Staying cool as the mercury rises higher each year is challenging while construction is booming

Construction is booming in the west but it is also reducing the number of trees in the area making it increasingly difficult for residents to keep cool during hotter summer days.

THE race is on to protect thousands of western Sydney residents from rising temperatures as experts issue a grim warning about the construction boom in the city’s newest suburbs triggering a “heat spiral”.

Associate Professor Sebastian Pfautsch from the School of Urban Studies at Western Sydney University told The Daily Telegraph that the boom in construction, without appropriate measures to deal with heat, was leaving the vulnerable at risk.

Prof Pfautsch said the latest analysis by the university showed that within 30 years the western suburbs could be dealing with more than 50 days each summer where temperatures are above 35 degrees due to a lack of natural tree cover.

“The associated building boom means that Western Sydney is rapidly losing its natural cooling capacity. At the same time, the number of days with extremely high air temperatures (above 35°C) are increasing,” he said.

Samson Ava and his sister Olivia Ava cooling off at Cirillo Water Park splash playground at Middleton Grange in Sydney’s west. Picture: Richard Dobson

“And vast additional areas covered by roads, carparks and buildings will make these conditions even worse, pushing air temperatures during heatwaves to 50 degrees and higher. This is a vicious heat spiral we must interrupt,” he said.

Infrastructure Minister Rob Stokes introduced some measures, including banning black roofs, in a bid to drive down urban heat, but the requirements were overturned last year.

The professor said the government needs to act now or there could be dire consequences.

“NSW Treasury predicts that by 2061 heatwaves could lead to up to 2.7 million workdays lost per year, most of them in the construction industry,” he said.

Investments in new facilities such as the Cirillo Water Park splash playground at Middleton Grange will certainly provide some respite from the rising temperatures.

“I had loads of fun, especially under the umbrella fountain of water,” Olivia Ava said after having fun in the water park.

“I like finishing off the week by cooling down and having some fun with my brother. ”