Unless the federal government takes immediate action on climate change another event like the devastating summer bushfires will occur again soon, the Greens' candidate for Eden-Monaro has said.
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"We were not ready for the scale of this [summer's bushfires], even though the scientists had been warning us very precisely," Cathy Griff said.
"Like COVID-19, this is another crisis and we need to respond in similar fashion.
"A lot has been done at a local government level, but at a state and federal level there for no words for the disappointment I feel surrounding their inaction."
For future bushfire mitigation she said the government also needed to collaborate and provide resources for cultural, or traditional, burning practitioners, although cautioned such an approach was "not an overnight fix".
"There are myths about the Greens' opposition to hazard reduction, but we are in favour of hazard reduction around asset protection," Ms Griff said.
"We are against illegal burn offs - burns in dense bushland is not reasonable.
"The National Parks that have the skills and fire management titles have been slashed over the years before these fires and I think those positions have to be reinstated as they have the expertise."
Ms Griff is the second councillor from Bega Valley Shire Council to join the contest for July 4's by-election following former mayor Kristy McBain's decision to stand for Labor, and is also running opposite the Liberals' Fiona Kotvojs in addition to a still-growing field of other candidates.
"I admire Kristy and Fiona for standing up and in this case three women in the Eden-Monaro is a great message to young women entering politics," Ms Griff said.
"I respect them as individuals, but their parties have absolutely no serious climate change policies.
"You can't have climate change policies on one hand, but support the coal industry on the other."
She said the Greens wanted Australia to move to 100 per cent renewable energy as soon as possible, promising "the solutions are there".
But she wanted to be clear social justice issues were just as important as environmental issues, such as fighting for recognition in the constitution for Australia's First Nations people and finding solutions to the affordable housing crisis as "this region is not affordable".
When it came to the drought Ms Griff said there needed to be a streamlined process for assistance for those whose livelihoods were drought-affected.
She said when it came to drought assistance as "although money has come through in drips and drabs a lot of money promised when politicians visit the Eden-Monaro has not reached the public".
To reinvigorate the economy post-coronavirus and bushfires she said regional arts should be boosted to expand the electorate's tourism potential and projects like the Bundian Way should be promoted.
"We need to be spending up big on job creation and infrastructure packages in the same way the US was going post-Depression," she said.
"We are one of the richest countries on earth, money to lend is very cheap, we need to spend money on projects to employ and train people."
In last year's federal election the Greens' Eden-Monaro candidate Pat McGinlay scored about 8.8 per cent of first preference votes, which was the third-highest behind Labor and the Liberals, and received a swing of +1.18.
Albert McKnight
Journalist at Bega District News.
Journalist at Bega District News.
