Posts filed under ‘urban forest’
Tackling Urban heat at CB Smith Reserve with more trees
Merri-bek Council have started work in tackling the urban heat of the CB Smith Reserve car park in Fawkner by providing more spaces for canopy trees to be planted.
Asphalt surfaces commonly heat up to 60 degrees Celsius during warm summer days. That acts as a heat bank which then radiates during the night keeping the local area at elevated temperatures during the night. This can affect nearby residences. A spot temperature reading was taken on 17 February of the asphalt road in front of the community hall with a spot temperature reading of 58.2C A concrete section of the road at the same location was 51.2C Ambient air temperature in the shade was 38C.
(more…)Submission: Moreland Council Budget 2021/22
On Wednesday 2 June Moreland Council had it’s formal submission feedback session to Councillors over zoom on the Draft Council Budget in 2021/22. The Climate Action Moreland submission was six and a half pages in length. Convenor John Englart briefly summarised the submission for Councillors.
Our submission called for increased expenditure to address the climate emergency, and addressed issues across the following areas:
- Infrastructure to improve uptake of Sustainable Transport
- Street trees, in particular the maintenance and protection of trees
- Permeable and low carbon surfaces
- Leisure Centres (in particular Fawkner Leisure Centre redevelopment)
- Open Space
- Comment on other strategic initiatives in the budget, including how to Phaseout gas in council facilities
June 5, 2021 at 9:04 am morelandclimategroup Leave a comment
Submission: Moreland Nature Plan needs to recognise existential threat to biodiversity
Kangaroos in Northern Memorial Park
Moreland Council has had a commitment to developing a biodiversity Strategy since at least 2004, but this strategy has been consistently overlooked. We have a Climate Emergency. But we also have an ecological and biodiversity emergency. Both crises are related and need to be addressed together.
Moreland acknowledged we have a climate emergency. Now we need the proposed Nature Plan, which we have waited 16 years for, to reflect the global science on the existential threats to ecosystems and biodiversity. This is important even in highly built up areas such as Moreland, which still harbours over 900 sepecies, at least 36 of them being threatened species.
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Moreland summer temperatures increasing with global heating
Moreland’s Average Maximum January temperature trend
“In Moreland, January’s average top temperature is up 2.4C since 1971.” says Dr Allie Gallant, a climate scientist from Monash University.
“Last year was Australia’s hottest year on record, with an annual average temperature 1.52C above normal. It was also the driest year on record, with national rainfall 40% below normal. Much of the country was affected by drought. The drought worsened dangerous fire conditions, contributing to the devastating bushfire season we’re seeing now.” said Gallant as reported in the Moreland Leader (January 27, 2020).
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Submission: Retaining trees as heritage and to moderate heat in Gandolfo Gardens with Skyrail construction
Urban forest canopy in a highly urbanised area such as around Moreland Station provides vital environmental services. These include habitat for urban wildlife, particularly birds, air filtering pollutants, absorbing excesses rain runoff reducing urban flooding, and providing shade under the established tree canopy which reduces localised temperatures during extreme heat events.
The urban heat island effect is very prominent along the Upfield Corridor and tree canopy provides one of the best methods for local reduction in temperatures during extreme heat events. The trees in Gandolfo Gardens, part of the larger Moreland Reserves either side of the station, contribute substantially to community well being. While most of the present trees were planted during the 1970s and 1980s, there are several trees likely to be well over a hundred years old and part of the original community tree planting in 1911. The local community, lead by the Coburg Progress Association faought hard for the establishment of these reserves and the gardens and trees therein.
Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) will remove 4 sequential level crossings to build an elevated rail line starting from Tinning street and ending before O’Hea street in a $460 million construction project. At Moreland Road the proposal is to build a new elevated station north of the present heritage listed station.
This will entail the destruction of 113 trees within the Moreland Station Reserves, with inadequate reasons given for why the new station could not be built south of Moreland Road, over the road, or on the north side next to Moreland Road. LXRP fail to provide possible alternative construction methodologies to minimise the number of trees to be removed.
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Cooling the Upfield Corridor – Moreland Council adopts plan mitigating Urban heat
Cooling the Upfield Corridor UHIE heatmap
Moreland Council has adopted the Cooling the Upfield Corridor Action Plan 2018-2019.
