Regional council mayors from MidCoast to Noosa have called on the NSW and federal governments to develop an urgent plan to prepare Australians for escalating fire danger driven by climate change.
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The call, released on Wednesday, urges governments to take meaningful action on a climate crisis fuelling unprecedented fire conditions, as NSW and QLD communities battle catastrophic fire danger this week.
On Tuesday, the Newcastle Herald asked shoppers on William Street, in Raymond Terrace, for their opinions on the factors fanning the flames, finding a majority, or seven of the 15 people the Herald spoke to, did not believe climate change was a contributing factor.
Eden Roper, 25, said she believed the severity of the fires in NSW was due to a reduction in the amount of preventative burning taking place in winter.
Ms Roper, who lives on a farm in Eagleton with cattle and horses, said she had been up until 2am for four days preparing for the worst on Tuesday.
"I don't know about climate change. Yes, it's getting hotter every year and there's not as much rain but what I do know is that we need to do more back burning," she said.
Jim Gleeson a 73-year-old truck driver from Raymond Terrace agreed with Ms Roper's opinion.
"If they burned off it wouldn't have been as bad as it is."
Jack Redman, 67, of Dungog and Carmel Ashton, 75, of Raymond Terrace felt the fires were not an aberration from past events.
"All my life I've grown up in Australia," Ms Ashton said, "And climate change, I just don't see it. Those who live in the bush have chosen to live there and they have to be prepared for fires."
One of the five people who believed climate change was connected to the bushfires, Michelle Chaplain-Harvey, 37, of Heatherbrae, said she felt "angry" the government had not taken more steps to stall the progression of climate change.
"People have lost their lives and their homes when there are things we could have been doing. The government should be listening to the experts and scientists for advice," she said.
Sue and Phil Bambach of Raymond Terrace were concerned some politicians had not made connections between climate change, drought and the fires.
"We have to be fair dinkum about it," Mr Bambach said. "We have to face up to the facts and do something."
Three people said more scientific research was needed to ascertain whether climate change had contributed to the severity of the current blazes.
"I'm on the fence about it," Blake Edwards, 30, of Raymond Terrace said. "For the reason that plant life in this country does need fire to regenerate."
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