Extreme weather events are increasing in both frequency and severity across Australia, significantly impacting the way Australians live and work. These impacts are often experienced most acutely by people who rely on care and community services, and by the frontline workers who support them. As climate risks intensify, there is a growing need to understand how extreme weather events are affecting this critical workforce to inform actions to better resource and protect both frontline staff and the communities they serve.

This report outlines findings from an online survey of 829 frontline staff working in organisations in the UnitingCare Network in Australia, conducted between January 27 and February 23, 2026. The examples of extreme weather events used in this research included heatwaves, bushfires, floods, severe storms and cyclones.

Key findings

• The vast majority of frontline staff across care and community services are being impacted by extreme weather events.
• Frontline staff are deeply concerned about extreme weather events, especially the impact of these events on the people they support.
• Extreme weather is putting pressure on frontline staff to make difficult choices between their own needs and the wellbeing of the people they support.
• Extreme weather is disrupting frontline staff’s ability to deliver services, impacting workers themselves and the people they support.
• Extreme weather events are negatively affecting the mental and physical health of both frontline staff and the people they support in a variety of ways.
• Extreme weather events are adding new responsibilities for frontline staff.