$3 million will be allocated to research for the physiological impacts of prolonged bushfire smoke exposures.
The effectiveness of measures undertaken to reduce exposure to smoke will also be studied.
The remaining $2 million will be used to research the mental health impacts of bushfires on affected communities.
The government has already announced a $76 million mental health support package for those impacted by the bushfires.
The mental health funding will help to provide free counselling sessions, extra Medicare and tele-heath consultations, and support for youth through headspace.
Meanwhile, a team of pollution experts is being put together by a University of New South Wales professor to investigate the long-term health impacts of bushfire smoke.
Respiratory physician and epidemiologist Guy Marks is proposing a major new study to answer questions surrounding the effect of exposure to bushfire smoke.
Marks is putting together a team of two dozen researchers for the project, which will examine the consequences of smoke exposure and will assess the effectiveness of smoke masks.
It comes as Melbourne is shrouded in smoke from fires in Victoria’s north-east, causing chaos for players at the Australian Open qualifiers.
Conditions at Melbourne Park are being constantly monitored and further decisions will be made using the onsite data and in close consultation with our medical team, @BOM_au and scientists from @EPA_Victoria.
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 14, 2020
Tennis stars have slammed Australian Open organisers for going ahead with qualifying matches amid the haze.
Australian player Bernard Tomic needed medical attention as he struggled to breathe during the first round of qualifying for the grand slam.
Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic was forced to retire from her match after she collapsed to the court due to a coughing fit.
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