A new report from the Central Victoria Greenhouse Alliance has revealed places across the region where the effects of heatwaves are likely to be strongest.

Information about tree cover, concrete density, pedestrian activity and social vulnerability has been combined to show the areas most in need of council initiatives to fight heat.

Read more: Temperatures set to rise as climate change hits central Victoria

Average temperatures in the Loddon Mallee are set to rise by 0.6-1.3 degrees over the next twelve years. 

By 2030 Bendigo is forecast to experience 19 days a year of above 35 degrees. Currently it experiences just 13 a year on average.

Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance executive officer Rob Law said that the Cool It report gave rural cities affordable access to information that shows what areas they should target with cooling initiatives, such as tree planting.

Shade from tree canopies can make up to 10 degrees difference to the temperature of an area.

By combining information about concrete heavy areas, levels of pedestrian activity and high degrees of socio-economic vulnerability the report identifies the places where heat is likely to hit the hardest.

“Whenever all those three things collided, that’s where they’d be prioritised,” Mr Law said.

“We know that vegetation is most effective at cooling particularly if it has access to water.

“You can really see the difference between an unshaded asphalt footpath and an area under a tree canopy.”

High foot traffic near preschools and primary schools in both White Hills and Kangaroo Flat, combined with little shade and large concreted spaces saw the report list those suburbs as priority areas for cooling.

It recommend tree planting and improvements to natural irrigation to cool problem areas.

Parts of Golden Square, North Bendigo, Eaglehawk, Heathcote, California Gully and Long Gully were also identified as high priorities.

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