Auckland is heating up - fast. A major 2024 report by Arup and Auckland Council, released in October 2024, shows that urban areas like the city centre can be up to 3°C hotter at night than surrounding rural areas. This "urban heat island" effect - driven by concrete, asphalt, and loss of vegetation - leads to heat-related illness, reduced productivity, environmental decline, and added stress on vital infrastructure.

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The Auckland Urban Heat Assessment identifies urban greening as as a key solution. Trees, parks, and natural spaces help cool neighbourhoods and protect communities as climate change intensifies.

 

The open space of the Avondale Racecourse is already helping to buffer heat. It's one of the last undeveloped expanses of land in the west - and a rare opportunity to expand cooling infrastructure through tree planting, parkland, and community design that prioritises people over concrete.

 

Any future development must retain and enhance greenspace here - not just for aesthetics, but as a crucial climate response.

 

Let’s not pave over our best chance for a cooler, safer Avondale.

 

Read the full Auckland Urban Heat Assessment (2024) on the Auckland Council website

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