, congratulate ourselves for climate change being ‘on the agenda’ for the NSW election but in reality time is short and we must move urgently to action.
The bottom line is if we don’t end NSW’s addiction to coal, then we’re stuffed. There can be no new thermal coal mines or coal mine expansions in an era of worsening climate change.
We need a just transition for coal-affected communities and we must transform the energy grid over coming years to maximise new connections from wind and large-scale solar. We also need a rapid transition to 100 per cent renewable energy for a chance of a future free from dangerous pollution and climate damage.
Yet with all this work to do and opportunities for new industries and good jobs, energy and climate policy in Australia and NSW remains a shambles.
The NSW Liberal/Nationals have been in for seven years yet it has no significant policy for supporting a low-carbon energy or driving investment in renewable energy and associated jobs in regional areas.
We simply can’t afford another seven years of inaction. Think about the climate when you cast your vote and make sure there are good independents in the next parliament to hold whichever party forms government to account on creating a safe future for us all.
Jeremy Buckingham
Independent NSW MP
Three Airlines for Tamworth to Sydney
In the future, given the huge inroads in decentralisation policy particularly at this double election year, I would personally like to see further choice in the Tamworth to Sydney air route, lowering the cost of flights and giving individuals and business people more choice on who they fly with.
It is great to see that two excellent carriers in QantasLink and Virgin Australia fly this route, but we can do more if we push for extra slots in the future as Tamworth continues to grow and if demand continues to grow.
For instance, QantasLink and Virgin should be used for domestic and international connecting flights and a third carrier such as Regional Express (REX) should be used for day travellers or those who seek to fly into Tamworth or Sydney.
Just a thought for the future, I would urge the Member for New England Barnaby Joyce and the State Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson to investigate the visibility of this model in the future with various stakeholders as it is good for business, in particular decentralisation of enterprise and services and good for patronage.
Shane Moran
North Tamworth