Penrith City Council has expanded its Greening our City tree planting program into industrial areas and major transport corridors in an effort to promote urban cooling and increase canopy cover.
The program first commenced in suburbs that were identified as having low canopy and were vulnerable during periods of extreme heat, and has now been expanded to address industrial areas and transport corridors that have fewer trees.
Council will be planting over 1,000 trees across multiple sites in North and South Penrith, Emu Heights, Emu Plains, and Werrington. All trees used in the program have been specially grown in Council’s own nursery, to ensure that they are well adapted to Penrith’s unique climate.
Penrith City Council Mayor, Tricia Hitchen, said that addressing the problem of urban heat is critical in maintaining a sustainable way of life now and into the future.
“High temperatures can be detrimental to workers and businesses alike, often leading to a decrease in productivity and greater health concerns for employees,” Mayor Hitchen said.
Council believes that planting shade trees and increasing green infrastructure will help reduce the amount of heat energy that is stored within Penrith’s hard surfaces, such as roads, and significantly reduce ambient air temperatures.
Planting trees in industrial estates and major transport corridors could be a vital resource in reducing urban heat, particularly in locations that consist of large expanses of hard surfaces that absorb and trap heat, which is the main contributor to the urban heat island effect.
The urban heat island effect commonly occurs in urban communities and is caused by large amounts of paved and dark coloured surfaces like roads, roofs, and car parks. The sun’s heat is absorbed instead of being reflected, which causes the surface and ambient temperatures to rise.
Council’s Cooling the City Strategy has identified tree planting as one of the easiest ways to mitigate this issue.
“By planting these trees, we are helping to ensure that businesses in the area remain productive and a safe environment for employees, as well as accessible to consumers during the summer months,” Mayor Hitchen said.
“Council’s project team will be working closely with businesses in the area to achieve positive outcomes for all involved.”
Planting locations have been carefully considered to maintain visibility of business signage and access to driveways using a variety of native and exotic tree species to fit with existing infrastructure.
The project is funded by the New South Wales Government in association with Local Government New South Wales.
Featured image: Regentville Road Estate before the trees are planted and after when the trees have fully established (imagery is an estimation of what the trees will look like once matured).
