Thread by @ShoebridgeMLC

The NSW Auditor-General today released its report on managing climate risks to the state’s assets and services – sounds important, right? Take a deep breath, it’s an alarming read...🧵1/10

The A-G report states the govt is failing to properly plan for flooding, bushfires, extreme temperatures, and the damaging impacts to transport, communications and energy infrastructure, increases in hospital admissions... the terrifying list goes on: audit.nsw.gov.au/our-work/repor… 2/10

We’re talking essential services such as health care, education and public transport, as well as assets like roads, railway lines, communications and energy infrastructure. 3/10

The NSW government has also FAILED to develop a state-wide climate change adaptation strategy - EVERY OTHER Australian state has one. The govt promised a state-wide climate change adaptation action plan, to be completed in 2017… *crickets* we’re still waiting for that too. 4/10

The cost of disasters is forecast to TRIPLE: NSW Treasury’s estimates of the annual costs associated with natural disasters will triple by 2060–61. 5/10

$120 billion worth of physical assets held by nine NSW Government entities examined by the Auditor-General have not completed climate risk assessments so we don’t even know the full scale of the risk and cost we are facing as a state. 6/10

Here’s what we do know: temps are rising & natural disasters are becoming more frequent & intense. We need to address warming- govts at ALL levels must take urgent action: electrify everything, keep fossil fuels in the ground, stop deforestation & promote reforestation 7/10

Our health system is already under strain. If we’re to learn from the Covid crisis – and we must – it’s that we need to plan for crises and the surge in demand for essential services. 8/10

This means: ensuring access to health services during heatwaves; improving thermal comfort in schools & other essential buildings; maintaining assets to reduce disruption of services; safeguarding infrastructure and services. The list goes on. 9/10

Climate change is the greatest threat we face. We already know our governments are refusing to address it. This report tells us they’re also failing to plan for it. If you’re alarmed – and frankly terrified – you should be. 10/10