Parkes Shire Councillor Marg Applebee (left) with Her Excellency The Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC and PSC Manager Environment and Sustainability Michael Chambers at Keep Australia Beautiful NSW 2026 Tidy Towns Sustainability Awards in Orange over the weekend.
Parkes Shire Council has taken home a category award at the Keep Australia Beautiful NSW 2026 Tidy Towns Sustainability Awards in Orange over the weekend, winning the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation category for its Parkes Urban Heat and Canopy Mapping Project.
The award recognises Council’s proactive approach to understanding and preparing for the impacts of rising temperatures, using data and evidence to help shape a cooler, greener and more resilient future for Parkes.
With summer temperatures in Parkes reaching as high as 46 degrees Celsius, urban greening is becoming increasingly important for the health, comfort and liveability of the community. The Urban Heat and Canopy Mapping Project provides baseline data showing how heat is distributed across the town and where tree canopy currently exists. This information helps Council identify areas most in need of additional shade and vegetation, guiding future investment in urban greening and cooling initiatives.
Before deciding where new trees and shade will make the greatest difference, Council needs to understand where heat is concentrated and where existing canopy is lacking. The mapping provides that evidence, supporting a long-term urban greening and cooling strategy that aims to reduce heat exposure, improve public spaces and deliver more equitable access to shade.
Councillor Marg Applebee represented Parkes Shire Council at the awards in Orange, alongside Michael Chambers, Council’s Manager Environment and Sustainability.