A group of enthusiastic but peaceful climate activists attended the Warragul office of Member for Monash Russell Broadbent on Thursday to protest a “lack of action” on climate change by the Federal Government.

One of the group’s organisers Eric Mainard said the group were demonstrating their belief that the Coalition was not doing enough to reduce fossil fuel emissions in Australia. 

“We are really out here today as we are worried about our kid’s future,” said Mr Mainard.

Another member of the group Carol Rowley said that the situation had reached crisis point.

“The time has passed for party political games,” she said.  “We are worried about the future – we don’t want to just yell and scream but we are begging people and politicians to think more about the effects of climate change on us all. We really just want someone in government to speak for us,” she said.

While the group was calling on the government to act quickly and decisively, they thought the Opposition’s recently released emissions reduction target of 43 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 fell short of what was required to achieve the aims of the recent COP26 conference in Glasgow, namely to secure net zero carbon emissions and keep global warming to 1.5 degrees.

“The fossil fuel industry continues to donate to both sides of politics and they aren’t doing it for nothing in return,” said one member of the group.

Another demonstrator and concerned citizen was Penelope Sayers, a farmer from Boolarra.  Ms Sayers said the perception that people in her industry were not concerned about climate change was not true. 

“It’s a fallacy that farmers aren’t concerned with climate change,” she said. “While we have had plenty of rain and favourable farming conditions locally in the last couple of years, the broad effect of climate change on agriculture across the world and country is concerning.”

The group convened on the corner of Smith and Palmerston streets before marching to the Albert St office of Mr Broadbent.

Heike Weber said the intent of the protest was not to lecture people or tell them what to do but rather to plead for people to consider the devastating impact of climate change and urge their political representatives to take immediate and effective action.

Ms Weber said that it was imperative to take decisive steps now as the impact of climate change was accelerating in intensity and would inevitably worsen before even dramatic emissions reductions could begin to have an effect.