Key messages

• Communities are most concerned about environmental hazards that pose direct and visible risks to life and property, for example bushfires and floods.
• Fewer people report concern about abstract issues like emissions, even though emissions are the main driver of climate change.
• Concern levels change over time and are influenced by recent events. They also vary by factors such as gender, education, and location.
• Understanding these patterns supports evidence-based decision-making and policy development.
• Enviro Pulse data about NSW community's wellbeing, experiences and responses in relation to nature and climate is available to support decision making.

Understanding community concern about environmental hazards in NSW

Environmental hazards such as bushfires, pollution, flooding, and drought continue to affect communities across NSW with significant impacts on people, property, livelihoods and wellbeing. Understanding the extent to which people are concerned about these and other environmental hazards is critical to inform community engagement and policy development. 

The NSW Government's Enviro Pulse survey  engages with the community on a regular basis to learn about their environmental beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. It provides an opportunity for a ‘pulse check’ of the community’s environmental priorities and the reasons behind these. 

This Social Insights article presents the survey findings about community concern for following environmental hazards – air pollution, bushfire risk, drought, emissions levels, low use of renewable energy, heatwaves, severe storms and flooding, water pollution, soil pollution, and pesticides. The article explores which issues people are most concerned about, how this varies across the community, and how concerns change over time.

Community concern about environmental hazards reflects recent threats to safety and property

Environmental hazards vary in visibility and impact. Some are acutely experienced during severe weather events such as storms or bushfire that present direct risks to personal safety or property, while other hazards are less tangible. Enviro Pulse shows that community concerns usually reflect recent seasonal weather or pollution events covered by the media. For example, in September 2025 survey, around 1 in 2 people mentioned either severe storms and flooding (58%), water pollution (55%), or bushfire risk (55%) as concerns.  

For comparison, storms and flooding were a concern for 71% of NSW residents in March 2022, following La Niña related floods. Bushfire concern was highest in September 2023 (reported by 65%), reflecting the unusually hot weather and smoke and haze from hazard reduction burns in NSW around that time.

Ongoing disaster events and other concerns – such as cost-of-living pressures and global events – have shifted community attention away from less tangible environmental issues like greenhouse gas emissions or low use of renewables. Close to 1 in 3 people identified these as a worry in September 2025, down from about 4 in 10 in 2021. (Emission levels now a worry for 34% of NSW residents, down from 41% in March 2021. Low use of renewables now a worry for 32%, down from 44%.

 

Enviro Pulse shows levels of concern differ within the NSW community

The data shows that some groups are more concerned about certain environmental hazards than others. For example, women tend to report higher concern levels than men. Individuals with university qualification are more likely to express concern about extreme heat, emission levels, or low use of renewables. Meanwhile, concern about bushfire risk is consistent across education levels.

Concern for environmental hazards varies by location – either the region, or urban density of the place – with people more likely to worry about weather events and issues that directly affect them or their communities. The data shows that:

• Concern about severe storms and flooding was highest in northern parts of NSW in September 2025, where 73% of residents were concerned. This result aligns with the cyclone warning and associated severe weather in the region earlier this year.
• Concern for bushfire risk was highest in regional and rural areas (a worry for 69% of rural respondents in September), and lowest among Geater Sydney/urban residents (49%).
• Rural and regional residents typically express greater concern about drought (particularly in western NSW – 66% in September 2025), pesticides and soil pollution. In contrast, urban residents are typically more concerned about air pollution or heatwaves.

The next edition of Social Insights - Why is the community concerned about environmental hazards? explores how community views the social, economic, and environmental impacts of these hazards.

What does this mean for adaptation planning?

Insights into public concern for environmental issues and how it varies across demographic groups can support policy development and community engagement. 

For example, the findings in this issue of Social Insights highlight the need to raise awareness about less visible issues - such as emissions. While emissions are the main driver of climate change and have significant environmental and health impacts, they are not recognised as a concern by many community members.

As experiences and awareness vary within the community, a range of tailored responses may be needed to address information gaps and concerns. 

Resources and further reading

Read about the Enviro Pulse survey that engages with the community about their households’ climate adaptation needs, barriers, and opportunities.

Read the next Social Insights story that explores how community views the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the hazards discussed in this article.