Nightmare pollen season on the horizon for Canberra

There will be no respite for Canberra hay fever sufferers this year with The Australian National University's (ANU) Canberra Pollen project forecasting another nightmare pollen season. Lead researcher Professor Simon Haberle of the ANU School of Culture, History and Language said all the early signs point to a season of high growth for pollen-producing grass. "It's been an above average winter and the satellites are telling us that the greening of South East Australia has already started to kick in," Professor Haberle said. "The soil moisture is also high so it looks like it will be a spring with lots of grass growth. "This is all bad news for hay fever sufferers. We expect pollen levels to be as high as last year." The Canberra Pollen program has been so successful, with the app ed more than 6,000 times with more than 3,500 active users, the program is now set to be rolled out nationally thanks to a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council. "The idea started in Canberra and Melbourne and is now being extended to Sydney and soon to Brisbane," Professor Haberle said.