Climate action group South East Climate Alliance (SECA) is urging voters to consider the climate when voting in the federal election this year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
SECA is an alliance between 13 community groups in the south east of NSW including South Coast Health and Sustainability Alliance (SHASA) and the Nature Coast Marine Group and is not aligned to a political party.
Dr Jane Elek from the Nature Coast Marine Group said SECA was pushing for climate-conscious voting on May 21 because climate change was a global issue, and therefore needed strong federal government leadership.
"Climate action is becoming increasingly urgent," Dr Elek said.
READ MORE:
"We are aware of that with bushfires, floods and coastal erosion. It brings home how urgent climate action is.
"Climate change is becoming more believable now. People realise they need to do something."
Dr Elek said the recent rain was just one example of this.
Parts of the Eurobodalla have received more rain in 2022 so far than they did in the whole of 2020 or 2021.
"Extensive damage was caused all along the NSW coastline including at Batemans Bay which recorded the highest waves on the NSW coast - at 13 metres," Dr Elek said. "The swell, coupled with an 80 centimetre storm surge, pummelled the coastline.
"The resulting erosion runoff has turned our rivers and coastal waters brown and turbid for kilometres out to sea, causing untold damage to our estuarine and marine life."
SECA hope their advocacy before the election will encourage voters to consider the importance of climate in casting their vote.
"We want people to choose candidates who are going to support action on climate," Dr Elek said.
She said the alliance was not recommending or endorsing candidates, but encouraging voters to consider for themselves the different policies towards the climate.