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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/31/food-delivery-riders-australia-heatwave-hot-weather-protection>
"As the mercury went into the mid-40s across swathes of Australia this week,
many people sheltered indoors, with the air con blasting.
In cities like Melbourne, many ordered food and cold drinks to be delivered to
their homes, to avoid suffering the heat.
Those delivering their food weren’t so lucky.
In the words of one Melbourne delivery rider, who brought food to homes and
offices by bicycle in near 45C temperatures on Tuesday, it was exhausting: the
air was “so hot” and the heat radiating from the pavement made it feel even
worse.
While many Australians can choose to work from home or stay indoors during a
heatwave, delivery riders face a dilemma: go to work and risk their health, or
stay home and lose money.
Demand for deliveries increases during a heatwave – but so does the risk from
the sun and scorched roads, compounded by heavy and insulated protective
clothing.
Delivery rider Stef, who asked that his surname not be published, says he has
worked through many heatwaves in Sydney’s CBD over the past two years.
The hardest part is “beginning work” and trying to find time to take breaks
when needed, he says.
He tries to “stick to the shadows” for sun protection.
“The industry needs more protections,” he says. “Some apps have unreasonable
time limits for deliveries, otherwise [breaches can result in] permanent bans.”
Experts say this needs to change – especially as the climate crisis increases
the risk of more frequent and longer heatwaves."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
