CREATING cool refuge areas for residents to beat the heat on scorching days is among the ideas in a new climate change plan being developed by Albury Council.
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The draft climate change adaptation strategy aims to address how the city can adjust to the fallout from weather shifts as opposed to mitigation measures which are part of another plan.
An insight into the document was provided by the city's chief financial officer Justin Finlayson to councillors at a public briefing on Monday night.
In gathering community feedback for the strategy, extreme heat was nominated as the concern, followed by bushfires and water supply.
To meet temperature rises, cool refuge areas would be identified or created and then promoted to the community.
The municipal pools at Albury and Lavington and the libraries are earmarked as places to escape the heat and a need to provide for alternative power supplies is flagged in the draft report.
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Bolstering shade and water stations around the city and more flexible procedures for council's outdoor workers are also canvassed.
Improving energy efficiency of council sites as well as design standards and materials are flagged too.
In response, councillor David Thurley said there needed to be improvements to the building sustainability index, known as BASIX, which mandates eco-friendly construction requirements for residences in NSW.
"The standards in BASIX are nowhere near going to meet any requirement for mitigation of climate factors, in terms of housing insulation, in terms of roof insulation, in terms of roof colour, in terms of hard surfaces and lack of shade," he said.
"BASIX is a disaster and I think we really need to keep on and on and on and we need to get every other council in NSW to (lobby the government too for change)."
In reply to concerns from councillor Murray King about moving the city's vehicle fleet, including excavators, to electric power, it was revealed the final stages of a plan for that shift were being reached.
"We've also introduced in the last 12 months a number of sedans as well as a number of trucks that are fully electric and we'll continue to do that," council deputy chief executive Brad Ferris said.
Mayor Kevin Mack described the draft climate change adaption plan as a "good outline for the future" and a "mapping opportunity for us to drive change in our community".
The blueprint will now be shared with the council's sustainability advisory committee for comments before being presented to a council meeting.
A time at which that will occur yet to be determined.