Just days after Wear Orange to Work Wednesday, which honoured the commitment of emergency services volunteers, residents converged on Town Green for a climate catch up.

Around 200 people from the Hastings, Macleay and Manning areas gathered by the side of the river in orange and red clothing and accessories colours synonmous with burning and increasing temperatures

The local gathering was organised by the Hastings branch of Climate Change Australia (CCA) and online activist group GetUp! as a celebration of the National Day of Climate Action.

Port Macquarie doctor Tim, who did not wish to give his surname, brought his pregnant partner and young son to the rally because they regularly support GetUp!

"We get their newsletter and we thought it was important to all be here today," he said.

The immediate relevance of climate change for families and young children was supported by World War Two veteran Charles Granquist. The 92-year-old Port Macquarie resident recently published his second book, Until The Little Birds Sing, which is a work of fiction that explores a not-too-distant future plagued by drought and economic depression.

"This is a beautiful day to contemplate the possibilty that this kind of world may not continue," Mr Granquist said.

"We moved to Port Macquarie because it had the best climate of anywhere I'd ever been, but I guarantee your children will not be able to enjoy this kind of a world if our leaders continue to cop out."

Mr Granquist stressed he did not have the answers to budgetary and debt problems, but said these pale into insignificance when compared to having leaders without the courage to fight for the planet's future.

CCA's Hastings president Harry Creamer said the day focused on supporting renewable energy sources, as well as the many people in the area who want effective action on climate change,.

"This is an event to defend the existing legislation which is actually working to address our very high levels of pollution," Mr Creamer said.

"It is also an event to demand stronger action on climate change policy in the future, whether that be through higher carbon pricing or putting a cap on our emissions."

Tens of thousands of people gathered in capital cities and hundreds of regional towns on Sunday to demand stronger action on climate change. The largest crowds were recorded in Melbourne's Treasury Gardens, where approximately 30000 people converged behind the state's parliament.

The loudest cheer of the day was saved for Port Macquarie-Hastings councillor Lisa Intemann's description of climate deniers as "dumb morons."

"We stand here today in anger and fear while our supposed leaders send our climate down the toilet," Ms Intemann said.

The Wauchope-based councillor then reiterated Port Macquarie-Hastings Council is working for the environment through measures including organic recycling, sea level rise mapping, proactive flood planning and encouragement of community awarness. Mr Creamer said Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams politely declined to participate due to a prior engagement, while newly sworn-in Member for Lyne David Gillespie did not reply to an invitation to attend.

Dr Gillespie was not forgotten at the event, with attendees writing Christmas cards to the MP reminding him of his responsibilities to the electorate.