The first of a series of 11 climate change forums across the state was held at the Armidale Bowling Club and officially opened by the Member for Northern Tablelands, Richard Torbay, and the Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate Change, Carmel Tebbutt.

Almost 100 people registered for the forum, which featured presentations about the NSW climate change action plan, government action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and regional climate impacts and adaptation.

“Today’s Armidale forum will reveal new projections for how climate change will affect the north-west of NSW, including the major centres of Tamworth, Armidale and Moree,” Ms Tebbutt said.

The forum is also an opportunity for the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) and the government to formulate a climate change action plan.

“The plan will set a strategic framework for how we respond to climate change for the next five years and we expect to have that plan finalised by halfway through next year,” she said.

Ms Tebbutt said that the 11 forums were being held, with input from the University of NSW about the regional impacts of climate change.

“We need community input and community engagement about how we adapt to climate change that we know is going to happen despite all we do to reduce emissions - and we need to do as much as we can to reduce emissions - we know that there’s climate change already in the pipeline and it’s going to mean increased temperatures, and it’s going to mean less rainfall,” she said.

“We need to adapt to that and we need to work with local community to do that.”

The delegates, sourced from various organisations across the New England are expected to take part in panel discussions and planing sessions with natural resource managers, local business people and the local councils.

“I hope that people take away a greater awareness of the impact of climate change, particularly a greater understanding of what the regional impact will be in the New England and Northwest area,” Ms Tebbutt said.

“But I’m also hoping that we gain from this process people’s expertise and knowledge because, really, local people on the ground, local farmers, local businesses, local communities, have a lot of expertise and knowledge and we need to harness that as we develop the climate change action plan.”