Air quality in Australia: where to check and what to do

Short answer. Phaenyx found no national air quality index for Australia: each state reports its own. EPA Victoria, Queensland and NSW publish hourly readings ¹⁴⁵. Victoria uses five categories, from Good to Extremely Poor ¹. On Very Poor days, EPA Victoria advises everyone to consider reducing outdoor activity, closing windows and doors, and using a P2 or N95 mask ¹.

Where can I check air quality right now?

• Victoria: EPA Victoria's Check air and water quality map gives current air quality and forecasts, alerts and pollution incidents ². Its AirWatch tool gives hourly data and ratings for each site and daily regional forecasts ¹.
• Queensland: live air data with hourly updates from the statewide network, and a page of current smoke and dust levels ⁴³.
• New South Wales: the NSW Government rates its readings against five Air Quality Categories (AQC), Good to Extremely Poor, published hourly, with a daily forecast for Greater Sydney at 4 pm ⁵.

Phaenyx did not check the other states and territories for this page. For fire and smoke warnings, see our Australia alerts page.

What do the index levels mean?

There is no single national scale. Victoria's five categories are Good, Fair, Poor, Very Poor and Extremely Poor; Poor or worse means a pollutant is above its guideline or standard ¹.

For smoke events, Queensland uses five health action levels based on hourly PM2.5: good (0-12.5 µg/m³), fair (12.5-25), poor (25-50), very poor (50-150) and extremely poor (above 150) ³. See Air quality index explained.

How polluted is the air on average?

The population-weighted median of Australian cities shows about 6 µg/m³ of PM2.5 (annual mean 2021-2023) ⁶, slightly above the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³ ⁸. Nitrogen dioxide is about 10.9 µg/m³ ⁷, just above the WHO guideline of 10 µg/m³ ⁸. That NO2 figure is a regional background over roughly 80 km: a busy street will be higher.

What should I do on a bad air day, or during bushfire smoke or dust?

EPA Victoria's advice when the air is Very Poor, for everyone ¹:

• Reduce outdoor physical activity, especially if you cough or feel short of breath.
• Close windows and doors until outdoor air is better.
• Use a portable air cleaner with a HEPA filter if you have one.
• Use a P2 or N95 mask, but ask your doctor first if you have a heart or lung condition.
• Go to a place with cleaner air, such as an air-conditioned library or shopping centre, if it is safe.

People sensitive to air pollution should start these steps at Poor ¹. EPA Victoria counts as sensitive: people with heart or lung conditions including asthma, people over 65, infants and young children, pregnant people and people with diabetes ¹. If anyone has trouble breathing or chest tightness, call triple zero (000) ¹.

See Wildfire smoke, A clean-air room at home, Masks for smoke, Dust storms and Sensitive people and polluted air. A household plan can note who at home is sensitive and where to go for cleaner air.

Frequently asked questions

Does Australia have a national air quality index?

Phaenyx found none; states publish their own categories ¹³⁵.

Which mask helps with bushfire smoke?

EPA Victoria names P2 or N95 masks, with medical advice first for people with heart or lung conditions ¹.

Who counts as sensitive to smoke?

In EPA Victoria's advice: heart or lung conditions including asthma, over 65s, infants and young children, pregnant people and people with diabetes ¹.

Where do I get smoke warnings in NSW?

The NSW Government points to the Hazards Near Me app for alerts and warnings about hazard reduction burns and bushfires ⁵.

Sources

1. EPA Victoria — Air quality categories — https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/air-quality-categories (accessed 2026-10-27)
2. EPA Victoria — Check air and water quality — https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/check-air-and-water-quality (accessed 2026-10-27)
3. Queensland Government — Current smoke and dust levels — https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/management/monitoring/air/dust-and-smoke-health-action-levels (accessed 2026-10-27)
4. Queensland Government — Air quality — https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/management/monitoring/air (accessed 2026-10-27)
5. NSW Government — Air quality in NSW — https://www.nsw.gov.au/environment-land-and-water/air-quality (accessed 2026-10-27)
6. Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group (ACAG), Washington University in St. Louis — Surface PM2.5, V6.GL.02.04 (annual mean 2021-2023) — https://sites.wustl.edu/acag/datasets/surface-pm2-5/ (accessed 2026-10-27)
7. Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) — CAMS global reanalysis (EAC4) — https://ads.atmosphere.copernicus.eu/ (accessed 2026-10-27)
8. WHO — WHO global air quality guidelines (2021) — https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240034228 (accessed 2026-10-27)