Enduring drought, frequent bushfires and rising temperatures have pushed global warming to the forefront of debate in the driest inhabited continent on earth, leaving politicians scrambling to keep up with popular concern.

What was once dismissed as a fringe issue is now centre-stage as the nation's lush farmland dries up, major cities suffer water restrictions and the drought forces up the price of everything from bread to beer.

"We're no different to anybody, but we're the ones at the coal face of it," Rout told AFP as he surveyed his devastated crops in central west New South Wales.

Rout's wheat crop, like most others in eastern Australia, has been ruined by the driest winter he has ever seen.

He will also produce only a fraction of the barley he had hoped for, and is worried by the long-term effects of climate change.

"We think about it; we wonder are the ramifications going to be as bad as they say."

Prime Minister John Howard, formerly a climate change sceptic, has acknowledged the need to curb the greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming, but has downplayed the threat it poses.

"My view is that there is a serious challenge, my view also is that the world is not coming to an end tomorrow," he said in response to a report from top United Nation scientists warning of "abrupt or irreversible" impacts.

Howard's toughest opponent in more than 11 years in office, Labor leader Kevin Rudd has placed climate change at the top of his agenda, saying his first act if elected prime minister would be to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

Australia is among the world's worst greenhouse gas polluters per capita, but, along with the United States, has refused to ratify the 1997 protocol, the UN's pact on reducing carbon emissions.

Rudd has also vowed to attend the UN's Bali conference in December which is expected to set the international agenda for pollution cuts to be implemented after 2012 when the Kyoto Protocol expires.

"We need to make sure we are around the negotiating table immediately for the next round of commitments on reducing global greenhouse gas emissions," Rudd has said.

The drought, described as the worst in living memory, has raised awareness about global warming, said Graeme Pearman, a climate scientist for the government for three decades who now works as a consultant.

"We've had drought conditions over most of the country for more than 10 years and I think this has certainly heightened people's interest," he told AFP.

"We don't know for sure whether this drought has been caused by climate change but, from a public perception point of view, I think the public has made up their minds that it might be. Therefore, it's a serious issue."

John Connor, head of the independent Climate Institute, said there had been a major change in opinion about global warming since Australia's 2004 election, which could be partly attributed to the 'big-dry'.

"People are linking the drought with climate change," he said.

Research conducted for the institute earlier this month found that 73 percent of the 877 people surveyed said climate change would be a strong influence on how they would vote.

Pearman said other factors such as the success of Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" and firmer scientific data on the weather phenomenon, had also influenced public opinion.

"All of this has raised in the minds of the people that this is something they want their governments to respond to. It makes people unsettled, they want a clear strategy," Pearman said.

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