Cavenagh St shade structure making area ‘cooler’, according to early results from UNSW boffins
THE slow-growing $2.7m shade structure on Cavenagh Street stunted by overzealous pruning is supposedly making the area ‘cooler’ despite barely breaking through the canopy, according to early data from a government-ordered research study.
Northern Territory
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THE slow-growing $2.7m shade structure on Cavenagh Street stunted by overzealous pruning is supposedly making the area “cooler” despite barely breaking through the canopy, according to early data from a government-ordered research study.
It comes as Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler declined to say if the government would consider uprooting and switching the vines at the Cavenagh Street site in the event the shade structures being built at Cullen Bay are more successful.
MORE ON THE CAVENAGH ST SHADE STRUCTURE:
‘Overzealous pruning’ to blame for lack of shade at Cavenagh St structure nearly two years on
Darwin’s newest shade structures to feature different vine species than Cavenagh St frame
$2.7m Cavenagh St shade structure unlikely to ever have shade, experts say
But whether or not the Cullen Bay shade project will win in the race against vines is up in the air, with gardening expert Sandra Byrnes from Arnhem Nursery lamenting the species being used, the Madagascar jasmine, only grows well in small spaces and doesn’t enjoy the hot sun.
Mrs Byrnes also described one of the vines chosen for both the Cullen Bay and Cavenagh Street structures – the orange trumpet – as “stupid” as it grows to a maximum length of about 3m.
She said the vine species syngonium would have worked far better.
The NT government in September, after being asked to explain why the Cavenagh Street shade structure still looked sparse two years after being built, revealed “overzealous pruning” and a common infestation at the start of the project was partly to blame. Ms Lawler, the shade structure’s most ardent defender, is now pointing to early results from an $80,000 government-ordered heat mitigation research study that found it was now “cooler” under the shade structure. The specific temperature drop wasn’t provided.
The study, being conducted by University of New South Wales boffins, will evaluate the success of a number of taxpayer-funded heat mitigation projects, including the shade structure, demolition of the Chan building and the State Square underground carpark.
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Ms Lawler also said the vines on Cavenagh Street were now “growing well and healthy” and was optimistic that an “impending good wet season” would result in “further coverage”.
Under the government’s own target, the shade structure was meant to be covered in vines by May this year.
Originally published as Cavenagh St shade structure making area ‘cooler’, according to early results from UNSW boffins
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