Cooling Western Sydney has become a major planning focus: Eliza Owen

EXPERT OBSERVER

Observed impacts of climate change on housing markets may once have been confined to areas known for extreme weather. But as Australian summers get hotter and longer, the challenges of climate change are manifesting in the property market in previously unexpected and specific ways.

Rising temperatures are proving a disruptive force to town planning, creating affordability pressures and increasing insurance costs.

Western Sydney is undergoing unprecedented development and transformation, reflecting the vast size and population growth of the region.

However, Western Sydney is also getting hotter.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology shows the mean of maximum daily temperatures each month is rising.

Climate projections reported by the Australia institute projected that by 2030, Penrith could see 22 days of the year where temperatures surpass 35 ̊C. Meanwhile, the eastern suburbs of Sydney are expected to remain relatively cool, with just 7 of these days projected in Coogee.

Reducing thermal discomfort is an increasing focus for urban planners. Water technologies, tree canopy and the use of cool materials are demonstrably effective.

But some of these heat management methods don't mix well with the development in Western Sydney.

The construction of the Western Sydney airport for example, will require some level of mitigation for bird and bat strike, including limiting the amount of trees within a certain radius of the airport.

These complexities increase the challenge that rising temperatures place on the ambitious developments for Western Sydney.