Fire & Climate: Voices from the Frontline

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In 2019–20, Australia experienced our most devastating bushfire season on record, fuelled by climate change, and the worst wildlife disaster in modern history.

18.6 million hectares were burned, 3 billion wild animals were killed or displaced, at least 45 lives were claimed due to fire impacts, and over 3000 homes were lost.

One year on, Groundswell Giving invites you to come together with our speakers to reflect on the lasting impacts of this unprecedented disaster, and future pathways to protect our wildlife and wild places in the context of a rapidly changing climate.

This event will be held on Gadigal Land. We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded, and that this always was and always will be Aboriginal land. We pay respect to the Elders past, present and emerging, for they hold the memories, the traditions and culture.

Speakers

Lille Madden, host

Lille Madden is a proud Arrernte, Bundjalung and Kalkadoon woman from Gadigal country. After working at Taronga Conservation Society in the Australian Fauna Precinct, Lille worked as the Natural Areas Aboriginal Heritage Officer with the Sutherland Shire Council. For the past year she has also been the Sydney coordinator for Seed Mob, the Indigenous Youth Climate Coalition, and is now a First Nations advisor for Groundswell. Lille has worked on a number of community projects and feels a deep sense of responsibility towards the preservation and protection of our natural and cultural heritage.

Greg Mullins, AO AFSM

Greg Mullins is an internationally recognised expert in responding to major bushfires and natural disasters and developed a keen interest in the linkages between climate change and extreme weather events. He coordinated responses to many major natural disasters over more than 2 decades and retired as Commissioner of Fire & Rescue NSW in January 2017. Greg still works as a volunteer firefighter, and is a co-founder and leader for Emergency Leaders for Climate Action.

Kailas Wild

Kai is a climbing arborist, conservationist, wildlife rescuer and surrogate father to the orphaned koala Joey Kai. During the Black Summer bushfires in January 2020, he spent two months on Kangaroo Island, where he participated in the rescue of more than 100 koalas. His debut book, The 99th Koala, was released in November 2020.

Fiona Lee 

Fiona is a community development worker, visual artist and mother. Fiona is currently completing a Bushfire Affected Artist residency at the Creator Incubator in Newcastle where she lives with her family. Fiona also volunteers with Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action as she is dedicated to making clear the link between bushfires and climate change. 

The house Fiona and her family built and lived in near Bobin on NSW’s Mid Coast with their 3 year old daughter, burned to the ground on 8th November 2019. This day was to become the first the bushfire crisis of 2019-20. In the days following the loss, Scott Morrison and Gladys Berejiklian repeated “Now is not the time to talk about climate change” whilst offering thoughts and prayers. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack went further, calling any mention of climate change “disgusting” and the work of “raving inner-city lunatics” eager to prosecute an agenda. It was this rhetoric that spurred Fiona and her family to participate in a protest outside NSW Parliament where they placed the ashes of their house and declared now was precisely the right time to talk about climate change. 

Jazz Money

Jazz is an award winning poet, filmmaker and educator of Wiradjuri heritage currently based on the beautiful land of the Gundungurra and Darug nations. She specialises in story telling, community collaboration and digital production, working with First Nations artists and communities to realise digital projects. Jazz is the 2020 winner of the David Unaipon Award from the State Library of Queensland, and her first collection of poetry to be published by UQP in 2021. 

Hosted by Groundswell Giving as an official event of Sydney Festival 2021

Groundswell is a giving circle which funds strategic, high-impact climate action and advocacy in Australia. 

www.groundswellgiving.org

This is a registered COVID SAFE event

• Masks mandatory
• Hand sanitiser available on site
• Check in via COVID SAFE QR code, strictly limited numbers