Urban heat mapping wins Tidy Towns Award

Parkes Shire Council has taken home an award from this year's NSW Tidy Towns Sustainability Awards, winning the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation category for its urban heat and canopy mapping project. The award recognises council’s proactive approach to understanding and preparing for the impacts of rising temperatures, using data and evidence to help shape a cooler, greener and more resilient future for Parkes. With summer temperatures in Parkes reaching as high as 46 degrees, and extreme heat expected to increase, urban greening is becoming increasingly important for the health, comfort and liveability of the community. The urban heat and canopy mapping project provides baseline data showing how heat is distributed across the town and where tree canopy currently exists. This information helps council identify areas most in need of additional shade and vegetation, guiding future investment in urban greening and cooling initiatives. Before deciding where new trees and shade will make the greatest difference, council needs to understand where heat is concentrated and where existing canopy is lacking. The mapping provides that evidence, supporting a long-term urban greening and cooling strategy that aims to reduce heat exposure, improve public spaces and deliver more equitable access to shade. Councillor Marg Applebee represented council at the awards in Orange over the weekend, alongside council’s manager of environment and sustainability Michael Chambers. Cr Applebee said the award recognised the importance of planning ahead and using evidence to guide practical responses to climate challenges. “Understanding where our town experiences the greatest heat, and where tree canopy is limited, gives us a much stronger foundation for planning future improvements,” she said. “This project gives council the baseline information we need to target urban greening and cooling initiatives where they can make the biggest difference. "It’s about more than planting trees, it’s about creating cooler, more comfortable public spaces, reducing heat-related risks and helping Parkes prepare for the hotter conditions ahead. “We’re proud this work has been recognised at a state level. "It’s an important step towards a more climate-resilient Parkes and a great example of how data can support better long-term decisions for our community.” Parkes was also named a finalist in the Overall NSW Tidy Towns Awards, with council entering four projects that demonstrate its commitment to environmental sustainability, community participation and improving local places. The projects were the Lake Endeavour boating access project, PAC Park flood damage repair, Shaping the Heart of Parkes and the award-winning urban heat and canopy mapping project. Together these initiatives reflect council’s focus on protecting and improving community assets, planning for future challenges and involving residents in shaping the places where they live. Awards host Keep Australia Beautiful NSW CEO Val Southam congratulated all award recipients, saying the awards celebrate “the people who give their time, energy and ideas to make their communities better places to live”. Established in NSW in 1981, the Tidy Towns program recognises and celebrates projects that improve environmental sustainability, waste management, recycling, heritage, community spirit and local liveability.