10 January 2019
Berejiklian government fiddles while the state burns : BOM reports 2018 was NSW’s hottest year ever
Latest climate data highlights the urgent need for the Berejiklian government to develop a climate action plan, including a blueprint for transitioning the energy sector to renewables.
“NSW has just recorded its hottest year ever but the Berejiklian government still has no climate change action plan, no plan to transition the energy sector out of coal, and no plan to ramp up renewables,” Nature Conservation Council CEO Kate Smolski said.
“The Coalition has been in power in NSW for eight years, so they have no excuse for mismanagement of the climate crisis we’ve known about for decades.
“While other states have ramped up clean energy and developed climate change plans, the Coalition in NSW has been sitting on its hands.
“The government slashed spending on policies and programs that directly reduce carbon emissions [1], and over the past four years has massively underspent revenues from the Climate Change Fund [2].
“Premier Berejiklian needs to tell voters what her plan is for tackling the climate crisis.”
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology Annual Climate Statement 2018 [3] released today found NSW had experienced its hottest year on record last year.
The average maximum temperature across the state in 2018 were 2.13 degrees higher than the average for the period from 1961 and 1990.
BOM REPORT NSW HIGHLIGHTS 2018
JAN: Observatory Hill, Penrith, Campbelltown, Horsley Park, and Canterbury recorded highest January maximum ever on January 7. Penrith's 47.3 °C was the highest temperature in the Sydney region since 1939. Hundreds of flying foxes died in the extreme heat in Sydney's western suburbs.
MAR: Bushfire at Tathra (south coast) on March 18 destroyed more than 70 homes, damaged 39.
AUG: Bushfire season started early - up to 100 active bushfires across NSW.
NOV: Localised flash flooding and severe transport disruptions on 28-29 November. Several sites set daily rainfall records for November. SES received 100 000+ calls in Sydney, Illawarra, and Hunter; conducted 14 flood rescues.
DEC: Many areas experienced giant hail, damaging winds and intense bursts of rain (December 20). Estimated insurance claims of $675 million.
REFERENCES
[1] www.nature.org.au/media-releases/2018/12/nsw-climate-change-fund-spending-on-emissions-reduction-slashed-72-in-one-year/
[2] www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/nsw-climate-change-fund-underspent-more-than-250m-in-past-three-years-20180217-p4z0p3.html
[3] http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/aus/#tabs=Temperature
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