YOUNG’S deputy mayor has called on council to be more proactive in the fight against climate change in the wake of new data which predicts a rise in temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns for the region.
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The state government has collated data on climate predictions up to 2080, giving region-specific projections for NSW.
It’s part of a project between the state government, the ACT government and the University of NSW.
The data suggests that by 2030, temperatures in South Eastern NSW - which includes Young - would have risen by up to a degree and by 2070 they would have increased by up to 2.5 degrees.
Young can expect rainfall to decrease up to 20 per cent in spring while summer will see between 10 and 20 per cent more rain by 2070.
Cr Cooper recently took a swipe at council’s inaction on climate change, saying the figures painted an alarming picture for regional areas dependent on primary industries.
“I’m personally extremely concerned about climate change, it still defies belief that people can disregard the science,” he said.
“I think council do have a role to play because our role is to ensure that our communities continue to grow and have healthy lifestyles.
“If we don’t take climate change seriously that impacts on everything from agriculture in our region to of course our local flora and fauna.
“It’s got to start locally, I think it’s inexcusable for local governments to fob it off to a higher level.
“Councillors need to be open to reports like this.”
Cr Cooper was one of only three councillors - the others being Stuart Freudenstein and Brian Ingram - to vote at council’s October meeting in support of a recommendation for council to write to Prime Minister Tony Abbott, urging him acknowledge the threat of climate change.
Councillor Freudenstein also spoke passionately in support of action on climate change at the October meeting.
“Much of the debate has been in ignorance of the science,” he said at the meeting.
Local agronomist Paul Parker said the predicted changes in rainfall posed the greatest threat to local agriculture.
He said this year’s yields showed the impact less rain over spring had on crops.
“The increase in temperature potentially would have a small impact on agriculture,” he said.
“The biggest thing we need to look at is rainfall.
“This year, we had an excellent autumn and early winter so there was big potential, but it wasn’t able to be achieved.
“We could have had well above average yields had we had the rain in September and October.”
But he said he wasn’t convinced by the projections.
“It’s all based on modelling and modelling is only as good as data that goes in,” Paul said.
“The weather bureau has trouble predicting the weather a few days from now so I’m not sure how accurate predictions decades into the future could be.”