Greening For Shade
North Queensland is getting hotter, and shade is no longer a nice extra - it’s essential infrastructure for health, liveability, and climate resilience.
We’re calling for smarter greening across our region to create cooler neighbourhoods, healthier communities, and more space for nature.
Why this matters
Heat is already shaping daily life in North Queensland. Homes stay hot through the night, playgrounds are often too exposed to use, and many streets don’t have safe shaded walking routes. At the same time, energy costs are rising as people try to stay cool.
A 2025 Townsville microclimate study found that CBD streets reached heat stress thresholds early in the day, with conditions becoming increasingly unsafe for pedestrians. The study also highlighted how dense urban areas trap heat and reduce the city’s ability to cool down at night.
Shade is not just about comfort - it is about health, safety, and resilience.
These findings show what heat is doing at a city scale and they reflect what we’ve been hearing in the community:
- “There’s nowhere shady to walk or wait.”
- “Playgrounds are too hot for kids.”
- “Some suburbs feel much hotter than others.”
People are also noticing broader patterns:
trees being removed faster than they are replaced, new developments with little shade or ventilation, and ongoing loss of habitat and green space.
We’re designing heat into our cities.
From heat awareness to local action
Hundreds of people across Queensland have already taken action on heat-through conversations, sharing lived experience in workshops, and supporting stronger planning approaches.
This includes support for a parliamentary petition by Queensland's conservation councils calling for heat to be better recognised in planning and urban design (May 2026).
Now we’re taking the next step locally.
A clear message keeps coming through:
more shade, better planning, greener neighbourhoods.
The solution
Councils are already planting trees, and that’s an important and valued start.
For example, in 2025, Townsville City Council planted almost 1,600 street trees across suburbs including Currajong, Douglas, Pimlico, Wulguru, Kelso, and Belgian Gardens as part of its Street Tree Planting Program. These efforts play an important role in cooling suburbs and improving liveability.
But to truly cool our cities in North Queensland and plan for the future, we need a coordinated, long-term approach.
Our ask:
Adopt and fund comprehensive Greening Strategies by 2028.
Within two years, we want to see at least three North Queensland councils adopt Greening Strategies that:
- improve shade and liveability
- support biodiversity
- address climate and equity
These strategies should include:
- cooler public spaces with shade in parks, playgrounds, and walking routes
- greener neighbourhoods guided by principles like the 3-30-300 rule
- stronger ecosystems through wildlife corridors and habitat restoration
- nature-based solutions such as urban forests, wetlands, and coastal protection
- prioritising the hottest and most vulnerable areas
- clear targets and public reporting so progress is visible and accountable
The benefits
This is not about planting trees everywhere without thought. It’s about the right trees in the right places, planning around infrastructure, and designing cities for people, climate, and nature.
Well-planned urban greening can:
- reduce heat and energy use
- lower the risk of heat stress
- improve biodiversity and habitat connectivity
- reduce stormwater runoff
- support walking and cycling
- strengthen community wellbeing and connection
It’s a smarter, long-term approach to cooling our cities.
We know this works
Other Australian cities are already planning for heat through comprehensive greening strategies.
Cities like Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine, Brisbane and others have developed strategies that map where greening is needed most, set canopy targets, and align with long-term climate resilience goals.
North Queensland can do the same.
Help shape the solution
What would make your neighbourhood cooler and more liveable?
We want this campaign to reflect community priorities—tell us what you’d like to see in a Greening Strategy.
By signing up below, you will:
- stay updated
- be invited to local actions
- help build momentum for change
Cooling and Greening Townsville
We had such a great time at The Strand Night Markets last week, connecting with locals about something we all care deeply about—how we make Townsville cooler, greener, and more liveable for everyone.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stall to chat about trees, shade, and what a more climate-resilient city could look like. It was genuinely encouraging to hear how many people are passionate about greener streets and healthier neighbourhoods.
Read moreFinding Cool Spots on a Hot Day - NQCC at Get Ready Day
While most stalls at Get Ready Day at Riverway baked bravely in the sun, NQCC found itself in a rare paradise: a shady tree that became a beacon of relief for passers-by. Ironically, our theme was heat - one of the most underestimated and deadly natural hazards in Australia.
Read more