The Heat Smart City Plan was formally launched on the 5 December 2024 by the Hon. Penny Sharpe, NSW Minister for Climate Change, Minister for Energy, Minister for the Environment, and Minister for Heritage, and the Greater Sydney Heat Taskforce.

The launch was followed by a Symposium featuring facilitated networking, deep-dive panel discussions, and project showcases.

234 people from across 169 organisations attended the launch and Symposium.

80 new collaborations opportunities were identified by participants during the networking workshop on the day.

In a post-event survey, more than 85 percent of attendees rated the Symposium as highly valuable to their organisation’s work on heat, and many wanted to see similar events in future to support learning, networking, and maintain momentum around the issue.

The event also secured significant media attention, resulting in in 21 direct media articles, and generating hundreds of conversations around the issue of heat resilience over December and January.

What’s next

While the City Plan and Symposium are widely considered a great success, the program was delivered with short-term funding from the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund, with in-kind support from WSROC, Resilient Sydney and Taskforce members.

Over the first months of 2025, the Taskforce will work with the NSW Reconstruction Authority and Minister Penny Sharpe to set up the next phase of the program; City Plan implementation, with the goal of sustainable funding for ongoing city-wide action.

This does not mean progress isn’t being made. Many recommendations outlined in the City Plan are currently in progress of being delivered. This newsletter highlights several recommendations that have progressed over the summer period.

More information:

Media release: NSW Minister launches Sydney-wide plan to beat killer heat

To download a full copy of the Greater Sydney Heat Smart City Plan, go to the link. 

To download a summary of the plan, go to this link.

Related media articles:

ABC News - New plan for Sydney heatwaves calls for minimum rental standards - 5 Dec 2024

Nine News - 40 recommendations from a new Heat Taskforce - 5 Dec 2024

ArchitectureAU - City plan seeks to tackle Australia's 'deadliest natural hazard' - 5 Dec 2024

Property Council backs plan to tackle urban heat - 7 Dec 2024