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ABC News
30-04-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Climate action not swinging Queensland voters, despite 'worst ever' year for disasters
It's been a hellish summer for Queenslanders with barely a region left unscathed by extreme weather. But, even after a season of unprecedented disasters in Queensland, climate action is not top of mind for many voters in some of the hardest-hit regions. Stay updated: Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on Tony Accorsini was counting the cost on his pineapple farm at Mutarnee, west of Townsville, in Queensland's north. "We've probably had 5,000 millimetres of rain since the middle of January," Mr Accorsini said. "We've got a heap of pineapples washed away, which ended up down at the beach." Tony Accorsini's pineapple farm received about 5 metres of rain in early 2025. ( ABC North Qld: Chloe Chomicki ) The long-time farmer knew the climate was changing. "We are affecting it. But what do you do?" he said. Other issues would be on his mind when he cast his ballot in Saturday's federal election. "I think we need to address the employment issues," he said. "It's very difficult to get people these days to work in the rural sector." Out west, Winton Mayor Cathy White oversees a shire spanning almost 54,000 square kilometres — an area larger than Denmark. Cathy White's own property was damaged in flooding rain. ( ABC Western Qld: Peter Quatrocelli ) A month ago, much of the region, including her own property, was soaked by rain that led to record-breaking outback floods. "There's water out there that's never been seen before in places, so [Winton is] definitely affected, and different parts of the shire have been affected too," Ms White said. Photo shows An illustration of climate change for the Australian Federal Election 2025. As the election campaign draws to a close, it's safe to say both major parties have been quiet on climate change. While Labor policies have made some progress to decarbonise, the Coalition threatens to scrap or weaken them. But as her community recovered and repaired, how were residents feeling about climate change? "It's a loaded question. I think it's a personal opinion," she said. "This could be just part of the cycle, definitely. "I think overall that we could all look after our planet maybe a little better, and we all want to do that for our future generations." Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 Winton is in the Coalition's safest electorate of Maranoa, held by Nationals leader David Littleproud. Ms White said the cost of living and education, as well as doctor shortages, were bigger priorities than action on climate change for most residents. "People are just getting through day by day, and I think they're the challenges for us, especially when you live out here," she explained. But for Tammie Fogarty, climate action would be at the front of her mind when she walked to the ballot box. Ms Fogarty lost her Gold Coast hinterland home Tammie Fogarty's Gold Coast hinterland home was destroyed by a tornado on Christmas night 2023. ( Supplied: Tammie Fogarty ) Fifteen months later, ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred dumped almost a metre of rain, cutting off her rental home for five days. Ms Fogarty said she was not hearing enough about climate action from candidates this election. "We're not getting the support we need during those events," she said. " I've lived in the area for over 30 years, and we're getting a lot more severe weather events in the past couple of years. " Tammie Fogarty says her vote will be swayed by strong policies on climate change. ( ABC Gold Coast: Mackenzie Colahan ) John "Gus" Kelly is also living in a rental property since his Holloways Beach home near Cairns was destroyed in the record floods that followed Cyclone Jasper in mid-December 2024. Mr Kelly knew climate change was serious, but at 73, he was too worried about whether his rental home would be sold from under him. "I want certainty about housing — I mean certainty, not just bold plans," he said. "I want, somehow, for the political class to take care of the cost of living. "These things would make my life a little bit easier for my end of days." John "Gus" Kelly lost his home in 2023 after Cyclone Jasper made landfall. ( ABC Far North Qld: Conor Byrne ) Qld's worst ever season for disasters 2024–25 has seen Queensland experience more natural disasters than ever before. There have been 17 separate activations for Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) since July 2024 — more than any other time in Queensland's history. The rainfall at Mutarnee destroyed Ollera Creek Bridge leaving northern centres unable to easily access supplies. ( Supplied: Ergon Energy ) So far this year, 95,000 insurance claims worth $1.2 billion have been lodged, which is comparatively low for the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA). "Out of the past six years, the previous five have been much higher and, of course, the peak was in 2022 when we had the biggest flood event Australia had endured," ICA chief executive Andrew Hall said. Tony Accorsini's pineapple crops in north Queensland were not insured because of the cost. "The only insurance we get is whatever we can get from the government," he said. At least 424,000 head of livestock, including cattle, sheep and goats were lost in the disaster. ( Supplied: Shane Wendleborne ) The cost of premiums was also something western Queensland residents would have to contend with in the wake of the most recent floods. "Insurance is a massive cost to people, and it's gone up," Winton Mayor Cathy White said. " No-one likes to go without insurance but, at the end of the day, no-one likes to go without a feed either. " Climate change 'in the background' Photo shows ABC News Radio logo and the ABC Listen logo below it on a light blue background. Hear the latest election news as it happens on the Election Central Playlist. Only on the ABC listen app. The electorates of Maranoa, Moncrieff, Wright, Brisbane, and Griffith were listed by the non-partisan Climate Council as the top five most climate-at-risk electorates in Queensland by 2030. But when it came to the majority of regional Queensland voters, Kos Samaras from polling company RedBridge Group said climate change was "in the background". Ms Samaras said voters may already feel their party of choice had it right on climate action. Seventy per cent of Queensland's federal seats are still retained by the LNP, represented in blue. ( ABC News: Ario Rasouli ) "If you're a conservative voter in regional Queensland, you're more likely to support the position of the LNP with regards to dealing with climate change," he said. "[But] if you vote for the Greens or Labor, your position will be very different. "It just aligns with their values in terms of what they think should be happening in the policy space." The 2025 election explained: Professor Matt McDonald from the University of Queensland's