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By Anabelle Bremner
I REMEMBER the Black Summer fires not by the smoke in the air but by the silence in our house. Throughout the desperate scramble to get away from Mallacoota, my dad was heading towards it. Working in emergency management means that when there’s a bushfire, a flood, or a storm, he’s one of those stepping in to help.
During those fires, it was hard to sleep. I could only check the news, refresh the emergency alerts, and hope that nothing had gone wrong. I was 11, terrified, and fully aware that this wasn’t just a disaster — it was a warning.
My fear wasn’t misplaced. Every year, the fires get worse. Floods tear through towns. Heatwaves break records. And still the people in charge act like it’s business as usual. That silence I felt back in 2020 — the waiting game, the uncertainty — it’s not just in my house anymore. It’s in Parliament, in policy, in every half-hearted promise that puts profit before people.
I REMEMBER the Black Summer fires not by the smoke in the air but by the silence in our house. Throughout the desperate scramble to get away from Mallacoota, my dad was heading towards it. Working in emergency management means that when there’s a bushfire, a flood, or a storm, he’s one of those stepping in to help.
During those fires, it was hard to sleep. I could only check the news, refresh the emergency alerts, and hope that nothing had gone wrong. I was 11, terrified, and fully aware that this wasn’t just a disaster — it was a warning.
My fear wasn’t misplaced. Every year, the fires get worse. Floods tear through towns. Heatwaves break records. And still the people in charge act like it’s business as usual. That silence I felt back in 2020 — the waiting game, the uncertainty — it’s not just in my house anymore. It’s in Parliament, in policy, in every half-hearted promise that puts profit before people.
Australia has almost perfected its disaster management. We’ve been able to protect more lives, property, and infrastructure than ever before. But what our leaders refuse to do is address the root cause of these devastating events — climate change. We’re treating the symptoms, but ignoring the disease.
It’s not enough to rebuild what’s lost after every catastrophe. We have to shift the tide of climate change that threatens our very existence, that day after day encroaches upon our shores and destroys the planet we love. Every year of delay means more species lost, more communities shattered, and more futures stolen.
It’s not enough to rebuild what’s lost after every catastrophe. We have to shift the tide of climate change that threatens our very existence, that day after day encroaches upon our shores and destroys the planet we love. Every year of delay means more species lost, more communities shattered, and more futures stolen.
This isn’t a distant thing. Climate change is affecting us every single day. I see it in the faces of kids evacuated from their homes. In the disappearance of the beaches we hold so dear. In the hollow silence of burnt bush where birdsong used to live. I see it in my generation — how so many of us feel anxious, unheard, dismissed. We’re expected to grow up and fix a future we didn’t break, while our leaders keep choosing short-term profits over long-term survival.
Act for Climate
San Remo Foreshore, 2pm on Saturday, April 26. Students rally for climate action. All welcome, whether you're 15 or 75.
San Remo Foreshore, 2pm on Saturday, April 26. Students rally for climate action. All welcome, whether you're 15 or 75.
We need to act on climate change before it’s too late — and to do that, we need to hit our leaders where it hurts.
This election, you can vote for the earth. You can vote for candidates who care more about community than coal and know that a safe future is built on renewable energy, not gas expansion and greenwashing. You can make it clear that empty words and delayed actions aren’t good enough. You can vote in a government that understands that climate action isn’t just a political talking point — it’s a moral obligation.
That’s why we’re rallying. We’re calling on voters to use their power to choose a better future — one that puts people and the planet first. Whether you’re 15 or 75, your voice matters. Show up for the planet at the San Remo foreshore at 2pm on Saturday, April 26. Bring your friends, your signs, your hope, your anger. Let’s make it loud. Let’s make it count.
Anabelle Bremner lives in Inverloch and is in Year 11 at Bass Coast College.
This election, you can vote for the earth. You can vote for candidates who care more about community than coal and know that a safe future is built on renewable energy, not gas expansion and greenwashing. You can make it clear that empty words and delayed actions aren’t good enough. You can vote in a government that understands that climate action isn’t just a political talking point — it’s a moral obligation.
That’s why we’re rallying. We’re calling on voters to use their power to choose a better future — one that puts people and the planet first. Whether you’re 15 or 75, your voice matters. Show up for the planet at the San Remo foreshore at 2pm on Saturday, April 26. Bring your friends, your signs, your hope, your anger. Let’s make it loud. Let’s make it count.
Anabelle Bremner lives in Inverloch and is in Year 11 at Bass Coast College.
Comments are closed.
I believe that our current two party system is totally broken. We have one group totally denying what is happening to our climate and want to continue giving away our resources to maximise profits for their influencers. The other group acknowledges that the Climate is changing, however the big corporations and their influencers are too powerful when it comes to Climate and Environmental issues.
We recently saw this in the weakening of Environmental Standards when BOTH major parties colluded in the Senate to pass legislation allowing the foreign owned Salmon Farming industry to continue their plunder of the Tasmanian Environment.
Climate Change has a direct effect on the cost of living, it affects the price of our basic life essentials of food and water. The cost of floods and fires is reflected in our Insurance policies. There are people who cannot afford Home Insurance. The bringing down of massive powerlines and the destruction of towns by freak storms - who pays?
They called the 2022 federal election the "Climate Election", I think it was more of a trial to see what the two party federal system could do. What it proved to me is that the system is completely broken. The time for "Climate Talk" is over. The race to reduce emissions should have started years ago. We are already seeing the early signs of Climate Change tipping points occurring. The race is on!
In the upcoming Federal Election (Climate Election 2.0) there are only two Monash candidates, who if elected will be Climate Change advocates for Monash.
My choice is Deb Leonard. Deb won't be bought off by the major Corporates or by the petty party politics of Canberra. Deb will be working for us, the people of Monash.
I have been one of her many volunteers twice now and I believe that she is our only hope for action on Climate Change.
I am sure Bass Coast Post would publish anything that either candidate would like to say on the subject.
What is your proposal by the way?
To be clear, I still advocate voting for Debbie, but as a generic Teal, not out of any personality cult.
For the record, I won’t be wearing a teal shirt 😊
As to who to vote for, it is simple enough. Firstly recognise that no party, let alone any of the candidates has come up with anything new. In that sense nothing has changed since the last election. The main thing therefore is to not vote for the LNP until they come clean on the subject. They will need at least one more term in the cooler before they stop playing games with denialism. Therefore if you are a trade unionist vote for the ALP. If you would be inclined to vote Liberal, that is not possible, so vote for the Teal to send a message to the Liberals. The Greens have had it, but that is a subject for another day.
What is important is that something big has changed. As the USA turns to the dark side it is using its power to defeat countermeasures to climate change, such as the Paris treaty. Being on autopilot none of our candidates show any awareness of this development. The pity is that people in the street are aware but have no option to express their view in the election.
The subject of climate change is not for kids. The contribution of Ms Bremner should be treated as an adult one. It is patronising to suggest she has been traumatised. There is no evidence of that.