It is not nearly enough to cut emissions and have a zero community emissions by 2040 target, we also need to look at climate adaptation in our highly built up urban environment. This too is part of a climate emergency response framework.
The urban heat island effect amplifies temperatures due to the urban built infrastructure and surfaces such as roads and carparks. Our Municipality is especially vulnerable to the urban heat island effect.
In coming decades Melbourne is likely to experience 50 degrees days according to researchers at the ANU, even if we limit global temperatures to 2 degrees or the much more ambituous 1.5 degrees target.
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Landmark Urban Forest Strategy adopted by Moreland Council
At the City of Moreland’s August Council meeting the draft Urban Forest Strategy was adopted. This is a major piece of policy for municipality wide climate adaptation and dealing with the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE). Moreland’s urban forest also provides significant shade and cooling to the urban environment, carbon removal, oxygen, biodiversity habitat, and reduced stormwater runoff.
Much work from dedicated council officers like Alex English, Moreland’s Open Space Planner, and many others, have gone into making this strategy document important.
The extensive community consultation resulted in a record number of submissions (257) on this policy, as well as 77 people attending consultation sessions. The adopted Policy document will be available shortly from the Moreland Council website.
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Consultations on Moreland’s Draft Urban Forest Strategy
Moreland’s Urban Forest Strategy has now gone live for community consultation.
Alex English, Moreland’s Open Space planner, will be conducting community consultations including a presentation at the start of Climate Action Moreland’s next meeting on Monday, 22 May at 6:30pm – 8:00pm.
Please visit the consultation website to read the draft policy:
http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/about-us/have-your-say/consultations/draft-urban-forest-strategy/
Community forums on the Draft Urban Forest Strategy:
- Wednesday 10 May 7.30-9pm ROBINSON RESERVE NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE 104A Reynard St Coburg
- Thursday 11 May 6.30-8pm GLENROY LEARNING CENTRE 5B Cromwell Street, Glenroy
- Tuesday 16 May 7.30-9pm NEWLANDS COMMUNITY HOUSE 20 Murray Road, Coburg North
- Thursday 18 May 7-8.30pm FAWKNER COMMUNITY HOUSE 79 Jukes Road, Fawkner
- Tuesday 23 May 6.30-8pm BRUNSWICK NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE 43a De Carle St, Brunswick
After the consultation process has finished Alex English will put together a formal report that will be presented to Moreland Council with responses to all the community feedback and any proposed changes to the strategy.
A peek at Moreland’s draft Urban Forests strategy
Moderating the urban heat island effect with summer temperatures and extreme heat effects increasing has become a priority. One of the best ways to moderate urban heat is through increasing the urban forest canopy. Unfortunately while public tree planting has increased, urban consolidation and development has resulted in a decline on private property.
Last Council meeting considered a draft Urban Forest Policy. The community consultation for Moreland’s Draft Urban Forest Strategy will run from May 1 to May 29. See Moreland Council Meetings page for Agenda for 8 March 2017 (from pg 98) for version presented to council or download it here (PDF 48MB) (This may not be final version)
We will put more details on our website and FB page when available. See a recent report on combatting the urban heat island effect here.
One of the issues that needs to be tackled is public education on trees on private property. A register of important trees is also needed. How the policy integrates with draft Urban Food policy regarding orchard trees is also an issue.
Summary (provided by MCC):
The draft Urban Forest Strategy 2017-2027, will guide the future management of Moreland’s urban forest, aiming to create a municipality where healthy trees and vegetation are a core part of the urban environment. The Strategy aims to deliver practical measures that guide the planning and protection of vegetation across Moreland. The term “urban forest” includes vegetation in both public and private spaces, such as home gardens, nature strips, street trees, balcony plants, rooftop gardens and green walls. It also includes public parks with trees, shrubs, grasslands and wetlands. In summary, the City of Moreland’s:
* Overall vegetation canopy from the urban forest is 14%;
* Public land contributes 5% of total municipal urban forest cover; and
* Private tree canopy has declined by 24% since 2005.
The Strategy aims for a 50% increase of canopy coverage within the public realm by 2030, through the strategic planting of larger canopy trees within streetscapes, parks and natural resource management areas.
Climate Action Merribek: people in Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy wanting action on climate change 