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Air Quality
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Darling River campground (Yapara Paaka Thuru), Toorale National Park. Credit: Joshua Smith/DPIE

Health advice

The NSW Department of Planning and Environment and NSW Health have created air quality categories to guide you on what activities you can do, based on the air quality in your area.

Air pollution has a significant impact on human health and the economy. It is important to protect your health when air quality is poor by modifying your activities.

Go with the colours to protect your health

Air quality measurements from your local monitoring station are summarised using 5 air quality categories (AQC), rating air quality as 'Good', 'Fair', 'Poor', 'Very Poor' or 'Extremely Poor'.

The five colours of air quality categories (AQC) — green, yellow, orange, red, and darker red—mirror the traffic light signals, representing varying levels of air pollution from good to hazardous, much like the progression from 'go' to 'stop' in traffic. By following the colours as described in the activity guide below, you will be able to understand how current air quality might affect your health.

Sensitive groups

Some people are more sensitive to air pollution than others. Sensitive groups include:

  • people with heart or lung conditions, including asthma
  • people over the age of 65
  • infants and children
  • pregnant women and their unborn babies.

The activity guide therefore has different recommendations for sensitive groups for each air quality category. General advice on actions you can take to protect yourself and your health at each colour category is also provided.

Activity guide

The activity guide below has been derived by categorising air quality into colour indicators, based on threshold values for air pollutants’ concentrations and visibility data. Go with the colours and follow the recommended actions to protect your health.

Air quality category

General health advice and recommended actions

Sensitive groups including:

  • people with a heart or lung condition, including asthma
  • people over the age of 65
  • infants and children
  • pregnant women

Everyone else

Good

  • NO CHANGE needed to your normal outdoor activities.
  • NO CHANGE needed to your normal outdoor activities.

Fair

  • REDUCE outdoor physical activity if you develop symptoms such as cough or shortness of breath.
  • Consider closing windows and doors until outdoor air quality is better.
  • Follow the treatment plan recommended by your doctor.
  • If you are concerned about symptoms call the 24-hour HealthDirect helpline on 1800 022 222 or see your doctor.
  • In a health emergency, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.
  • NO CHANGE needed to your normal outdoor activities.

Poor

  • AVOID outdoor physical activity if you develop symptoms such as cough or shortness of breath.
  • When indoors, close windows and doors until outdoor air quality is better.
  • Follow the treatment plan recommended by your doctor.
  • If you are concerned about symptoms call the 24-hour HealthDirect helpline on 1800 022 222 or see your doctor.
  • In a health emergency, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.
  • REDUCE outdoor physical activity if you develop symptoms such as cough or shortness of breath.

Very poor

  • STAY INDOORS as much as possible with windows and doors closed until outdoor air quality is better.
  • If you feel that the air in your home is uncomfortable, consider going to a place with cleaner air (such as an air-conditioned building like a library or shopping centre) if it is safe to do so.
  • Actively monitor symptoms and follow the treatment plan recommended by your doctor.
  • If you are concerned about symptoms call the 24-hour HealthDirect helpline on 1800 022 222 or see your doctor.
  • In a health emergency, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.
  • AVOID outdoor physical activity if you develop symptoms such as cough or shortness of breath.
  • When indoors, close windows and doors until outdoor air quality is better.
  • If you are concerned about symptoms call the 24-hour HealthDirect helpline on 1800 022 222 or see your doctor.
  • In a health emergency, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.

Extremely poor

  • STAY INDOORS with windows and doors closed until outdoor air quality is better and reduce indoor activity.
  • If you feel that the air in your home is uncomfortable, consider going to a place with cleaner air (such as an air-conditioned building like a library or shopping centre) if it is safe to do so.
  • Actively monitor symptoms and follow the treatment plan recommended by your doctor.
  • If you are concerned about symptoms call the 24-hour HealthDirect helpline on 1800 022 222 or see your doctor.
  • In a health emergency, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.
  • STAY INDOORS as much as possible with windows and doors closed until outdoor air quality is better.
  • If you feel that the air in your home is uncomfortable, consider going to a place with cleaner air (such as an air-conditioned building like a library or shopping centre) if it is safe to do so.
  • If you are concerned about symptoms call the 24-hour HealthDirect helpline on 1800 022 222 or see your doctor.
  • In a health emergency, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.