Opening the national policy reform window for indoor air quality

This was the central message of Safer Shared Air: Indoor air, health and productivity, held at Parliament House, Canberra, on 28 October 2026. This was the third annual Safer Air Project event, and it brought together representatives from government, health, workplace safety, research and the built environment to examine the growing case for improving indoor air quality across Australia.

Beyond theory and policy, the conference also brought lived experience into the room, with voices from patient and community organisations.

Speakers included Distinguished professor Lidia Morawska, THRIVE at QUT; Associate Professor Rebecca Haddock, Director of Public Affairs and Policy for Asthma Australia; Mark Brooke, CEO of Lung Foundation Australia; Professor Fay Johnston, Centre for Safe Air; Professor Brendan Crabb AC, Director and CEO of the Burnett Institute;  Brett Fairweather, F.AIRAH, Director of It’s Engineered; Dr Bronwyn King, co-founder of Air Club; Alison Scotland, CEO of ASBEC; Magali Wardle, Head of Market Development, NABERS; and Plum Stone, CEO of the Safer Air Project.

See the full program and all speakers here.

Three major themes emerge from discussions

From building performance to public health

The discussion highlighted the broader health and economic consequences of poor indoor air, including its relationship with chronic illness, workplace participation and productivity. This signals an important shift: IAQ is no longer solely a technical consideration for building designers and operators, but an issue with wider public policy implications.

From awareness to policy and regulation

The program explored Australia’s emerging responses, including the NSW parliamentary inquiry into IAQ, Safe Work Australia’s work on biological hazards and research-led pathways to cleaner indoor air.

For our industry, the challenge will be translating policy ambitions into practical requirements that can be designed, measured, commissioned, operated and maintained.

A call for national coordination

The final session brought together representatives from the Centre for Safe Air, Air Club, Heart Foundation, ASBEC and NABERS. Discussions on national strategies, international leadership and the need for standards culminated in a call for a National Indoor Air Quality Strategy, supported by a proposed joint pre-budget initiative.

For AIRAH members, this is an important opportunity to contribute technical expertise to an emerging national agenda. Ventilation, filtration, HVAC&R system performance, monitoring, commissioning and maintenance will all be essential to delivering healthier indoor environments.

The conversation is moving beyond why indoor air matters towards how Australia can deliver a nationally consistent and technically credible approach. Our industry needs to be part of shaping that answer.

---