Western Sydney is expected to bear the brunt of the social, economic and health costs of increased heatwaves in coming decades, a new report has revealed.
With the number of days of 35C set to double from 10 days per year in 2010 to 2019 to 20 days per year in 2070-79, the real cost of heat waves could quadruple to $6.8 billion by 2079 for households, governments and businesses .
This includes costs associated with cooling homes, lost productivity and increased health costs, as outlined in the Burning Money report prepared by the Committee for Sydney and Scyne Advisory.
Western Sydney suburbs, including Parramatta, The Hills and Canterbury Bankstown, to Sydney’s fringes, including the Blue Mountains, Penrith and Wollondilly, will bear the brunt of the economic pain.
Western Sydney will bear the brunt of the increased heat waves. Image: Committee for Sydney
The Burning Money report says more than half of the increased costs (59 percent) will be spent on health care and protecting vulnerable communities from the heat. This includes infants, children, the elderly, outdoor workers, the homeless and people with pre-existing health conditions.
The annual productivity loss in the workforce could also increase by more than fourfold, with companies losing around DKK 2 billion. USD per year in 2070.
Home cooling costs will also increase by 370 percent, and household energy bills are also expected to increase by $163.
The report says while the average household in western Sydney spends about $258 a year today, that figure is expected to rise to $421 by 2079.
The number of days above 35C is expected to double over the next 35 years. Image: NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard
Sydney Resilience Program Director Sam Kernaghan said the economic impact of rising temperatures in western Sydney would be borne by the residents, businesses and taxpayers of Sydney and NSW.
“Every time the mercury hits 35C, homes and businesses burn money in western Sydney,” he said.
‘Households already pay more than $650 in extra costs per per capita today from lost productivity, healthcare costs and household cooling costs.
“Heat waves are making Sydney’s west a less livable and more expensive place to live, and that will get worse over time.”
But above the economic costs, which will affect the ‘supply, construction and logistics sectors’, are the health implications, he said.
“Far more important than lost productivity are people losing their lives at work, on the sports field and in their homes in Sydney,” he said.
‘Heat is Australia’s silent killer, responsible for more deaths than all other natural disasters combined.’
Current figures from government agency AdaptNSW state that temperatures in western Sydney are already 6C to 10C warmer than the rest of the city during extreme heat events.
In January 2020, Penrith officially became the hottest place on earth, with temperatures reaching 48.9C.
Alarmingly, heat loggers commissioned by Penrith City Council, state temperatures even exceeded 50C in Berkshire Park (52C), Agnes Banks (51.5) and Badgerys Creek (50.1C).
