⛈️Climate Risk Report Rings Alarms for Lake Conjola: Peter Dunn

Lake Conjola residents are urged to take note of Australia's inaugural National Climate Risk Assessment, a report that has prompted a stark warning from a coalition of former fire and emergency leaders, including Major General Peter Dunn AO (retired).

Released recently, the assessment paints a confronting picture of escalating extreme weather events without significant cuts to climate pollution. The Emergency Leaders for Climate Action group, comprising 38 former chiefs, emphasised that the findings underscore the urgent need for robust climate action and community preparation.

Major General Peter Dunn, a former Commissioner of the ACT Emergency Services Authority, highlighted Lake Conjola's direct experience with climate-fuelled disasters. "In 2019 we, as former emergency service leaders, tried in vain to warn the then Morrison Government of the disastrous Black Summer fires on the horizon," Major General Dunn stated. "At the time, I had no idea that my own community, Lake Conjola in New South Wales, would be on the frontline of those fires. As the fires bore down on us with almost no warning, we lost power, water and road access. We had nowhere to evacuate, so we went to the ocean as 89 of our neighbours Mediterranean-type houses burned to the ground."

He warned that the National Climate Risk Assessment indicates a future with more such devastating fires. Major General Dunn stressed that the report serves as a comprehensive national assessment that cannot be ignored. He urged political leaders to take meaningful action, including setting a strong 2035 target to reduce climate pollution and investing in preparing communities like Lake Conjola for inevitable future climate-fuelled disasters.

The report predicts increased dangerous fire weather days, longer fire seasons, and the potential for megafires, particularly in southern and eastern Australia. It also warns of significant sea-level rises, potentially leading to increased coastal flooding and erosion risks for millions of Australians, including those in coastal communities like Lake Conjola.

Emergency Leaders for Climate Action are advocating for urgent investment in adaptation and disaster risk reduction, noting that every dollar spent saves between $2 and $11 in avoided recovery costs. They stressed that this report must lead to a strong national plan to address the climate emergency, rather than a timid response.