The release of Australia's first National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP) confirms what communities in hot homes and suburbs have been warning about for years: extreme heat is one of the deadliest climate risks we face, and without urgent national action, lives will be lost.
Sweltering Cities, the national community voice for heat safety, welcomed the release of these landmark documents and called for immediate investment in heat-resilient housing, health systems and community-driven adaptation programs.
"Deadly heatwaves are not a distant future risk, they are already here," said Emma Bacon, Executive Director of Sweltering Cities. "We need stronger national action so that people in Australia's hottest suburbs and homes can stay safe, now and in unprecedented heat to come."
The NCRA warns that heatwaves will escalate in frequency, intensity and duration, putting millions of Australians at risk. The NAP sets out adaptation pathways, but Sweltering Cities says the Federal Government must move quickly from plans to real, funded solutions.
Sweltering Cities is calling for:
Ambitious climate action: Every tonne of fossil fuel burned today drives the dangerous heat that will endanger more communities tomorrow. National energy policy must reflect climate science and protect people, not polluters.
Safe and healthy homes: National investment in building standards and large-scale retrofits to make homes safe to live in during heatwaves, especially for renters and people on low incomes.
Community-driven adaptation and resilience: Ongoing support for local governments, community organisations and grassroots groups to deliver tailored resilience projects that keep people safe. These groups are already doing the heavy lifting responding to climate risks and need ongoing funding to scale up and prevent burn out.
Workplace protections: National standards to ensure no worker has to choose between their income and their safety in extreme heat.
"Every hot summer we hear from people trying to survive in baking homes, parents who can't afford to run the air conditioning, and communities left isolated in dangerous heat," Ms Bacon said. "We cannot afford to wait any longer. The Federal Government must act now to turn the National Climate Risk Assessment and Adaptation Plan into urgent, life-saving action."
