PLEA Network

14 March 2022, Renew Economy: “We hold a hose:” Emergency Services chiefs call out Morrison’s failure on climate. Dozens of Australia’s high ranking emergency services leaders have called out the Morrison Government for its failures to prepare for the impacts of climate change and continued failures to address Australia’s contributions to greenhouse gas emissions. The group of 37 former fire and emergency service chiefs issued a joint call under the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action collective, saying the Morrison government had been warned of the potential for major flooding events during 2022, but it failed to take any actions to prepare for their impacts. One of Australia’s longest-serving fire chiefs, former commissioner of Fire & Rescue NSW Greg Mullins, says it is clear the Morrison Government has consistently failed to heed the advice of experts on climate change and the need for better preparation to respond to the growing threat of floods, droughts, and bushfires. “Time and again this government fails to listen to expert advice. There are 80 recommendations of the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements gathering dust,” Mullins said. “The Government has failed to implement them. Our elected leaders in Canberra are failing communities right around the country impacted by this disaster, and the thousands of emergency service volunteers and professionals who willingly place their own lives in danger by responding to increasingly frequent and dangerous climate-fuelled disasters.” “Those of us who do hold hoses know just how dangerous climate change has become. Australia is under-prepared, and Canberra has no answers to how it will rapidly slash emissions this decade.” Read more here