I run a breeding operation of Angus cross cattle, running about 300 head of breeding cattle on 1100 acres.

In the space of 24 hours, I lost 95 per cent of my pasture, fences and water system, and a small number of cattle.

I was fortunate that my house was saved, but other farmers will understand that for me, seeing my land burn and losing animals to the flames hurt almost as much as losing my home. With days that were above 40 degrees both before and after the fire, the land was brittle and exhausted.

After the fire, the land had gone from dust to ash. The 360-degree view revealed a countryside that was monochromatic - many shades of grey and black. And while for us now the grass has returned, for many on the Monaro plains the drought is severe as ever.

I am part of the fifth generation to farm this land, and I feel a very real connection to it and a sense of duty to protect it.

Which is why almost exactly six months on from the fires, I cannot ignore the elephant in the room when it comes to the increasingly frequent droughts and worsening fires that farmers across Eden-Monaro are experiencing - climate change. We need to increase the conversation and stimulate discussion in order to extract the best way forward.

The burning of fossil fuels like gas and coal is increasing temperatures across Australia, making droughts more frequent and fuelling the types of bushfires that devastated entire communities over the summer.

Unless the international community moves quickly away from burning fossil fuels for energy and embraces renewables, life on the land for farmers like me is only going to get harder.

Australia must do its part.

This week, I joined a group of more than 50 other farmers in Eden-Monaro calling on all the candidates in this weekend's byelection to commit to fighting for action on climate change if elected to Parliament.

Like the rest of Eden-Monaro, we farmers are still coping with the aftermath of the fires. Many of us are still battling drought.

We need a representative who understands that climate change poses a real and present threat to those of us who make our living on the land, and to our communities. We need a representative that is not afraid to raise that topic and have that conversation, again and again if this is what it takes.

Whoever wins the election on Saturday needs to understand - fighting for the interests of the people of Eden-Monaro means fighting for action on climate change.