MARGARET Donoghue thought she’d be lucky to get 20 people join her in a street march highlighting concerns about climate change — instead more that 100 turned out.
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The Mortlake woman was amazed by the response as dozens of various ages and backgrounds from across the district joined her and her small band of volunteer organisers to march down Warrnambool’s Liebig Street to the Civic Green yesterday.
“There was an overwhelming view that people want their government to take effective action on climate change,” she said.
“People expressed a sense of relief that at last someone was giving them an avenue to express their views.
“They want to participate in an ongoing group.
“We’ve formed Climate Action Now (CAN) and I’ll be the interim convenor until we get a committee together.
“We want the government to have a price on carbon.
“Just because Tony Abbott defeated a dysfunctional government doesn’t mean he has a mandate to ignore climate change — that’s like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”
Among the marchers was Barrie Baker of Warrnambool, who helped form the South West Sustainability Partnership in 1998 and is a member of the local Uniting Church leadership team.
“We are saying there needs to be a positive outcome on this issue,” he said.
“Whatever your opinion is on climate change, protest can’t do any harm.
“The community is expressing its feelings.”
More than 100 other rallies were held around the nation organised by the GetUp community lobby group.