Global warming is real. Joe Hockey knows this. And yet he’s been voting in Parliament for Tony Abbott’s agenda of denial, delay and destruction.

Global warming is warming the oceans. Water expands as it warms. So, sea level rise: around 200mm last century and accelerating. So simple, a schoolchild can understand it. So scary, some adults still pretend it isn’t happening and there’s nothing we can, or should, do.

In Australia, most of us – including in North Sydney – live, work and play on the coasts.

Tunks Park in Cammeray has now won the award for “lower grade ground of the year” in the Sydney Grade Cricket competition the last five out of seven seasons, including the most recent season. North Sydney District Cricket Club’s website shows they are appropriately proud of this lovely venue by the water. 

Unfortunately, the OzCoasts map for impacts of a 1.1 metre sea level rise due to climate change would see the grade ground at Tunks Park completely inundated. (Two  of the three grounds with synthetic pitches higher up the park would be affected too, with a rise of this level.)

An 80cm sea level rise would leave just a tiny island near where the pitch is now.

Cricket is obviously not a water sport, and salt water is very bad for turf.

North Sydney local member Joe Hockey has been voting with Tony Abbott to move backwards on climate action –  even though we know he knows better. Joe Hockey told Q&A on 19 February 2009:

“Our very strong view is, we were the initiators of an emissions trading scheme, and we believe in a market-based approach”.

He told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2010:

“inevitably we’ll have a price on carbon … we’ll have to”

He was right then. Why is he facing the wrong way now?

Climate change: the time for games is over

 Authorised by David Mason, 47 Charles St Marrickville NSW