Australians wary of outdoor bush activities as extreme weather looms over summer holidays

As Australians prepare for their summer holiday activities in the outdoors, a new poll shows that a majority are concerned about extreme weather events ruining their plans.

An Essential Research survey for the Climate Council found 61% of Australians are concerned about unnatural disasters disrupting their summer holidays and are adopting strategies to cope, such as shifting their destinations from the bush to the coast, or travelling in cooler months.

The nationally representative poll of 1200 Australians found:

• 61% of participants with vacation plans are concerned extreme weather events will interrupt their summer holidays.

• Young people are the most worried about unnatural disasters, with 75% of people aged 18-34 either very or somewhat concerned about their travel plans being disrupted.

• More than half of Australians (54%) think camping in the bush is the type of holiday most at risk due to extreme weather events, followed by 41% who thought visiting remote parts of Australia was most likely to be negatively impacted.

• Just over half of those surveyed (54%) believe regional economies will suffer if people holiday elsewhere because of the risk of extreme weather.

Climate Councillor Professor, Lesley Hughes explained “worsening extreme weather events, caused by burning coal, oil and gas, are threatening our treasured holiday plans and endangering our way of life.

“More intense and frequent unnatural disasters are turning Australian summers from a season of joy to a season of dread. Aussie families know that even as they head away for an end of year break, the chances of plans being disrupted by floods, storms, heatwaves or bushfires are increasing each year.

“As Climate Council’s analysis shows, the 2024/25  summer outlook for December is hot and wet, which won’t bring much summer holiday joy. The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting unusually high rainfall for parts of Queensland's coast, Cape York Peninsula, southern New South Wales, eastern parts of Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, northern Western Australia and parts of the interior, which sets our pulses racing before we head off on holidays.”

Professor Hughes went on to say “there’s also a chance of intense tropical cyclones developing up north and fire hot spots in parts of southern Australia, as well as hotter than average days and hot nights. We need to be prepared for anything because burning coal, oil and gas has warmed our oceans and made weather patterns less predictable. This makes it harder to know where the safest, least impacted place will be for a family holiday.

“Australians tell us they’re already taking steps to save their summer holidays, like avoiding camping or travelling inland. To avoid even greater summer holiday disruption in the future, it’s critical we slash climate pollution this decade.“

Click here to view the research.

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