If you’re a Brookvale resident, chances are you’re battling the heat more than your neighbouring Northern Beaches suburbs, according to data collected by Western Sydney University over last summer.
The microclimate and urban mapping study found the warmest consistent temperature in Brookvale to be on Dale St, just by Warringah Mall, with a mean air temperature of almost 24°C. While the hottest recorded was 43.7°C at Mitchell Road, near Maccas, 28 January 2025.
The study determined how varying tree canopies can affect the air temperature around Brookvale, with differences ranging by nearly 5°C.
Head of the heat logger project, Western Sydney University’s Dr Sebastian Pfautsch, said although Brookvale remained on average quite hot, pockets are saved by cold air drainage from nearby Reserves and creeks which cools the suburb down in parts.
“Allenby Park; its Brookvale Creek, comes down the escarpment and drains into Clearview Place and then across Old Pittwater Road,” Sebastian told Manly Observer.
“When you look at what happens at night, Brookvale itself stays relatively warm, but places like Clearview Place get this cold air drainage and temperatures drop. It’s quite fascinating how this little Allenby Reserve influences that particular part of Brookvale.”
Clearview Place was recorded almost 1.5°C cooler than Dale St. Lower temperature locations consisted around the north-western part of the precinct closer to extensive vegetation.
Areas by Nolan Reserve and Greendale Creek, by Curl Curl Lagoon, had an influx of cool air due to green infrastructure and little obstruction of buildings.
Brookvale currently has the lowest tree canopy density on the Northern Beaches, sitting below 20 per cent.
What’s being done about it?
Northern Beaches Council, who partnered with the university for the study, said they will be prioritising tree planting in the southern and south-eastern parts of Brookvale, among the dense industrial areas, based on the findings of the heat mapping study.
Dale Street, Winbourne Road, Orchard Road, Mitchell Road, Ada Avenue, among others with high surface temperatures were selected for canopy enhancements and ‘Green Links’. This will be part of the Brookvale Structural Plan – which is looking to introduce an additional 1350 dwellings in the area.
You can read their release about it here
Council says this also feeds into their Urban Tree Canopy Plan which aims to plant a minimum of 5,000 trees per year.
“The identification of hot spots and cooler locations within Brookvale allows us to strategically plan our greening efforts.
“Through incorporating more shade, vegetation, and water elements, we aim to create a more comfortable and inviting environment for everyone.” Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins said in a statement.
Why hug the trees?
Northern Beaches has some of the highest canopy cover in the Greater Sydney area.
Including national parks, the Beaches has over 55 per cent tree cover overall; 37 per cent in urban areas. But, there is room for improvement with the State Government’s target to bump this number up to 40 per cent across all urban areas.
The Government wants to do this for a few reasons.
Other than making a suburb aesthetically appealing, increased tree canopies improves air quality, absorbs rainwater to decrease stormwater runoff, and lowers temperatures through transpiration and shade.
But, it’s not as easy as planting trees – careful consideration needs to be implemented when balancing ‘greening’ and urban development. The Northern Beaches needs to make space for thousands more people under new State Government planning mandates.
Although the need for affordable housing on the Northern Beaches is clear, and our canopy cover is tracking better than average across Sydney – the average sitting at around 20 per cent – Sebastian says Council will need to double down on their greening strategies to avoid urban densification.
The answer may lie in going up a lot more than we go out.
“This is what is done in Europe, where we talk about smart density, which is vertical density,” he explained.
“What you’re doing by building up, means you’re not compromising space, so you’re not losing open space, which is the space we need to put the trees in, or to put shrubs into, provide green links for habitat where animals can travel through.”
The bigger picture
Since 2022, insurance premiums have increased by 32 per cent in relation to areas becoming more associated with climate risks, according to the Climate Council’s new report ‘At Our Front Door’.
In the local area of Mackellar, over 14 per cent of properties are now at moderate and high risk from all climate related hazards, while Warringah sits at over 5 per cent.
More trees in suburbs won’t immediately save the world, however, they do have climate and weather defences which may help your home.
As referenced briefly above, trees have a natural ability to absorb and store water during rainfall with their extensive root systems. Broad and dense canopies can also limit the amount of rain running into stormwater or river systems. These abilities can not only reduce flash flooding risks but also soil erosion.
Planting a mature tree can absorb up to 150kg of carbon dioxide a year, this not only cools local surface temperatures but improves air quality, in-turn improving health quality.
But while tree canopies can affect local microclimates in a variety of ways, Sebastian says on a wider scale, starting to plant in our streets is a step forward to helping the world.
“Locally, you can achieve something when you look at the bigger picture. Of course, the one thing that we need to do is get the carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. That’s the only thing that we can effectively do to reduce the impacts from flood, extreme heat, fires, droughts.
“Big decarbonisation projects for atmosphere are just not happening at the moment. So the one thing that we can do is plant more trees wherever we can.”
