Australia needs a National Clean Air Strategy
An open letter to all 2025 Federal Election candidates
All Australians should be able to breathe clean, safe air. But right now the health impacts of air pollution are increasing.
Australians are exposed to more smoke from larger bushfires, more pollen from extended pollen seasons, and more biological hazards from worsening flood events and heavier rain.
Our homes and public buildings are not designed to protect against mould proliferation, the spread of airborne infections, indoor pollutants like combustion emissions, or the infiltration of outdoor pollutants. These challenges come at significant cost to our health and wellbeing.
Currently, outdoor air pollution is linked to approximately 3,200 premature deaths every year, costing Australia more than $6.2 billion annually. In 2001, indoor air pollution in Australia was estimated to cost $12 billion per year, a figure that has only grown with new airborne respiratory viruses such as COVID-19.
Air hazards impact every organ system in the body, increasing rates of cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases, diabetes, obesity, and reproductive, neurological, and immune system disorders.
Much of this impact is avoidable and even small improvements in air quality have substantial health benefits.
Clean air is too important for government responsibility to remain fragmented across health and environment agencies and across different levels of government.
Australia needs national leadership and investment to ensure effective and coordinated action is taken to secure cleaner air for all communities.
While Australia already invests in comprehensive strategies for food and water safety, there is a notable lack of investment in air quality – the most critical environmental determinant of health. Yet the cost-effectiveness of such an investment is clear. Investing in cleaner air provides a large return on investment for all Australians by:
- Improving health outcomes related to many chronic illnesses such as asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia and cancer
- Improved productivity by reducing the spread of respiratory infections, airborne disease and epidemics such as COVID-19
- Supporting healthy child development and enabling us to stay healthier longer
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to secure long-term protection of Australia’s health, economy, and security from worsening climate change impacts.
Air quality affects every Australian. Now is the time for leadership to secure access to safe, clean air—just as we do for other necessities of life like food and water.
We urge the next Australian government to commit to a National Clean Air Strategy with dedicated resources for leadership and implementation, to tackle the health and wellbeing impacts of air pollution.
Yours faithfully,
- Professor Fay Johnston, Chief Investigator, Centre for Safe Air (NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence), University of Tasmania
- David Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer, National Heart Foundation of Australia
- Kate Miranda, Chief Executive Officer, Asthma Australia
- Mark Brooke, Chief Executive Officer, Lung Foundation Australia
- Professor Brendan Crabb AC, Director and CEO Burnet Institute
- Dr Bronwyn King AO, Special Advisor for Clean Air, Burnet Institute Honorary
- Professor Guy Marks AO, Working Group Head, Lung Health and Senior Principal Research Fellow, Burnet Institute
- Distinguished Laureate Professor Nicholas Talley AC, Chair, Doctors for the Environment
- Professor Sotiris Vardoulakis, Director of the NHMRC Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) National Research Network, University of Canberra
- Distinguished Professor Lidia Morawska, Director, International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health (ILAQH) and the ARC Training Centre for Advanced Building Systems Against Airborne Infection Transmission (THRIVE), QUT
- Distinguished Professor Shyamali Dharmage, Head of the Allergy and Lung Health Unit and Deputy Director (Research) of the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The University of Melbourne
- Distinguished Professor Yuming Guo, Head of the Climate, Air Quality Research (CARE) Unit, Monash University
- Professor Rebecca Bentley, Director of the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Healthy Housing
