Marrickville Council is trialling a new lighter coloured road surface called Ascrete.
Cecelia Street in Marrickville has been resurfaced with Ascrete. The lighter colour is expected to reduce heat absorption.
This is just the second trial of the product in New South Wales.
The trial is one of Council’s climate change projects to adapt to and mitigate heat, as temperatures get hotter and very high temperatures are expected to occur more frequently.
Monash University, through Council’s Water Sensitive Cities partnership, will monitor the new road surface during one week in January 2016. Researchers will measure whether the lighter road does make a difference to ambient temperatures.
Council’s Climate Change Plan and Action Plan address both adaptation and mitigation. Adaptation responds to actual and expected changes to climate, to reduce the impact of these changes. Mitigation activities avoid and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
Council is also researching heatwaves and their impacts in Dulwich Hill.
The information will assist in prioritising projects and activities to reduce the impacts of extreme heat.
