Urban Forest and Cooling Strategy

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Consultation has concluded

Council is currently developing an Urban Forest and Cooling Strategy for our major urban centres of Queanbeyan, Bungendore, Braidwood and Googong. This follows on from the results of the QPRC Surface Heat Mapping study which found that over 85% of urban land in the region fell within an urban heat island (two degrees hotter than surrounding natural areas).

The Urban Forest and Cooling Strategy will aim to:

  • Lessen the impacts of extreme hot days and heat waves by reducing urban heat islands in urban (built up) areas
  • Ensure a healthy, resilient and sustainable urban forest
  • Increase and diversify urban biodiversity
  • Develop infrastructure to support the urban forest and urban cooling
  • Engage the community
  • Support adaptation actions throughout our urban centres
  • Mitigate climate change by storing carbon

This project is funded by the NSW Governments ‘Increasing Resilience to Climate Change’ fund which is administered by Local Government NSW.

Definitions

Urban forest: is a forest, or a collection of trees and other vegetation, that grow within a city, town or a suburb. It incorporates vegetation in streets, parks, gardens, plazas, campuses, river and creek embankments, wetlands, railway corridors, community gardens, green walls, balconies and roofs.

Urban cooling infrastructure: infrastructure which aim to help municipalities mitigate and adapt to extreme heat events, whose frequency and intensity are increasing due to climate change.

Urban heat island: an urban area or metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding natural areas due to human activities such as built up spaces, dark roofs, and less vegetation cover.

Urban tree canopy cover: refers to the layer of tree leaves, branches and stems that provide tree coverage (shade) of the ground.

Council is currently developing an Urban Forest and Cooling Strategy for our major urban centres of Queanbeyan, Bungendore, Braidwood and Googong. This follows on from the results of the QPRC Surface Heat Mapping study which found that over 85% of urban land in the region fell within an urban heat island (two degrees hotter than surrounding natural areas).

The Urban Forest and Cooling Strategy will aim to:

  • Lessen the impacts of extreme hot days and heat waves by reducing urban heat islands in urban (built up) areas
  • Ensure a healthy, resilient and sustainable urban forest
  • Increase and diversify urban biodiversity
  • Develop infrastructure to support the urban forest and urban cooling
  • Engage the community
  • Support adaptation actions throughout our urban centres
  • Mitigate climate change by storing carbon

This project is funded by the NSW Governments ‘Increasing Resilience to Climate Change’ fund which is administered by Local Government NSW.

Definitions

Urban forest: is a forest, or a collection of trees and other vegetation, that grow within a city, town or a suburb. It incorporates vegetation in streets, parks, gardens, plazas, campuses, river and creek embankments, wetlands, railway corridors, community gardens, green walls, balconies and roofs.

Urban cooling infrastructure: infrastructure which aim to help municipalities mitigate and adapt to extreme heat events, whose frequency and intensity are increasing due to climate change.

Urban heat island: an urban area or metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding natural areas due to human activities such as built up spaces, dark roofs, and less vegetation cover.

Urban tree canopy cover: refers to the layer of tree leaves, branches and stems that provide tree coverage (shade) of the ground.