- Professor Tamera Corte, Director of Interstitial Lung Disease in the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Chief Investigator on the Centre of Research Excellence for Pulmonary Fibrosis, University of Sydney
- Associate Professor Ivan Hanigan, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Climate Change and Health Impact Assessment, Curtin University
- Francine Manansala, Society President, Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand
- Michelle Isles, Chief Executive Officer, Climate and Health Alliance
- Plum Stone, CEO, Safer Air Project
Signatories (162)
Candidates and Federal Elected Representatives
Senator Penny Allman-Payne, Senator for Queensland, The Australian Greens
Senator Catryna Bilyk, Senator for Tasmania, Australian Labor Party
Mr. Brendan Blomeley, Independent Candidate for Franklin,
Ms. Nicolette Boele, Candidate for Bradfield, Community Independent
Senator Carol Brown, Senator for Tasmania, Australian Labor Party
Ms. Jackie Carter, Candidate for Kooyong, The Australian Greens
Max Chandler-Mather, Federal Member for Griffith, Member of Parliament
Mx. Julia Clark, Registered Nurse, The Royal Melbourne Hospital / Aspen Medical
Ms. Sharon Claydon, Federal Member for Newcastle, Australian Labor Party
The Hon. Julie Collins, Federal Member for Franklin, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Minister for Small Business, Australian Labor Party
Dr. Verity Cooper MBBS DA FRACGP, Independent Candidate for Sturt,
Senator Dorinda Cox, Senator for Western Australia , The Australian Greens
Ms. Michelle Faye, Independent Candidate for McPherson,
Ms. Ravneet Garcha, Candidate for Calwell, The Australian Greens
Mr. Peter George, Candidate for the Federal seat of Franklin, Candidate
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Senator for South Australia, The Australian Greens
Ms. Caz Heise, Independent Candidate for Cowper,
The Hon. Ged Kearney, Federal Member for Cooper, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health, Australian Labor Party
Ms. Deb Leonard, Independent for Monash,
Mr. Adam Martin, Independent Candidate For Braddon,
The Hon. Kristy McBain, Member for Eden-Monaro, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories , Australian Labor Party
Senator Nick McKim, Senator for Tasmania, The Australian Greens
Mr Ahmed Ouf, Independent Candidate for Blaxland,
Senator David Pocock, Independent Senator for the ACT, Independent Senator for the ACT
Ms. Jessie Price, Independent Candidate for Bean,
Ms. Alysia Regan, Candidate for Indi, The Australian Greens
Mr. Jy Sandford, Candidate for Jagajaga, The Australian Greens
Mr. Phil Scott, Independent Candidate for Solomon,
Ms. Sonya Semmens, Candidate for Macnamara, The Australian Greens
Senator Jordan Steele-John , Senator for Western Australia , The Australian Greens
Ms. Zali Steggall, Federal Member for Warringah, Community Independent
Ms. Susan Templeman, Federal Member for Macquarie, Australian Labor Party
Mr. Nick Ward, Candidate for Wentworth, The Australian Greens
Senator Larissa Waters, Senator for Queensland, The Australian Greens
Ms. Elizabeth Watson-Brown, Federal Member for Ryan, The Australian Greens
Joanna Wells, Candidate for Boothby, The Australian Greens
Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, Senator for Tasmania, The Australian Greens
Academics
Dr. Ang Li, Senior Research Fellow, The University Of Melbourne
Dr. Anna Gibbs, Adjunct Professor, School of Humanities and Communication Arts, University of Western Sydney
Dr. Anne-Marie Newton, Academic, Curtin University
Dr. Barbara Wake PhD AM, retired senior lecturer, University of Adelaide
Dr. Edwin Lampugnani, Interim CEO, AirHealth Pty Ltd
Dr. Erika Martino, Post doctoral research fellow, University of Melbourne
Dr. Gongbo Chen, Senior Research Fellow, Climate, Air Quality Research (CARE) Unit, Monash University
Dr. Gopika Indu, Research Fellow, University of Canberra
Dr. Jo-Ann Suchard, A/Professor of Finance, UNSW
Dr. Karthik Gopi, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Sydney
Dr. Kelly Jones, Lead population data scientist, Senior Research Fellow, Flinders University
Dr. Martin Doyle Phd, Bsc, CAQP, Air quality scientist, Northstar Air Quality Pty Ltd
Dr. Mawutorli Nyarku, Accelerator Science officer, ANSTO
Dr. Nigel Goodman, Senior Research Fellow in Air Quality and Health, Univeristy of Canberra
