Climate change puts pressure on leadership

Leadership emerged as the most needed community quality by one of the groups that meet in Shepparton to consider and discuss climate change and adaptation in the Murray-Darling Basin.
The group, the first of about three to meet in Shepparton over two days, was part of a series of community consultations organized by the Australian National University and Flinders University on behalf of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
Just five people, including an industrial organization representative from Bendigo, a drought consultant from Echuca with the Department of Primary Industries, a Tatura fellow with links to the Catchment Management Authority and that town’s revitalization group, a retired dairy farmer and myself.
None of the five were eager to see any new groups established, but generally felt that existing organizations, such as the City of Greater Shepparton Council, needed to take on the responsibility of helping the community, and in turn the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, understand to live with and work its way through climate change.
The seven-strong team, two of which, Professor Chris Miller (above) and Mavis Zutshi, were at the first Shepparton meeting, are conducting similar sessions Tamworth, Narrabri, Euroa, Renmark and Pinnaroo.
Findings from all six towns will be collated and in Shepparton’s case explained at a public meeting in July.
Groups were asked to consider worst case scenarios, how their communities would react if the scenario continued?, what skills and resources the community could bring to bear to cope successfully such circumstances?, how long could they survive is there was a lot less water?, and what direction might the community take in those circumstances?
Thoughts, obviously, were varied, but generally that first group seemed to agree that surviving such a challenge rested with leadership.