LFA wins grant funding for ‘Keeping Uralla Cool’ Project

We are delighted to announce that the Landscape Foundation of Australis (LFA) has been awarded funding by the NAB Foundation Community Grant Program for the ‘Keeping Uralla Cool’ project.

A view of downtown Uralla.

This project is a collaboration between LFA, ZNET Uralla and community participants in the town of Uralla, located in the Northern Tablelands region of NSW. ZNET Uralla is a well established not-for-profit that promotes the transition of Uralla to a net-zero energy town by 2030, through reduced energy consumption and increased use of renewable energy. LFA will work with ZNET Uralla to raise community awareness of the energy consumption and human health issues related to increasing temperatures associated with climate change, and to identify effective actions to mitigate their impacts.

Uralla has had an increasing number of ‘hot days’ with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius over the past 30 years, and increased occurrence of 10 or more consecutive ‘hot days’. The town’s wide roadways with limited shade trees can create uncomfortably hot conditions during summer for people in the town’s public spaces and along footpaths.

LFA will work with community members to co-design a strategy to mitigate urban heat in Uralla. Three workshops will be held over the 12-month duration of the project to develop a plan that identifies a number of cooling measures. Uralla Council will be consulted to ensure that all proposed actions involving public open space and public streets have Council’s support. A key member of the LFA project team will be Dr. Louise McKenzie who will contribute her expert knowledge of urban heat issues to the project. The goal will be to assist Uralla to prepare an effective response to the predicted increase in heat conditions associated with climate change. 

"Cool" public spaces and streetscapes may include an 'urban greening' component such as shade tree planting, together with water elements, awnings and shade structures. A comprehensive plan will also identify programs related to preparing Uralla for extreme heat conditions and, particularly, how to assist vulnerable citizens when extreme heat events do occur. Concepts for potential demonstration project(s) will be developed for implementation when additional funding becomes available.

The process of preparing Uralla’s urban cooling strategy will provide a model for other rural communities to use for projects that aim to keep their towns cool and their citizens healthy.

Keep an eye on LFA News for updates on this project as it progresses over the coming year!