Dr. Nur Sabrina Idrose, Research Fellow, University of Melbourne
Dr. Nyadanu Sylvester Dodzi, Research Associate, Environmental and Perinatal Epidemiologist, School of Population Health, Curtin University
Dr. Owen Price, Director, Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfire, University of Wollongong
Dr. Rachel Tham, Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne
Dr. Robyn Schofield, A/Prof in Atmospheric Chemistry, The University of Melbourne
Dr. Shilpi Tewari, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University
Miss Al Bridge, Lecturer, JMC Academy
Mr. David Pedersen, Graduate Computer-Science Student, Thompson Rivers University
Mr. Gary Graham, Director | Air Quality Scientist, Northstar Air Quality Pty Ltd
Mr. Graeme Starke, Technical Director – Air Quality, SLR Consulting
Mr. Michael Hellessey, Engineering Manager, Swinburne University of Technology – Aerostructures Innovation Research (AIR) Hub
Mr. Richard Martino, PhD student, University of Tasmania
Mr. Sotirios Papathanasiou, Lead Author, Global Open Air Quality Standards
Ms. Justine Hupkes, PhD student, QUT, Thrive
Ms. Rebecca Pearce, Student, La Trobe University
Prof. Bin Jalaludin, Adjunct Professor, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney
Prof. Christhina Candido, Professor, Director Sustainable and Healthy Environments Lab, The University of Melbourne
Prof. David Bowman, Professor Pyrogeography and Fire Science & ARC Laureate Fellow, University of Tasmania
Prof. Deborah Lupton FASSA, FAHMS, FRSN, Professor in the Centre for Social Research in Health and the Social Policy Research Centre, Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture, UNSW Sydney
Prof. Jane Heyworth, Honorary Research Fellow, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia
Prof. Lennert Veerman, Professor of Public Health, Griffith University
Prof. Philip Jennings AM, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Murdoch University
Professor Michael Abramson, Emeritus Professor, Monash University
R. Quentin Grafton, Professor, Australian National University
Dr. Alison Radford, Air quality scientist, Environment Protection Authority Tasmania
Ms. Maria Gatto, PhD Candidate, The University of Melbourne
Health professionals
Kent Burgess, Chief Executive Officer, Your Community Health
Dr. Carolyn Orr, Secretary, Doctors for the Environment Australia
Dr. Deren Pillay, Public Health Registrar, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania
Dr. George Crisp MBBS MRCGP, GP, Senior Clinical Lecturer, Shenton Park GP, UWA
Dr. James Markos AM, Retired Respiratory Physician, previously in hospital and private medical practice in Launceston 1990-2024
Dr. Janeil Hall, General Practitioner, Newdegate St Health Centre
Dr. John Van Der Kallen, Rheumatologist, Georgetown Arthritis
Dr. Laura Fitzpatrick, Emergency Physician, NBMLHD
Dr. Lori Cameron, GP, Warrnambool
Dr. Peter Sainsbury, Retired public health physician, University of Notre Dame
Dr. Rob Phair, Rural generalist doctor, Bairnsdale Regional Health Service
Miss Jodie Schubert, Remedial Massage Therapist, Re-Balanced Bodies
Miss Katrina Boldt, Clinical Nurse Specialist – Public Health , WA Country Health Service
Mr. Gerard Traub, Disability Support Worker, Saircare
Mrs. Kelly Andrews, CEO, Healthy Cities Australia
Mrs. Rosemary Czernezkyj, Registered Nurse, Retired
Mrs. S Nugent, Health professional, Self Emp
Ms. Carly Dober, Psychologist, Enriching Lives Psychology
Ms. Gabriela Stilita MAPS PCCP MPH, Clinical Psychologist, Second Chance Psychology
Ms. Kellie Williams, Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Manager, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Queensland Health
Ms. Michelle Owens, Clinical psychologist, Nautilus Psychology
Ms. Robyn Totenhofer, Nurse Practitioner, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District
Professor Alan Garner OAM, Trauma Director, Nepean Hospital, Sydney
Mrs. Janna Linke, Clinical Lead & Director, Connective Tissue Disorders Network Australia
Private sector
Mr. David Arbuckle, Director, Assured Environmental
Ms. Rebecca Barnett, Chief Executive Officer, Association of Massage Therapists
Ms. Amanda Barrett BSc, BEng, MEngSci, Technical Director, Consultant
Mr. Donald Butcher, Tour guide, Inala Nature Tours
Ms. Robyn Cook, Accountant, Argyle Heavy Haulage
Mr. Frank Fleer, Director, Helix Environmental Pty. Ltd.
