Close to 40 people came together outside Dr David Gillespie's office in Taree today to raise awareness about what they believed was the defining issue of our time.
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Concerned members of the public joined the Mid Coast Knitting Nannas group to demand increased funding to firefighters and immediate action on climate change as part of a nation-wide Fund the Firies and Demand Climate Justice protest.
Knitting Nanna, Linda Gill, said the demonstrations were all about sending a message to the government to act on climate change.
"Everyone's coming out and saying we've had enough," Ms Gill said.
"Consecutive governments have ignored all the evidence from scientists about climate change and it's here."
Members of the Knitting Nannas have been staging demonstrations outside Dr Gillespie's office every Friday for more than two months, in response to the federal member's lack of action on the issue.
"What absolutely appalls me is we have a doctor who is ignorant of climate change," Ms Gill said.
"He's voted with the fossil fuel industry every time."
Despite inaction from politicians like Dr Gillespie, Ms Gill believed more and more people were becoming aware of the effects of climate change and understanding that measures needed to be taken.
"It's growing," she said.
"I believe in this area more and more people are becoming aware of inaction on climate change."
Among the protesters were members of Extinction Rebellion, who dressed in red to show their solidarity with the protests taking place in Newcastle later in the day.
Also in attendance were Tyler and Zoe Hatton and Kate Sutton, who lost their home during the bushfires that swept the region in late 2019.
"We lost our home because of climate change, and we need to make a huge difference right now," Ms Sutton said.
Fund the Firies and Demand Climate Justice protests were organised to take place in all capital cities and numerous regional communities around Australia.
