Government Must Rethink Approach as Kimberley Heat Records Tumble

The peak conservation group for the Kimberley, Environs Kimberley, is calling for a complete rethink of the WA government’s approach to development and communities in the Kimberley after days of record temperatures.

Record temperatures have been recorded at Broome on 28 August of 40.5C.

The record temperatures come hot on the heels of record floods in January 2023.

According to a 2019 report by The Australia Institute into extreme heat in the Kimberley:

"Increases in extreme heat events in the Kimberley region will have severe impacts on the wellbeing of people in the region, particularly indigenous communities. It will also impact key industries, including tourism and agriculture, and damage natural ecosystems."

"CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology projections estimate up to a tenfold increase in days over 40 degrees within the lifetime of children living in Broome today (up to 62 days per year over 40 degrees by 2090) without policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," the report stated.

The report also stated that under current government policies, in Fitzroy Crossing days over 40 degrees would go from an historical average of 68 days per year, to a maximum of 225 days by 2090 (Table 9).

Graph from Heatwatch: Extreme heat in the Kimberley report by The Australia Institute (page 24).

Environs Kimberley Director Martin Pritchard said there is an urgent need for the WA government, supported by the federal government, to increase funding for communities to help protect them from the impacts of extreme heat.

“This includes emergency accommodation with cooling located in communities across the region.

“At the same time, the government needs to completely rethink its approach to development in the Kimberley, avoiding approaches that are going to make the climate emergency even worse – like proposed fracking.

“For years, in the face of endless warnings and reports from scientists and local communities, WA governments have been in denial about the scale and immediacy of the threat to the Kimberley from global heating and climate change.

“Now is the time for governments to face up to reality, do what is required to protect communities and stop making the climate crisis even worse."

Ref: Extreme heat in the Kimberley report by The Australia Institute