Heat-safe rentals pushed to protect from quiet killer
The state’s climate policy advisory body has recommended heat-resistant rentals and stricter workplace safety rules for those working outdoors on scorching hot days.
Saying that extreme heat is an under-recognized and preventable killer, the NSW Net Zero Commission called for urgent policy action on planning, housing and workplace protection.
“Unlike floods and wildfires, heat leaves little visible destruction but quietly takes lives,” said Net Zero Commissioner professor Andy Pitman.
“Our current responses to heat stress do not match the scale of the risk.”
In its recommendations to the state government, the commission calls for heat-resilient urban planning to ensure new development has sufficient cooling greenery and thermally comfortable buildings.
It also recognizes that existing housing stock will house the majority of the population for decades to come, and that rented, social and Aboriginal housing tenants are the most likely to live in poorly insulated, poorly maintained homes.
Damn Better Rental to work An examination of summer conditions experienced by 50 NSW tenants revealed indoor temperatures soaring above 40C and reports of hospitalizations due to prolonged heat exposure.
Landlords are currently under no obligation to provide homes that maintain safe indoor temperatures, and the commission recommends phasing in mandatory thermal safety rules so that rental homes have appropriate attic insulation and air conditioning.
Landlords should first be made to disclose their energy performance ratings at the point of rental.
The commission is also calling for stricter SafeWork NSW regulation to protect workers from heat stress, including the establishment of sector-specific thresholds for safe temperature working conditions.
Extreme heat is already an underestimated cause of deaths and hospitalizations, and human-caused climate change is driving average global temperatures even higher.
NSW could expect an extra 23 days above 35 degrees by 2050 under a high emissions scenario, according to government modeling.
Warm weather seasons last longer; A study conducted at the University of British Columbia reveals that summer months in Sydney have become almost 50 days longer since 1990.
Cities are also vulnerable to extreme heat due to the urban heat island effect; Sydney’s western suburbs experience temperatures 10 degrees higher than coastal suburbs during heatwaves.
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