School of Political Science and International Relations said discussions about climate could be an uncomfortable topic in some parts of rural and regional Queensland. Matt McDonald says many voters may see climate action as an "indulgence" when times are tough. ( ABC News: Glenn Mullane ) "If you and the family, and the towns in which you live, are essentially making your livelihood out of livestock or mining, then significant action on climate change sounds like a threat," he said. " I think there's a genuine sense of anxiety that climate action potentially equals the end of whole communities of families and their futures. " For the Gold Coast's Tammie Fogarty, who was waiting for her home to be rebuilt, climate action was a vote winner. Tammie Fogarty says she would like to see more action on climate change. ( ABC Gold Coast: Mackenzie Colahan ) But she also understood why it was not a priority for some. "During those weather events, I wasn't thinking about political influence, I wasn't thinking about climate change," she said. "I was just thinking about survival." Loading Having trouble seeing this form? Try
ABC News
27-04-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Adavale residents determined to keep town alive after major flooding
They call it the Mulga Lands — part of Australia's vast outback. Amid the arid country broken up by ancient river systems sits Adavale, a Queensland town that sits closer to the South Australian border than Brisbane. Zoey and Kiya Cowley also call it home. Adavale used to be a thriving town in the Quilpie Shire. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) The inseparable sisters hang off what remains of their trampoline, a skeleton in their boneyard of a back garden. The girls used to have a trampoline and pool in their yard. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) Kiya, 4, sifts through a box of soggy belongings. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) A month ago, Despite the mess, they giggle and scream in delight as they dodge thick mud and mangled machinery. They venture into their animal pen and their eyes fill with tears. The girls used to have their own backyard petting zoo. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) The water rose so quickly and without warning that the The Cowley family woke early in the morning to rising water. ( Supplied: Heidi Cowley ) From the air, they watched the floodwater swallowed the landscape and rose around their helpless animals. "Goats, chooks, sheep, cows … Gypsy was my favourite cow, I don't know where she is," Zoey said. What to do with an outback town? Zoey's mum, Heidi Cowley, has experienced a myriad of emotions in the two weeks since the family has returned home. Ms Cowley says she has done huge amounts of washing in the clean up. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) She said she had been mulling over her family's next steps as she cleaned thousands of dollars' worth of rotten, stinking food from chest freezers and hosed layers of mud and silt out of her husband's sheds. The dirt line shows where the water got to in the Cowley's downstairs toilet. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) The whole town is contemplating its future. Adavale was once the hub of the Quilpie Shire and one of the most important towns in western Queensland. But its era of prosperity petered out when a planned rail line ended in neighbouring Quilpie. The force of floodwater carved out massive holes in the ground. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) The town was unfortunately built on one of the many flood plains within Mulga Country, and none can afford insurance. Talk about moving the town to higher ground has been ongoing since the 1960s. Historical newspaper articles from 1963 describe the town being torn apart by flooding. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) Now, the latest flood surpassing the level of all that came before, will force some residents to leave the town they love behind. The local council has contracted an external company to assess the town's future, whether houses could be raised or if relocating everything is even viable. The streets are lined with piles of furniture. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) These are big questions for landholders, the shire and politicians. But there is at least one resident who does not want to go anywhere. Salvageable belongings have been sorted into piles but still need to be cleaned. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) History and home A couple of houses down from Cowleys, the girls' grandmother Narelle Mandrusiak gingerly pulls broken picture frames and mud-soaked newspaper clippings from a container. Narelle Mandrusiak sifts through ruined historical documents and photographs. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) The box used to hold important pieces of Adavale's history safely within it. But floodwater has ruined most. The 69-year-old was born and raised in Adavale and returned to live in the town with her husband after a stint in Brisbane 18 years ago. Ms Mandrusiak's picture wall was spared in the floods. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) Here she feels she is back where she belongs. Each day, she listens out for the sound of her granddaughters sprinting down the road, bursting through her front door for a hug and to beg their grandpa for lollies. Mud and dirt coat the inside of her caravan, cars, yard and shed. She has an endless to-do list but she is not going anywhere. Ms Mandrusiak and her husband had planned on going caravanning in May. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) "We're not moving, here it's family," Ms Mandrusiak said. The Cowley girls spend lots of time at their grandma's place. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) 'Don't want this town to die' On the other side of the two-street town, Adavale's pub operates as a post office, general store and unofficial therapy clinic. The pub is able to serve cold drinks after a fridge was donated. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) Its coin-filled till sits on top of the pub's pool table alongside a mini trumpet, commemorative stubby coolers and warm, dusty tinnies. Some of publican Koss Siewert's prized possessions are still being found kilometres down the creek. A collection of found items. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) Dirt marks the height that floodwater reached on the pub's walls. Mr Siewert said the thick, filthy mud that was left behind took multiple rounds of hosing and sweeping out to get rid of. Houses have been stripped of their insides as cleaning continues. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh ) Even though there's still a lot of cleaning up to do, he is adamant the establishment is open for business. "I don't want this town to die, it's too important," he said. Zoey and Kiya love their life in Adavale. ( ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh )
