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Moreland Council receives grant for mitigating the Urban Heat Island effect

May 19, 2016 at 2:34 pm John Englart Leave a comment

Moreland’s social heat vulnerability

Moreland Council has received $80,000 grant funding from the Victorian Government on a project to minimise the impact of the Urban Heat Island Effect on vulnerable social housing residents.

The urban heat island effect results when urban surfaces heat up much faster than rural land. With temperatures climbing due to climate change and more extreme heat events predicted, the urban heat island effect will magnify the heat health impacts on the population, especially more vulnerable people like the young, the old, outside workers and those with medical conditions.

The grant funding was part of $1.15 million to support Council driven projects across Victoria in mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

The funding will assist the Council’s Urban Heat Island Strategy that is presently in draft mode about to go to Council for consideration for formal adoption at Council’s June 2016 meeting.

The project description says:

“This project will investigate how the Urban Heat Island Effect’s negative impacts can be minimised for vulnerable social housing residents by trialling and evaluating cost effective mitigation measures and delivery options. It will create a replicable model for wider implementation.”

Other projects awarded grants of up to $80,000 by the Victorian Government included:

• City of Greater Geelong – Shellfish reefs for shoreline protection of highly erodible coasts
• East Gippsland Shire Council – East Gippsland Renewable Energy Feasibility with Innovative Options
• Hepburn Shire Council – Climate Resilient Recreation Facilities
• City of Yarra – Embedding Green Infrastructure Best Practice Toolkit
• Warrnambool City Council – Barwon South West Local Coastal Hazard Assessment (Phase 1)
• Yarra Ranges Council – Eastern Sporting Savers: customised engagement program to assist the
  region’s sports clubs save on their energy bills
• South Gippsland Shire Council – Investigation into the impact of climate change on Seawalls
• Towong Shire Council – Banking on our solar future – Innovation for resilient communities
• Indigo Shire Council – Battery Storage Revolution
• Campaspe Shire Council – Community Clubs Combat Climate Change project to protect community recreation reserves from climate change impacts

There were also a host of non-competitive grants with a lower value, on preparing for climate change, heatwave adaptation, waste to energy, sustainable water management, sustainable buildings and much more. In total, 45 projects were given funding.

The funding grants are a recognition that reduction in energy consumption through efficiency and conservation, increased renewables and batteries through local grid management, and climate adaptation programs generally are being implemented in practice at the local level through local government.

Local Government are usually strapped for implementing their extensive capital works and maintenance programs, so this additional funding is important for developing new innovative programs in mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Hopefully, the lessons learnt in project development and implementation can be shared more widely to allow Local Government to build on the work of each other.

More information: Victorian Climate Change Grants
The funding grants are a recognition that reduction in energy consumption through efficiency and conservation, increased renewables and batteries through local grid management, and climate adaptation programs generally are being implemented in practice at the local level through local government.

Local Government are usually strapped for implementing their extensive capital works and maintenance programs, so this additional funding is important for developing new innovative programs in mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Hopefully, the lessons learnt in project development and implementation can be shared more widely to allow Local Government to build on the work of each other.

More information: Victorian Climate Change Grants

Related:

• March 2016: Consultation on Urban Heat Island effect Action Plan in Moreland
• March 2016: Expert statement on extreme heat and health
• January 2016: Extreme heat events requires climate adaptation and building resilience
• October 2014: Moreland Council increases Heatwave response strategy
• September 2014: Moreland increasing tree canopy to combat Urban Heat island Effect

Entry filed under: heatwave, Moreland Council, news, Victorian Government. Tags: grant, health, Moreland Council, UHI, Urban heat island, urban heat island effect.