Battle to beat heat

The Cooling Cumberland – Beat the Heat campaign provides a wide range of information and resources on heatwave management and will include the extended trading hours of the council’s community centres and libraries as well as the locations of free, pop-up, splash park activations.
Cumberland Mayor Lisa Lake said heatwaves and extreme heat events could have a severe impact on vulnerable communities.
“According to statistics, it is estimated that there are three times as many heat-related deaths in Western Sydney during heatwaves, so we know extreme heat can have profound impacts on industries, ecosystems and people,” she said.
“It’s really important that the council takes proactive measures to help keep our residents safe and to ensure that everyone is well-prepared and informed during extreme heat events.”
As part of the campaign, council support services for heat management, as well as brochures with tips for coping with adverse weather conditions, will be available to help residents combat heat, stay cool and hydrated. This information will also be distributed to libraries and community centres, seniors, people with disability and carers throughout the council’s services and programs.
The council is also providing more options for the community to make it easier for heat management over the summer period, including:
• Extending opening hours for its eight libraries until Sunday, February 25, for residents to explore and keep comfortable.
• Extending opening hours for six community centres until Friday, February 2, which will provide a place of refuge from the heat for residents between midday to 5pm.
• Providing free, pop-up, splash parks for the community to cool down and enjoy in January 2024, which will operate every Saturday and Sunday during the month from 10am-4pm.
• There are also a number of water refill stations available at outdoor venues which will help residents stay hydrated, cool and reduce environmentally unfriendly plastic drink bottles.