Newsletters 2025

It's official: 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded, the past 10 years have been the hottest decade yet, and there are more greenhouse gases in our atmosphere now than at any point in the past 800,000 years.

The climate crisis is not something we are “facing”: it is here.

According to the latest data from the World Meteorological Organisation, we have now past the targeted 1.5 degrees of warming set out in the Paris Agreement and in every one of the past eight years, we have set new records for ocean heat. The impact of this is devastating as seen most recently with the trajectory and consequences of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

As predicted, climate change is making natural disasters more frequent, more intense and less “natural” in terms of what we would usually expect from them. Taking cyclones for example, we have typically expected cyclones to form over “warm” ocean water of 27°C or above and this has meant they have been a weather phenomena to be worried about on our most northerly shores. Yet in this past month we have seen a cyclone come as far south as Alfred did, hitting heavily populated regions in QLD and northern NSW that have sustained an estimated $5.6 billion in insured losses.

As the oceans heat up, scientists say cyclones may track further south, and reach their maximum intensity closer to the coast. The implications of this shift in weather patterns is profound – not only for the impact it will have on those living in their path but also for our economy as industries previously able to rely on certain weather patterns are severely disrupted.

While there has been some progress made in the 47th Parliament of Australia to address, adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change, there is still much to do. And as we've seen with the recent reversal of US climate policies, we cannot take our progress for granted. We must continue to fight for a better, safer climate, every step of the way.

In this context, I will continue to pressure the Albanese Government for more ambitious climate policies for the remainder of this parliamentary term, including an ambitious, evidence-backed Net Zero strategy, a plan which clearly articulates a clear pathway for the urgent transition away from fossil fuels, and a clear plan to help communities adapt to the risks we now face in a warming world. I will be keeping a close eye on the Federal Budget this week for commitments in these areas.

As the election approaches, I also urge you to not only get to know the candidates in your electorate and let them know that climate is an issue for you, but to also find out exactly what each of them is prepared to do to secure a safer future for our children and grandchildren. For too long major party candidates have bowed to their political masters when it comes to shaping policy at the federal level. We cannot afford to send someone to represent us who will tell us one thing to our face here in the electorate and then vote a completely different way in parliament. Signing a "pledge" is a cheap, greenwashed promise. Actions speak far louder than words.

For those who, like me, have been reallocated to Bradfield, candidates from Labor, the Greens, and Community Independent Nicolette Boele fronted up to the ACF's Bradfield Candidates Forum earlier this week which is a great indication of how seriously they are taking their commitments in this space. There will be another opportunity to meet these three, along with the Liberals candidate, at a Doctors for the Environment Australia event this coming Wednesday.

There will undoubtedly be many more such opportunities in Bradfield, Warringah and Bennelong in the coming weeks so please keep an eye out. In the meantime, if you haven't already done so, you can find your electorate on the AEC website here.

- KT

WHAT'S ON IN NORTH SYDNEY

IN THE NEWS

Eye of the Storm: How Climate Pollution Fuels More Intense and Destructive Cyclones - Climate Council, 20 March 2025. New scientific analysis shows that populated parts of Southeast Queensland and Northern NSW will be more vulnerable to cyclone damage in the future. For every degree of global warming, Australians will experience 7-28% more rain for hourly events, and 2-15% more for longer duration events, the report finds. This amount of rainfall is significantly higher than the 5% typically accounted for in Australia’s flood planning standards.

Who’s afraid of a hung parliament? - Crikey, 20 March 2025. An analysis of dubious claims made against the prospects of a minority government. "It’s clear ideological values play a greater role than democratic ones," Rachel Withers writes.

Confirmed: 2024 was the hottest year on record in the air and the oceans - Sydney Morning Herald, 19 March 2025. A new report from the World Meteorological Organisation has confirmed that last year was the hottest on record, and the first year during which the world passed the 1.5-degree limit set out by world governments in the Paris Agreement.

Battle for Bradfield - North Side Living, 19 March 2025. Media coverage of Nicolette Boele's independent campaign for Bradfield, which notes that several TeamTINK supporters have now joined Team Nic.

The Ripple Effect: North Shore Pool Closures Swamp Lane Cove Aquatic Centre - In the Cove, 17 March 2025. The extended closure of the North Sydney Pool, as well as the closures of Willoughby Leisure Centre and Epping Aquatic Centre, has led to a "hugh influx" in pool usage in Lane Cove.

More media mentions here.