Solid turnout to Climate Strike in Moruya

Photo: Sean Burke

Photo: Michael Doyle A solid turnout Friday 20th Sept 2019 in Moruya on the steps of the Council to deliver a message that the community recognises a Climate Emergency. Only recently, and much to the disappointment of the students who had hand-delivered a letter calling for Council support, the Eurobodalla council refused to acknowledge a Climate Emergency calling it nothing more than a 'variable and changing climate'.

One pointed opinion today agreed to by many was that Eurobodalla councillors are also 'variable and changing' and may become even more 'variable and changing' after the September 2020 election.

Eurobodalla 350.org said in their media release after the event: Eurobodalla school students showed they will be great citizens in the future. They are determined, passionate and clear about what needs to be done to avert a climate catastrophe. They are right to condemn the failure of present day leaders who threaten their future by failing to take action on the climate crisis.

We had a wonderful crowd at Moruya for the Global Climate Strike. Schoolkids from Moruya High, Moruya Public, Batemans Bay High, St Peters College and Sunshine Bay Public were there. About 600 people filled the park in front of the council.

Primary and high school students, Kaeleigh, Poppy, Mallee, Edwina and others thanked people for supporting their cause. Sam Fletcher from Moruya High played his climate action song Now or Never. Students then marched the length of the main street chanting climate action slogans. Bigger than any previous Eurobodalla climate rally with more groups than ever taking part.

Councillor Patrick McGinlay told how his efforts to get council to declare a Climate Emergency were voted down by the mayor and some other councillors. Councillor Anthony Mayne, who supported the motion to declare a Climate Emergency, said here we are in fire season two months early, the drought continues, and now we have our very first "fish refugees"; that Darling River fish were now climate refugees as all the NSW Government is doing is to relocate them to another river. We are all in this together.

The event was MC’d by Rev Linda Chapman of Moruya. Allan Rees of 350 Eurobodalla said our climate action movement was not yet strong enough to change government policy, but we are growing stronger all the time.

The SAGE Project attended the Strike in Moruya posting to their page:

"How great was it to hear the voices of young people demanding we take action on climate change today? . "SAGE stands by our youth with their demands and we are also doing our best to contribute to positive change at a local level. Growing food at home and on nearby farms helps us determine our future food security.

"It's going to get rough, folks. Our kids and grandkids are going to bear the brunt of it. The time to adapt is now. Right now."