🌡️ Heat Resilience Resources for Western Sydney
Western Sydney is experiencing longer, hotter, and more frequent heatwaves that affect both community wellbeing and council operations.
The following resources have been developed to help councils, partners, and community organisations plan, prepare, and respond effectively to extreme heat.
🧾 Community and Staff Resources
In language resources (Campbelltown Council)
Fijian Emergency Help Hub Flyer
Maori Emergency Help Hub Flyer
Community Fact Sheet
Practical, easy-to-follow tips for Western Sydney residents on how to stay cool and safe during extreme heat — based on real experiences shared by local tenants.
👉 Download the Community Fact Sheet
Frontline Staff Fact Sheet
Guidance for community-facing staff on how to identify and support vulnerable residents before and during heatwaves.
👉 Download the Frontline Staff Fact Sheet
Resilience Committee Article
An article from the Resilience Committee highlighting lessons learned and strategies to strengthen local responses to heat.
👉 Read the Article
Heat Resilience Program – WSROC
An overview of WSROC’s regional program, featuring evidence-based tools, community engagement resources, and policy support to build regional heat resilience.
👉 Explore WSROC’s Heat Resilience Program
Beat the Heat (WSROC)
Community-facing resources — including videos, flyers, and social tiles — with simple steps to stay safe in hot weather, available in multiple languages.
👉 Visit Beat the Heat
🏛️ Strategies and Governance
Heat Smart City Plan (2025–2030)
A world-leading framework developed under the Greater Sydney Heat Taskforce to ensure people across Greater Sydney can survive and thrive in a warming climate.
Features 40 actionable recommendations for building a heat-resilient city.
👉 View the Heat Smart City Plan
Greater Sydney Heat Taskforce (2023–2024)
A collaborative initiative bringing together state, local, industry, and community partners to coordinate how Sydney measures, mitigates, and manages heat impacts.
👉 Learn about the Greater Sydney Heat Taskforce
Turn Down the Heat Strategy (2018–2023)
A WSROC-led strategy taking a collaborative, multi-sector approach to build a cooler, more resilient Western Sydney through evidence, advocacy, and partnerships.
👉 Read the Turn Down the Heat Strategy
🏙️ Urban Planning and Building Design
Cool Suburbs (2020–2024)
A free, easy-to-use rating and assessment tool translating complex urban heat science into practical planning and design guidance for developers and councils.
👉 Access Cool Suburbs Tool
Future Proofing Residential Development (2022)
A research study reviewing the performance of BASIX-compliant homes and apartments under future climate scenarios, focusing on thermal comfort during heatwaves and no-energy situations.
👉 Read the Study
Urban Heat Planning Toolkit (2020–2021)
Provides councils with an evidence-based framework to reduce the impacts of heat through planning provisions, with recommendations for state and national planning systems.
👉 Download the Toolkit
Cooler Places | NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure
An initiative supporting councils and communities to plan, design, and retrofit public spaces for comfort and safety during extreme heat events.
👉 Explore Cooler Places
🤝 Heatwave Management and Community Resilience
Heatwave Management Guide (2024)
Practical guidance for councils to develop locally tailored heatwave management plans, supported by regional evidence and best practice examples.
👉 Download the Guide
Heat Smart Organisations Toolkit (2022)
A step-by-step guide to help community organisations prepare for and respond to heatwaves, co-developed with councils, Local Health Districts, and the Australian Red Cross.
👉 Access the Toolkit
Heat Smart Community Resources (2021)
Pamphlets, videos, and social media tiles (available in 10 languages) designed to raise awareness and build community resilience to heat.
👉 View Community Resources
Heat Smart Resilience Framework (2021)
A regional framework developed from literature reviews, interviews, and consultation with over 500 stakeholders across government, academia, and community sectors.
Outlines 25 recommendations for improving heatwave management across Western Sydney.
👉 Read the Framework
📊 Data and Evidence Tools
2022 Heat Vulnerability Index for the Greater Sydney Region | SEED
An interactive dataset mapping population vulnerability to heat across Greater Sydney, supporting data-driven planning and targeted adaptation strategies.
👉 Explore the Heat Vulnerability Index
Urban Heat | AdaptNSW
Comprehensive data and maps on temperature, land surface heat, and vulnerability across NSW, helping councils understand and plan for heat risk.
👉 Visit AdaptNSW Urban Heat
💡 Looking Ahead
WSHA continues to support a coordinated regional response to extreme heat — connecting councils, health partners, and communities to build a safer, more resilient Western Sydney.
