Thermal image of a garden bed at the Hub’s carpark in December 2022 by ‘Heat Detective’ Shantelle Turkington (Images supplied). The yellow colour indicates the bark mulch which reached 61°C, while the purple areas were shaded concrete which was 22°C.
During Summer 2022/23 Western Sydney University trained residents to use thermal imaging cameras to document surface temperatures in the local landscape as part of the Heat Detective project. The images captured temperatures varying from 20°C to over 60°C, demonstrating both the urban heat island effect and simple solutions to reduce its impact.
Key Points:
According to the NSW Government, heatwaves have been responsible for more human deaths in Australia than any other natural hazard, including bushfires, storms, tropical cyclones and floods.
Choices influenced by poor urban planning and design decisions can lead to temperatures rising significantly, impacting both community health and cost of living.
The urban heat island effect can be reduced by choosing appropriate vegetation, soft surfaces, and lighter colours for buildings and landscaping.
No, it’s not a typo and you are not reading about a future climate apocalypse. Sixty-degree temperatures are being recorded in Lithgow right here, right now, and it matters. More people die from heat than all other natural disasters combined, but we can all do something about preventing these deaths.
The urban heat island effect is described by Sebastian Pfautsch, Associate Professor Urban Planning and Management at Western Sydney University, as “a phenomenon whereby surface and air temperatures in built-up areas become hotter compared to nearby vegetated sites”. It is driven by the conversion of green to grey (plants to concrete) in urbanised spaces. This can dramatically raise local temperatures during heatwaves. Sebastian says that “More people die from heat than all other natural disasters combined.”
In Lithgow, it’s usually the lack of heat we all think about, but the images produced as part of the Lithgow Transformation Hub’s three Heat Detectives workshops tell a different story.
Heat Detectives
After a cool and soggy few years, a keen group of citizen scientists enrolled themselves in these Heat Detective workshops, perhaps hoping to find some warmth in what appeared to be a cooler than average summer.
The workshops were organised by Western Sydney University’s Agnieszka (Aga) Wujeska-Klause: a research assistant working with Associate Professor Sebastian Pfautsch. Participants (the Heat Detectives) were taught to use thermal imaging equipment, and then took the equipment home to capture images of urban spaces in Lithgow over a two-week period.
Take a good look at the images below. Note the vibrant colours. Cobalt blue, tangerine orange, gold and carmine red. They are not the hues of glorious summer sunshine but a measure of urban heat captured during the height of summer 2022/2023.
Finalists in the Maldhan Ngurr Ngurra Lithgow Transformation Hub Heat Detectives Art Exhibition (Photo supplied)
At the subsequent Heat Detectives Art Exhibition, Aga explained the equipment is easy to use and learn. It comprises a tablet and a thermal heat imaging attachment. “Once people have it in their hands, they quickly realise how easy it is to use and no different to their smart phones.” It took around an hour to introduce the urban heat topic, demonstrate equipment features and how best to capture images. During the workshops, heat detectives were able to practice using the equipment, ask questions and discuss their ideas about urban heat. By the end they were ready to participate.
Three images were selected from each heat detective, based on the hottest surface they captured. Staff then selected ten finalists and their images were circulated on the Transformation Hub social media pages. The winner was selected by popular vote.
And the winner is …
Cathy Kleingeld’s winning image of the metal ruins at Blast Furnace Park measured temperatures of 57°C. She says she wanted to find the hottest thing in Lithgow and focused on images of structures and buildings, but was really surprised by the surface temperatures recorded in her own images and those of other heat detectives.
‘Heat Detective’ Cathy Kleingeld and the winning image taken at Blast Furnace Park (top).
Gaye Mason, another finalist, also chose structures but thought that colours would contribute to surface heat. She recorded school playground equipment measuring 55°C but says the hottest thing she found in her photography was a bare dirt patch in a green lawn. She realised that it was the combinations of objects that contributed to temperature variability. Cathy agrees. One of her images included metal grates amongst paved areas. She had thought the metal would be hotter, but instead the pavers were. She found old bricks, like those in the Blast Furnace ruins, also had high surface temperatures, and she wondered about new bricks and how that might affect the heat in our backyards.
Gaye’s streetscape image (pictured below), which was also chosen as a finalist, demonstrates the impact of colour and structure on surface heat. The white taxi is at least ten degrees cooler than the road surface and the darker painted areas above the awning are fifteen degrees warmer than the areas under the awning.
Gaye Mason’s capture of a Lithgow streetscape (images supplied)
Cathy and Gaye’s images are not only striking but data rich. As Eric Mahony, Lithgow Councillor noted: “they are art and science.” They provide information which can be used to design urban areas to minimise the urban heat island effect.
