The Australian Greens are calling on Labor and Tony Abbott to acknowledge that Australia is unprepared for a significant increase in natural disasters as a result of climate change, following the release today of the Senate’s extreme weather inquiry report (Download below).
The Greens initiated the inquiry last year to look at the frequency and costs of disasters, and how prepared, or unprepared, Australia is to deal with them.
“The inquiry found the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events will increase in coming decades, costing Australia billions of dollars,” Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne said.
“The report is backed up by the release of today’s American Meteorological Society’s snapshot of the world’s climate, which shows disastrous weather events like Hurricane Sandy in the US and droughts and floods in Australia, Africa and South America are the new normal.
“In the past six years alone, natural disasters have affected hundreds of thousands of Australians and cost the economy more than $10 billion.
“It’s time Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott stopped treating natural disasters as one-off events. Australia needs to prepare for a permanent state of extreme weather.
“Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott should back the Greens’ plan to prepare for floods, droughts, heat waves, cyclones and bush fires by increasing risk mitigation funding from $50 million a year to $350 million.
“Our plan would be funded by a $2 a tonne levy on thermal coal exports to fund risk mitigation projects, including flood levees, permanent fire breaks, coastal protection works, disaster warning systems, and the publication of hazard and flood data.
“The Greens will ensure these projects are prioritised and targeted by establishing a National Resilience Advisor position and National Resilience Advisory Group.
“The Senate inquiry also discovered widespread frustration and disappointment with Labor’s decision not to renew funding for the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility.
“The Greens would provide $10 million per year to maintain funding for the facility because it plays a vital role in generating the information needed to manage the risks of climate change.
“This investment in risk mitigation will help save lives and improve vulnerable communities resilience to natural disasters.
“Only the Greens can be trusted to take real action to address the impacts of extreme weather events.”
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