Colac Otway locals, firefighters, bushfire survivors and Wannon candidates to gather at forum discussing future bushfire risk for region

Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action and Colac Otway Climate Action Team

On Wednesday 16th April community members involved in the Climate Action Team, Colac-Otway Region will hold a forum to discuss the increasing threat of bushfires. Around 100 local community members from the Colac Otway region are expected to attend the event.

“We have been wanting to hold a public forum to have this conversation for a long time. We’re thrilled to have emergency services leaders and bushfire survivors coming to Colac to share their knowledge and experiences,” said Philippa Bailey from the local Climate Action Team. 

“Bushfire season is getting longer and riskier as global temperatures rise. Many people in our community, including myself, live in the beautiful bush areas close to Colac that are becoming more vulnerable to this threat,” continued Ms Bailey.

The forum will feature keynote speaker Greg Mullins AO, founder of Emergency Leaders for Climate Action and former Commissioner of Fire and Rescue NSW. Jo Dodds of Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action and Cam Walker of Australian Firefighters Climate Alliance will also speak.

“We’re pleased to be supporting local community members to put on this event and bring people together for such an important conversation,” said Jo Dodds, President of Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action.

The forum speakers will discuss the outlook for bushfire risk in the 21st century, reflect on their experiences of fighting and defending their communities from bushfires, and their ideas for what governments can do to protect and prepare communities.

“As bushfire survivors, we know how long and deep the scars last when fire rips through a community. Without serious government action to limit dangerous climate change, more and more communities will be devastated by bushfires. It’s not ok to keep expecting communities to just become more and more resilient. Governments need to step up.” said Jo Dodds.

Philippa Bailey said she was worried about the threat of larger, more frequent bushfires on the local economy: “Many Otway communities depend on income from tourism. Devastating fires, as have occurred in the Grampians this summer, can wipe out people’s livelihoods.”

All candidates contesting the seat of Wannon at the 2025 federal election have also been invited to participate in a panel discussion at the event and answer questions from community members.

“Everyone can get behind action on climate change that protects communities. We hope this will be an informative event that brings locals together to connect and learn,” said Jo Dodds.

The forum will commence at 6:30pm at the Colac Otway Performing Arts Centre on Wednesday, April 16.

ENDS

CONTACTS: 

Jo Dodds (President, Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action): 0428 399 871

Philippa Bailey (member of Climate Action Team Colac Otway): 0458 082 330

RSVP Page

BACKGROUND INFO: Speakers

Greg Mullins AO became a major national figure in the 2019–20 bushfire crisis. From being a volunteer and career firefighter, he is an internationally recognised expert in responding to major bushfires and natural disasters. During his 39-year career, among many roles, he served as a Commissioner of Fire and Rescue NSW; President, Vice President and Board Chair of the Australasian Fire & Emergency Service Authorities’ Council; and NSW representative on the Australian Emergency Management Committee. In early 2019 he formed Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, a coalition of 34 former fire and emergency service chiefs from throughout Australia.

Jo Dodds came to climate advocacy after many years working in community and social services, including as a family counsellor, a journalist, and a councillor with Bega Valley Shire Council. These roles have given her a broad and personal understanding of the strengths and vulnerabilities of her community. After experiencing the Tathra Fire of March 2018 and the 2019-2020 Black Summer fires, Jo has joined with other bushfire survivors to advocate for stronger climate action and help others raise their concerns for their communities, homes, livelihoods and environment. As President and a founding member of Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action, Jo works to change the conversation around climate and put people who are enduring the devastating impacts of climate-fuelled bushfires at the front of the debate. Jo loves Western Victoria, as she was born in the Wimmera and lived in Warrnambool before moving to NSW.

Cam Walker lives in Central Victoria and is an active volunteer firefighter with 2 CFA brigades. He received the National Emergency Medal for his contribution to firefighting efforts during Black Summer. Cam is also campaigns coordinator at Friends of the Earth Melbourne, through which he has campaigned for stronger government resourcing of volunteer and career firefighting for many years. Following Black Summer, Cam joined the Australian Firefighters Climate Alliance, a grassroots network of firefighters who want to see governments take stronger action on climate change.

MC Kirsten Diprose has been a journalist for more than 10 years. Most of her career has been working as a TV and radio reporter for the ABC News in Melbourne. She's now settled on a farm in the beautiful Western Districts of Victoria. Kirsten founded her own successful podcast in 2021, Ducks on the Pond: a podcast for rural women, by rural women. She currently runs Rural Podcasting Co.

BACKGROUND INFO: Groups

Several groups are collaborating to hold this forum:

The Colac Otway Climate Action Team has been active in the community for years, and has members who live in Colac and surrounding bushfire-threatened areas such as the Otway Forest. 

Emergency Leaders for Climate Action advocates for fire and emergency services to be equipped to protect Australian communities from increasingly frequent and damaging extreme weather events. It aims to catalyse all levels of government to take strong action on climate change to minimise the scale of future bushfires by limiting global temperature rise.

Australian Firefighters Climate Alliance was formed in 2020 following the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires. It is a network of grassroots firefighters who are joining together to advocate for stronger action on climate change and better resourcing of volunteer and paid firefighters.

Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action is a non-partisan community organisation made up of people from across Australia who have been deeply impacted by bushfires. They share their powerful stories and make the case for stronger action on climate change to protect communities from worsening bushfires.