Air quality

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 $6.2billion 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.

Inspired by the health star rating system for food, which enables consumers to compare the relative healthiness of similar food products, we developed a five-star rating system that recognises the healthiness of air

Bushfire smoke can harm your health, especially if you live with a lung disease (like asthma), live with another long-term illness (like heart disease and diabetes), are over 65 or a child under 5, or are pregnant. The best ways to avoid smoke are to: Close doors and windows to help protect you during short episodes of outdoor smoke, wear a P2/N95 mask outdoors and indoors if needed, use an air cleaner with a HEPA filter indoors, check local air quality using a trusted app (e.g. AirRater), and think about visiting a place with cleaner air like a library or a shopping centre.

Air pollution is the single greatest environmental cause of preventable disease and premature death in the world today. It ranks alongside unhealthy diets, inadequate physical activity, and tobacco smoking, as a major global risk factor for mortality. Globally, air pollution is responsible for approximately 7 million premature deaths each year. In Australia annual mortality is conservatively estimated to be more than 3,200 with a cost greater than AUD $6.2 billion from years of life lost. However, the full health and social impacts are much more extensive. This report explains why the effects of air pollution are so far reaching and, equally, why coordinated action to make air safer is one of the best investments in Australian health.

Air pollution is an important contributor to the burden of disease in Australia, linked to lung disease, heart disease and stroke. Inspired by the health star rating system for food, which enables consumers to compare the relative healthiness of similar food products, we developed a five-star rating system that recognises the attributes of air quality that promote better health.