The Darling Downs Environment Council (DDEC) has welcomed the Local Government Association of Queensland’s (LGAQ) decision yesterday to amply regional conservation group calls for the the creation of a QHeat2050 program.
In addition to calling on the State Government to establish and fund a QHeat2050 program, DDEC is urging Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) to take immediate local action — creating protections for existing vegetation in areas of urban expansion through a Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) and embedding ambitious street tree planting targets across all suburbs.
“With extreme heat arriving months before summer, Toowoomba urgently needs to protect and expand its urban tree canopy,” said DDEC Coordinator Ahri Tallon. “Trees are the cheapest, most effective infrastructure we have to cool our city, reduce energy costs, and protect public health — yet we continue to lose mature trees and habitat corridors to development.”
Unlike Brisbane, Ipswich, and Logan, the Toowoomba region has no planning scheme or local law to protect significant urban trees. DDEC is calling for TRC to:
- Bring in protections for existing significant vegetation and habitat in development areas;
- Ensure road verges in new estates are wide enough to support large canopy trees; and
- Commit to measurable, goal-driven street tree planting targets to build climate resilience.
The recent LGAQ motion to call on the State Government to establish QHeat2050 — a Queensland-wide program for heat mapping, adaptation planning, and community resilience — highlights growing recognition among councils that extreme heat is a critical risk to public health, biodiversity, and infrastructure.
“A QHeat2050 program would provide a strong framework for regional councils to assess and respond to local heat risks,” Tallon said. “But at the local level, Toowoomba can act right now by protecting the trees that already keep our suburbs cooler and greener.”
Heatwaves are the deadliest natural hazard in Queensland, responsible for an estimated 500 fatalities each year and increasing pressure on infrastructure, agriculture, and ecosystems. DDEC says the combination of proactive state leadership and local on-ground action is vital to ensure communities are ready for a hotter future.
“Tree protection and urban greening are not luxuries — they are life-saving climate adaptation measures,” Tallon said. “We need planning that treats shade and green space as essential infrastructure.”
DDEC encourages residents to get involved by requesting a street tree, volunteering with the Protect Trees Toowoomba campaign, or supporting the call for stronger local tree protection laws.
Link to LGAQ annoucement: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2611559969207548
QHeat2050 Proposal information: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_gueRWTRV4_qEbuXeIJGwd04fKpOXING/view
For more information, visit: www.protecttreestoowoomba.org.au
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