Associate Professor Pfautsch and Aga’s research indicates “collectively, dark roofs make neighbourhoods more than 3°C warmer, forcing everyone to pay more for keeping cool in summer.” Choosing colours that minimise surface temperatures also makes economic sense.
What we can all do …
And it is not just town planners and home builders who can help. Sebastian Pfautsch says there are simple things we can all do. By selecting soft green surfaces like gardens and grass rather than paved courtyards, and planting appropriate north facing trees, we can reduce urban heat. Our playgrounds and backyards should be places that people can enjoy without fear of an unintended hot surprise.
Thermal image of a rubber swing in an unshaded Lithgow playground by Leanne Barry. (Images supplied)
If you would like to know more, the following short clip, shown on Gardening Australia in February 2022, features Associate Professor Sebastian Pfautsch implementing his urban heat minimisation ideas to redesign a playground in Western Sydney.
The Maldhan Ngurr Ngurra Lithgow Transformation Hub repeated the Heat Detective data collection in August, this time looking for places heat escapes from our houses in Winter. A selected number of Lithgow households recorded images throughout late August to determine where heat (and heating bill dollars) was disappearing as part of the Hub’s Winter Leaks program.
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
The KTOWN pickers - Katoombans Taking On Waste Now - are clearing litter from local tracks and streets and stopping it from entering our waterways and eventually our water supply. Read more in Katoomba Area Local News (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/ktown-katoombans-taking-on-waste-now/
This Saturday will be the first meeting of the Upper Mountains Seed Saving and Gardening Group at the Planetary Health Centre, starting at 10am. Register your interest here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/3LalNFy
It will be followed by the Planetary Health Bushcare group at 1.30pm. Register your interest here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/49k8PPo
Global poisoning by a tsunami of toxins that are flooding the planet is fast becoming the biggest threat to life on earth. Extreme weather events like fire and flood accelerate this chemical pollution. To address this the Planetary Health Centre`s Full Cycle 2025 conference from 20-22 Nov is bringing together leading experts in managing extreme weather events as well as those who are working on reducing the risk of hazardous materials like asbestos and PFAS. According to keynote speaker Julian Cribb:
"The poisoning of our planet through human chemical emissions is arguably the largest human impact of all upon the Earth. In volume, it is four to five times greater than our climate emissions (which are a part of it), and three times more lethal than the estimated climate death-toll. It is the mega-threat least understood by society, monitored by science or regulated by government. It has mainly occurred over the last 50 years, due to a massive global surge in chemical use and materials extraction.
Scientific assessment has identified more than 350,000 man-made chemicals. The US Department of Health estimates 2000 new chemicals go on the market every year and the Smithsonian says 1000 new compounds are now being synthesised every hour. The UN Environment Program warns about a third of these “are persistent, able to accumulate in humans and animals and are toxic”.
The World Health Organisation estimates that 13.7 million people — one in every four — die each year from diseases caused by “air, water and soil pollution, chemical exposures, climate change and ultraviolet radiation”, caused by human activity.
Human chemical emissions are thus responsible for the largest mass killing in history.
Learn more and register for the conference here (link in profile): www.fullcycleconference.com.au
There will be a free community expo on Saturday 22 November at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba.
Conference volunteers receive free registration. Email planetaryhealthevents@bmcc.nsw.gov.au if you’d like to volunteer at this critically important event.
T`ai-chi and Qigong routines can increase mobility and strength, improve immunity and help build an inner calm. To get the greatest health impact you need to practice them on a regular basis, so we`re thrilled to now be offering a 6-week block of classes to take you into summer starting 9am this Saturday 1 November and running until Sat 6 December. Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4qrw4Nx This Saturday, 1 November, the activity is also the first in a full day of Skill Share activities at the Centre that includes Seed Saving and Gardening from 10am, and Planetary Health Bushcare from 1.30pm. You can book in for Bushcare here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/49k8PPo Contact Lis on 0407 437 553 for more information.
Rotarians 4 Planetary Health will be meeting again at the Planetary Health Centre at 6pm on Monday 27 October. Register at this link if you`d like to attend! (link in profile) https://events.humanitix.com/rotarians-4-planetary-health-l7bb4qhr?
