The impacts of climate change loom large across the Eden-Monaro landscape.

Climate change is a day-to-day reality from Tumbarumba to Tathra; from Bungendore to Bombala.

At the end of the hottest and driest year on record — sparks of lighting lit the fuse on a defining chapter in our history.

I’ve spoken often about the 750 Eden-Monaro homes destroyed in the angry flames that followed, but I’ll use this opportunity to explore a couple of other experiences.

400 people died of smoke inhalation as a result of our Black Summer — 4,000 people were hospitalised.

The sky was orange and the air was thick with smoke as I stood in evacuation centre after evacuation centre with thousands of people during January.

Time and time again people asked me about the health impacts of breathing in air from our traumatised environment.

Read the full article on the Independent District Bulletin, featuring research by The Australian National University