As extreme heat intensifies across the state, urgent action is needed including improved governance and planning, and housing and workplace protections.
The Net Zero Commission has today released its Heat Stress Spotlight Report which examines how heat stress is impacting NSW and how the state can better protect local communities now and in the future.
Extreme heat is Australia’s deadliest and most preventable disaster, but it remains the most under-recognised in policy and planning. Intense heat and humidity events, and resulting heat stress, are already becoming more frequent.
Between 2000-2018 extreme heat caused more deaths in Australia than all other natural hazards combined. However, heat related deaths are rarely recorded correctly, meaning the true health burden is significantly underestimated and prevention efforts remain under-resourced.
Commissioner, Professor Andy Pitman AO commented: “Unlike floods or bushfires, heat leaves very little visible destruction but it is quietly taking lives. The tragedy is that most of this harm is preventable. Our current responses to heat stress don’t match the scale of the risk. This report shows that if we act now, smarter planning, safer housing and better protections for workers can save lives, reduce pressure on hospitals and boost our economy.”
The new report confirms that heat risk is particularly concerning in identifiable and preventable areas of vulnerability. Older people living alone, infants, people with chronic illness, outdoor and manual workers, and residents in poorly designed social, Aboriginal and rental housing are significantly more vulnerable to heat stress. But with the right action, the risk to these groups can be reduced.
Drawing on independent research and engagement with leading academics, policy professionals working across government, health workers and the wider community, the Commission has identified nine findings across five action areas to improve the state’s approach to heat stress.
The Commission finds that extreme heat demands the same unified, proactive response, funding and detailed tracking as bushfires and floods. By implementing a comprehensive statewide seasonal heat plan and embedding heat risk into broader disaster and adaptation frameworks, NSW can mobilise healthcare readiness, trigger early-warning systems and empower locally led community resilience. If NSW is to manage future extreme heat events, planning decisions must promote safer and more resilient neighbourhoods.
The report highlights the urgent need for tougher housing standards, including across rental, social and Aboriginal housing, to better protect our most vulnerable. The strengthening of SafeWork NSW regulations, can prevent life-threatening heat stress while shielding businesses from crippling productivity losses.