Armidale has been identified as the Australian town with the poorest air quality, according to a report by IQAir that tracks pollution levels around the world. The report found Armidale’s particulate pollution exceeded the World Health Organization air quality guidelines by more than double. The regional city’s widespread use of wood-burning heaters during cold winters was cited as a key factor contributing to elevated pollution levels. Bathurst ranked as Australia’s second-most polluted location, followed by Ludmilla in Darwin. Other locations with comparatively high pollution included Cockburn near Perth and Bungendore. At the other end of the scale, St Helens was named the Australian town with the cleanest air, with Judbury, Emu River, Mornington and Gretna completing an all-Tasmanian top five. The findings reinforced Tasmania’s tourism slogan, “Come Down for Air,” highlighting the island state’s reputation for some of the cleanest air in the world.