Proactive measures

DROUGHT, bushfires and heatwaves have resulted in a growing demand for governments to adopt proactive measures to counter these major catastrophes.

Atmospheric pollution caused by the release of carbon dioxide, methane and other gases is certainly our greatest concern, but another form of warming, urban heat, can also cause serious health risks in our cities, particularly for children and the elderly.

The prevalence of concrete and asphalt in the urban landscape absorbs and stores heat, and without trees and vegetation to provide shade and evaporation there is little protective cooling. Extreme heat events can cause dehydration and heat stroke, as well as chronic conditions such as cardiovascular, respiratory and cerebrovascular disease.

In addition to the heat island effect of many streets, Toowoomba’s central city has several large concrete and bitumensheeted car parks at street level to exacerbate the heating problem. These could be replaced by a smaller number of multistorey car parks featuring green walls and placed in strategic locations. This would free up council owned prime real estate to redevelop for uses which enhance the attractiveness and viability of the central city.

Toowoomba does have a plan for tree-lined avenues and boulevards in the CBD (Toowoomba City Centre Master Plan, 2010), drawn up by expert urban planners after extensive public consultation. However, successive councils have failed to fully implement the plan’s visionary streetscape proposals.

Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the TCCMP, an excellent opportunity for the council to announce a strategy to progressively implement streetscape projects that reflect Toowoomba’s Garden City reputation. TERRY RYAN, Meringandan West