Two thousand invitations were sent out across the Lake Macquarie Local Government Area to ask residents to have their say about climate change.

The workshops have been organised in partnership with the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, as part of the NSW Climate Summit.

Workshop participant and Jewells resident Charmaine Parkinson says she wanted to get involved in something in the area since she moved from Newcastle two years ago.

“It’s great to have a say in something and learn about new things.”

The Parkinson family are renovating their house, and are making the most of greener alternatives, such as environ-mentally-friendly paint.

Ms Parkinson says she is not quite a ‘greenie’, but has become more aware of how to reduce her carbon footprint.

“We recycle, we compost – we are definitely on our way.”

The family is also involved in the neighbourhood Lifecycle program, where old toys and clothes are recycled.

The climate change workshops will be a combination of open discussions and presentations.

The community input in the discussions will then be used by council in policy decisions.

NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change coastal team leader Phil Watson will speak about the impacts of sea level rise and the impact of foreshore development around the lake.

“I will talk about what the future projects in terms of sea levels rising.

“At the moment there are no government policies or procedures in place.

“We will talk about how councils can adapt to those levels.”

Limited places are available for the workshops, but if you would like to attend, you can phone Lake Macquarie City Council on 4921 0333.