For Extreme Heat Awareness Day 2026, Act on Climate did outreach and art stalls at two Coburg locations.
Heatwaves are growing in length and temperature due to climate change, and actions like ours on Extreme Heat Awareness Day aim to help people stay safe, and to push for action from local, state and federal governments.
First we set up at Catalyst Social Centre's Really Really Free Market. This initiative distributes food that would otherwise be going to waste free to anyone who wants it. As patrons waited their turn to get their groceries, we invited them to share their experiences in recent heatwaves.
The day was warm and muggy, and memories of serious heatwaves in recent weeks were still fresh in people's minds. We had materials about how to keep cool during hot weather available in several languages such as Vietnamese, Arabic and Farsi. People could also express themselves creatively by collaging with materials we brought.
We heard about struggles getting around in hot weather, substandard housing that lacks adequate insulation, and trouble sleeping when the suburbs stay warm overnight.
After the market, we packed up and moved to a shaded spot outside the Coburg Library. Here we talked to passersby, asking them for their 'hot take on heat', and again inviting people to make a collage or drawing, or to take some information about heatwaves and how to stay safe in them.
Some individuals told us that they personally love the heat, and felt that dealing the hot weather is each person's personal responsibility, but were surprised to learn that heatwaves are Australia's deadliest environmental disaster. As Sweltering Cities put it, "The toll is often underrecognised as people suffer alone in their homes, with heat exacerbating existing physical or mental health conditions."
Many were appreciating the library's free, public, air-conditioned space behind us.
People we talked to brought up solutions such as retrofitting houses (funded by fossil fuel companies), and ripping up concrete in urban areas while planting more street trees and green spaces.
Some were appreciative of their own air conditioned homes, and sympathised with people in insecure housing, like renters, or unhoused people.
By the time we packed up, a cool breeze had arrived and the temperature had dropped to a more comfortable level, but we knew the summer and autumn would bring more dangerous heat. Through our focus on climate adaptation, Act on Climate will keep working towards safer communities for all, and this Extreme Heat Awareness day helped us get the word out and hear from an interesting cross-section of one of our local communities.
Read the results of Sweltering Cities' 'Summer Survey' here.
Together we can help prepare communities for now unavoidable climate impacts!
Get in touch if you'd like to get involved or hear more about what we're doing:
- Kimmi Bebendorf: [email protected], or
- Kim Croxford: [email protected]
Remember, you're always welcome to join Act on Climate's weekly meetings. Our organising and action meetings will take place on the alternative fortnight to the Organising Training Workshops.
All weeks include dinner. Register here for an upcoming Tuesday.
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Want to help ensure we can continue doing the vital work of preparing Vic communities for climate impacts? Please help us continue our work preparing communities for locked-in climate impacts by making a once-off donation or signing up for monthly donations and becoming a member of AoC.
Act on Climate is actively bringing together people around Vic preparing their communities, generating impactful adaptation from the grassroots, while pressuring the Vic Gov to adequately fund community-led climate adaptation.
Donations will go towards a 2026 Climate Adaptation Fair and enable us to continue free Community Resilience Mapping and other events.