Penrith acting now to build heat resilience

With increasing temperatures in Western Sydney, Penrith Council is acting now to build heat resilience and create cooler neighbourhoods.

Council’s General Manager Warwick Winn said the organisation has partnered with Western Sydney University to collect data from heat sensors in 120 locations across our city.

“We know it’s hot in Penrith during summer and only set to get hotter. We also know anecdotally that there is a difference between temperatures in different parts of the City, but we don’t really know how much they vary,” Mr Winn said.

This is where the heat sensors come in.

“We need accurate new data to direct advocacy priorities and make the business case for change to industry – especially to developers – so that we can create a sustainable and liveable future city.”

Penrith Mayor, Ross Fowler OAM said we also need to learn from experts.

“In 2020 we are bringing key stakeholders and leading planning and building professionals to Penrith for a Cooling the City Masterclass,” Cr Fowler said.

The event will explore initiatives to create cooler urban spaces, present the business case for greener development and innovative heat reduction strategies.

If you're working in the industry you'll learn about the challenges of urban heat, the business case and imperative for action, leading case studies and how we adapt them for Sydney, as well as where the leading policy and research is taking the built environment sector in to the future.

ABC Gardening Australia presenter and Perth based Environmental Scientist Dr Josh Byrne will be keynote speaker at the event.

“Perth has some great examples of urban development where an integrated approach to energy, water and landscaping is being tested,” he said. “There’s some great learnings coming from these projects and I see Penrith Council’s Masterclass as a terrific opportunity to share these, and to discuss how these ideas can be applied locally.”

According to Dr Byrne we need to plan now for the challenges of increasing urban heat and extreme heat events and to ensure private and public spaces are designed appropriately.

Dr Byrne will join other high-profile speakers at the event, including representatives from Greater Sydney Commission, Resilient Sydney, the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, Western Sydney University, the University of New South Wales, University of Utah, Frasers Property Australia and the CSIRO.

The Cooling the City Masterclass will be held on 18 February at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre.

Book now.

Read more about the heat sensor project and the Cooling the City Masterclass.

Image: Penrith Mayor, Ross Fowler OAM said data collected from the heat sensors would help guide Council’s advocacy priorities.