Thank you to everyone who popped by for the @ediblegardentrailbluemountains today! It was a great day discussing gardens, ponds, frogs, seeds, composting seats, wicking beds and how to restore the hydrological cycle! Next Saturday will be our Skill Share Saturday. We`ll be kickstarting a 6-week block of Tai Chi & Qigong at 9am, launching our Seed Saving and Gardening Group at 10am and running our monthly Bushcare Group at 1.30pm. You can book in for Tai Chi here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/tai-chi-and-qigong-six-week-block-spring-2025-qaw2ts2v and to Bushcare here (link also in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-bushcare-spring-summer-2025
The Planetary Health Centre is on the Edible Garden Trail today! Last week we launched the Upper Mountains Seed Savers and Gardening Group. Come along to learn more, enjoy a coffee in our garden, and pick up a free Vegetable and Flower Sowing Guide. We`re open from 10am. You can find us at 33-39 Acacia St Katoomba. Tickets for the Edible Garden Trail available here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-edible-garden-trail-2025
The Planetary Health newsletter is now out. Read about three days of innovation at the upcoming Full Cycle Conference in Nov, the Edible Garden Trail this weekend, and a six week block of Tai Chi and Qigong classes at the Planetary Health Centre (link in profile): https://bit.ly/47jbFBz
Today is an Extreme Bushfire Danger Day! Have you heard about the extraordinary fire resistant paint developed by Professor Yeoh and his team at UNSW? Professor Yeoh will be presenting at our Full Cycle Conference on Thurs 20 November. He is world renowned in the field of fire safety and his innovations are helping to keep people and property safe. Importantly among these innovations has been the development and commercialisation of FSA FIRECOAT paint (sold at Bunnings), which creates a protective insulating ‘char’ on a building when it’s exposed to flames. It is water based and non toxic. Watch it in action in this video (link in profile): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkA1RlxMjWQ
Join us at the Conference to learn more about Professor Yeoh’s work during three days of innovation and exploration in which leading speakers from around Australia will share how we can reduce the risks of natural hazards and hazardous materials. Places are limited so register here now (link in profile): https://www.fullcycleconference.com.au/
With new modelling suggesting a hot summer with increasing fire risk it`s worth making time now to learn more about how we can reduce the risk of disaster by registering to attend the Full Cycle Conference that`s bringing together the Bushfire Building and Asbestos & Hazardous Materials Management Conferences in Katoomba on 20-22nd Nov. Group discounts apply if you register now here (link in profile): www.fullcycleconference.com.au
• Emma Whale from the NSW Reconstruction Authority will discuss how state-wide and place-based disaster adaptation planning is helping reduce risk;
• David Sanderson, the inaugural Judith Neilson Chair in Architecture at UNSW, will share the results of a landmark enquiry on how our response to disasters requires a change in housing policy and local government empowerment;
• Owen Price, Director of The Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires at UOW will compare the patterns of housing loss in the NSW and Californian wildfires;
• Guan Heng Yeoh from UNSW will share how he developed the award winning FIRECOAT fire resistant paint;
• Everson Kandare from RMIT University will discuss the development of fireproof cladding made from molasses-cultured mycelium - a fungal biomass;
• Alan Green from the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre UOW will introduce Heatwave and Multi-Hazard Resilience Star Rating Tools for retrofitting houses;
• Emma Bacon from Sweltering Cities and Dr Kim Loo from Doctors for the Environment will discuss heat waves and social justice;
• Andrew Bovis from Integrated Water Solutions will discuss the potential use of treated blackwater as an independent water source for landscape hydration and fire fighting;
• Sara Jane Wilkinson from UTS will launch the Bushfire Retrofitting Toolkit for older Australians and do a session on green roofs and walls to reduce disaster risk and increase biodiversity;
• Melissa Knothe Tate will discuss research on tackling PFAS contamination;
Thank you to everyone who participated in our inaugural Blue Mountains Food Security Fair today. It was an inspiring and thought provoking day with lots learnt, many connections made, amazing food consumed and stunning weather! We look forward to doing it again next year!
The inaugural Blue Mountains Food Security Fair kicks off at 9am today at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba. Pop in to listen to a talk, watch a demo, grab a coffee and sweet treat from Good Fat Pastry, a delicious lunch from Bibi`s Kitchen, fresh mushrooms from EarthRising Mushroom Farm, locally acclimatised vegetable seeds from Mid Blue Mountains Seed Savers, and edible native plants from Muru Mittigar Ltd You can view the full program here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nOSJle The Planetary Health Centre is at 33-39 Acacia St (former Katoomba Golf Course).
The Fair is a World Animal Day event and has been supported by a sEEd grant from the Australian Association of Environmental Educators.
Tracie lives, writes and walks on the unceded lands of the Dharug, Gundungurra and Wiradjuri people. Born in Lithgow, she and her family have spent most of their lives living and working with the people and places of the Lithgow area. Her passions are nature and community, which she pursues through story, art, and volunteering in Lithgow and the Blue Mountains.
The story of Lithgow Environment Group is a saga spanning nearly two decades of their heroic struggle against fire, local habitat destruction, weak government legislation and in particular, irresponsible mining practices.
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