Plans to tackle heatwaves

By Kelly Yates
CASEY council is involved with developing a heat wave strategy to combat climate change and save lives.
Western Port Greenhouse Alliance (WPGA) executive officer Greg Hunt said $62,000 had been granted from the Victorian Department of Human Services for the heat wave strategy.
Casey is one of five councils involved with developing the strategy along with Bass Coast, Cardinia, Frankston and Mornington Peninsula.
David Richardson, City of Casey manager for engineering and environment said the City of Casey chose to take part in the WPGA heat wave strategy in order to tackle the problem of climate change.
He said the council intended to play a proactive role in developing plans for the strategy.
“Heat waves are predicted to occur more frequently in the future and will pose problems for vulnerable people in our community, particularly babies with a high surface area to volume ratio and the elderly, whose capacity to maintain stable body temperatures is diminished,” he said.
Mr Richardson said houses that haven’t been designed to take hot summers into account and people who can’t afford to run air conditioning or heat proof their house will be most at risk.
“The strategy will identify the problems that heat waves pose and develop responses that council might implement to help protect the Casey community,” Mr Richardson said.
He said at this stage the council will be considering areas such as community care, public health and environment.
“The project team will commence development shortly,” he said.
“The City of Casey will be represented on the team and other council staff will take part in workshops that will shape the strategy’s development,” Mr Richardson said.