Latest news
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The Heat is On Forum, hosted in partnership with Tabiea
Sweltering Cities was proud to partner with Tabiea, a joint Nature Conservation Council NSW and Arab Council Australia campaign empowering Arabic-speaking communities in Western Sydney to engage with climate change, to host The Heat is On Forum in July 2026. Taking place in Fairfield East, Western Sydney, over 70 community members attended the event. It…
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How mutual aid can help create more heat-resilient communities
We know from our work that hostile infrastructure and rising energy bills are making people sick in the heat. We also know that communities have the knowledge, creativity and collective power to come up with solutions that work for them. Mutual aid is a practice that uses collective care and our own skills and knowledge…
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Renters across NSW told us that their homes are unsafe in extreme heat. This year, we had the opportunity to change that
Renters are baking in dangerously hot homes every summer, and it’s getting worse. Climate change means hotter summers and longer, hotter and more frequent heatwaves. This is bad news for everyone, but especially renters, who are more likely to live in poorly built, low energy efficient homes with no power to make changes to the…
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Event Recap: Heat and Disability Symposium
On the 26th of May Sweltering Cities hosted our first Heat and Disability Symposium, bringing together more than 120 people with lived experience of disability, researchers, advocates, and policy makers from across Australia to discuss how extreme heat impacts disabled communities. This event was run in cooperation with Writer and Disability Advocate El Gibbs, and…
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The Night Walkers Initiative: How our Cool Walks Toolkit can be used in your own community
After the release of Sweltering Cities’ Cool Walks Toolkit, one of our supporters Cherie shared her simple yet incredibly impactful initiative helping people stay connected, active and safe during the hotter months. It is getting increasingly harder during summer to maintain regular physical activity and social connection. While walking in the cooler evening hours can…
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Data Centres, AI, Urban Heat, and Community Action comes together in Western Sydney
We are witnessing a data centre boom all across the globe and increasingly in Australia. Driven by growing demand for AI and digital services, data centres rely on heavy infrastructure and energy-intensive cooling systems. They attract billion-dollar global investment and in NSW, are being moved quickly through planning pipelines. This process has left limited clarity…
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Cool Walks Toolkit: Released Today
Turning local knowledge into cooler, fairer streets As Australian summers become longer and more intense, the way our neighbourhoods are designed is increasingly shaping how safe and comfortable they are to live in. This week, Sweltering Cities is releasing a new resource to help communities take action: the Cool Walks Toolkit. Developed in collaboration with…
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Report Released: Summer Survey 2026
Summer Survey 2026 Reveals Millions Forced to Ration Cooling During Record Heat The Cost of Keeping Cool is Making Australians Sick Sweltering Cities has today released the findings of its 2026 Summer Survey, exposing a national health crisis driven by the rising cost of keeping cool. With data from over 2,600 respondents across 766 postcodes,…
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Heat and Community Solutions in Fremantle: Cool Walk Recap
On Monday 9th of Feb, we held our very first WA Community Cool Walk through a pocket of Fremantle. 14 community members joined us to reflect on the ways in which existing spaces and structures impact the happiness, health and heat-resilience of our communities. Perth was on the tail-end of a series of sweltering…
