A Thrive Symposium was held at QUT on 2 December 2024, titled the State of Indoor Air in Australia. This interdisciplinary forum was relevant to experts from many fields and to anyone involved with buildings, from academics to leaders tasked with maintaining a safe and resilient internal environment of schools, offices, art museums, and any space we share with others – including homes. Big questions investigated by the team during the forum included:
- What do we know about the quality of air in Australian buildings? What pollutants are of concern? How are they linked to health outcomes? Greenhouse gas emissions?
- Can we achieve a balance in building performance with respect to indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and the energy needed to support this for specific climate(s) and specific building types?
- What additional risks will climate change pose with the increased frequency of episodic pollution events, rainfall intensity, and frequency and duration of heat waves? What is the impact of these changes on indoor air quality? What additional efforts will be required to protect people from exposure to outdoor pollutants penetrating indoors?
- Can public building mechanical systems be optimised to address dynamic IEQ risk and carbon emissions?
- Do we need more R&D? More regulation? More collaboration between all stakeholders, including occupants?
A selection of the presentations was uploaded to our YouTube channel. The details of the lectures are as below:
- Distinguished Professor Lidia Morawska, Queensland University of Technology. Title: Introduction to the Symposium
- Associate Professor Wendy Miller, Queensland University of Technology. Title: Introduction to State of Indoor Air in Australia Reports
- The Honourable Ted Baillieu, Former Premier of Victoria. Title: How governments use State of Environment reports or similar (i.e. evidence) to inform policy
- Ms Hayley Teasdale, Head of Science Policy & Advice, Australian Academy of Science. Title: Activities the Australian Academy of Science in support of good indoor air quality for Australia
- Dr Amanda Wheeler, CSIRO. Title: Smoke from bushfires and wood heaters
- Mr Liam O’Brien, Assistant Secretary, Australian Council Trade Unions (ACTU). Title: The state of indoor air in relation to workers’ health; perspective of the unions
- Ms Plum Stone, The Safer Air Project. Title: What it means for those with chronic health conditions who are more susceptible to infections if they inhale these airborne pathogens
- Prof Bronwyn King, Burnet Institute. Title: Title: Indoor air quality advocacy
