Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

This is not a pessimistic forecast of how things might be at some distant point in the future. It is an evidence based description of how things are now. Since 1960 the mean temperature in Australia has increased by 0.7 degrees Celsius. In some areas, the increase has been as high as two degrees Celsius. This is not a lot of year-to-year variability but the trend is obvious and as everyone in this country—except a few Liberal senators at a recent Senate estimates committee—seems to accept, rainfall patterns across the country are also undergoing dramatic change. Rainfall in the south-west and south-east of Australia, including the major population centres, has decreased over the last 50 years. At the same time, we are seeing a substantial increase in rainfall across many parts of northern and Central Australia. The picture overall is of increasing volatility, with more dry days and more extreme rainfall events. (Time expired)