Mr. Adam Graham, Data Scientist and Air Quality Analyst, Environmental Technologies & Analytics
Ms. Lisa Greenfield, National Indoor Air Quality Specialist, Erlab
Ms. Rashmica Gupta, Software developer, IBM
Ms. Jiindi Jillianne Rixon, Holistic health care, Sumone Wellness Center
Mr. Calum Johnston BSc Gdip, Consultant, Freelance
Ms. Stephanie Johnston MURP MPIA M.ICOMOS, Member, SA State Planning Commission
Ms. Kelly Jolly, Accountant, Quintessencelabs
Mr. Mark Jones, National Sales Manager – Indoor Air Quality, CAREL Australia
Mr. Colin Kinner, CEO, Safe Air Ventures
Ms. Greer Laing, Managing Director, Ecosphere Science & Technology
Ms. Alyson Macdonald, Environmental Auditor and Human Health Risk Assessor, Australian Environmental Auditors Pty Ltd
Mr. Wayne Midson, Equipment Specialists, National Air Duct Cleaners Association (Member)
Ms. Nathasha Munasinghe, Administration Coordinator, University of Canberra
Mr. YarZar Nyunt, Grants and Contracts Manager, Vital Strategies
Mr. Chris Quin, Director, Resilient Projects
Mrs. Megan Standring, Business owner, Outdoor/recreational
Mr. Michael Sterling, Managing Director, Shale HVAC
Ms. Jessica Thompson, Knitwear Designer, Cnyttan Cnottan
Mr. Matthew Thredgold, Associate Manager Software, DXC Technology
Ms. Jamie Waterhouse, Content Writer, EnergyAustralia
Dr. David Cruickshanks-Boyd, 2015 National President, Engineers Australia
Community member
Dr. Helen Goldsworthy MBBS, Retired,
Mr. Darryl Johnston, Coordinator, Clean Air Canberra
Mr. David Duindam, Environment & Sustainability Advisor, Healthcare
Mr. Dennis Johnston, Teacher,
Mr. Jim Gleeson, Retired,
Mr. Jordan Crane, Community Member,
Mr. Kelvin Mickelson, Farmer and retired senior ICTS consultant,
Mr. Konstas Harapas, Retired,
Mr. Neil Wood, Retired,
Mr. Peter Backhouse PhD, Retired,
Mr. Peter Melnyk, Concerned citizen,
Mr. Quentin Ellison, Presenter, 4ZZZ
Mr. Simon Allston, Gardener/ cellist,
Mrs. Sarah Houston, Support Worker, Mable
Mrs. Terry Wightman, Private citizen, retired,
Ms. Alison Murdoch, Community member,
Ms. Angela Obradovic, Immunocompromised Community Member,
Ms. Burnice Starkey, Retired,
Ms. Burnice Starkey, Retired,
Ms. Emily Schultz, Community member,
Ms. Jessie Lawson, LC Patient,
Ms. Joyclyn Vincent, Community member,
Ms. Lynette Jackson, Constituent, Grayndler Electorate
Ms. Madeleine Ruskin, Community Member,
Ms. Rae McInnes, Community Member,
Ms. Tamsin Kelly, Carer,
Mx. Remi Gordon, Community Member,
Ms. Sue Saliba, Writer, Self employed
Mrs. Gabi Pattiaratchi, Recently retired public servant
Local government
Ms. Arabella Daniel, Councillor and Clean Air Advocate, Glen Eira City Council
Dr. Dorothy Robinson, Councillor, Armidale Regional Council
Education sector
Ms. Lucinda Crimson, Secondary Teacher, Private school, WA
Ms. Christine Bowden, Music teacher and professional singer
NFP sector
Ms. Anne Wilson, CEO, Emerge Australia