Blacktown: CoolSeal technology to make city cooler

Blacktown could be about to get that little bit cooler as our summers get even hotter, thanks to cutting-edge new technology trialled in the area.

Blacktown could be about to become that little bit cooler as our summers get hotter, thanks to new technology.

Blacktown City Council has been trialling CoolSeal technology, which is a new road surface covering, in a bid to reduce urban heat.

It is the first of its kind trial among NSW councils and the results show road temperature can be reduced between 6-11ºC.

Council began trialling CoolSeal in early 2020.

CoolSeal is a light grey coloured coating for roads which replaces the regular dark asphalt.

Blacktown City Council trial innovative CoolSeal coating on five streets in Ropes Crossing. Picture: Blacktown Council

It has been trialled on a number of streets in Ropes Crossing such as Mortlock Avenue, O’Donoghue Street, Burnet Court, Bartlett Avenue and Kobe Street.

The trial was conducted in partnership with City of Parramatta and Campbelltown councils, and Western Sydney University (WSU) with heat monitoring conducted by WSU over the summer months.

Results from the trial showed that unshaded pavements coated in CoolSeal were between 6 and 11°C cooler than regular uncoated roads.

Western Sydney is set to get more 35C plus days each year going into the future. Picture: Blacktown Council

While the trial areas were limited in size, it is expected if the CoolSeal surface is used over a wider area it will also bring down the average ambient temperature.

Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale said the trial was a big step forward in combating the issue of rising urban heat.

“In recent years, we have seen the catastrophic consequences of rising temperatures on our environment and therefore council is committed to reducing heat stress in Blacktown City,” Mayor Bleasdale said.

“Urban development and climate change are accelerating this issue, with climate modelling for our region predicting an increase of up to 10 days over 35°C over the coming years.

“Blacktown City and Western Sydney consistently record higher summer temperatures than the average for metropolitan Sydney, so it is crucial we look at ways to reduce the urban heat impact and improve quality of life in our city.

Mayor Tony Bleasdale is a strong advocate for climate change initiatives.

“Dark road surfaces are a contributor to urban heat, which in turn is a contributor to climate change.

“Blacktown City Council is a leader in urban environmental planning and innovation, and by trialling the CoolSeal project we hope to reduce the urban heat impact on our residents.”

He said the council will continue to explore additional measures to reduce the temperature of road surfaces, including the use of light-coloured aggregate in road surfacing, the use of clear asphalt binder in place of black binder and the use of concrete pavements.

Following the CoolSeal trial the council will now consider whether to use the product more widely across the city.