Agenda
12:30pm | Welcome and Introduction
Elham will set the scene for the discussion, exploring why heat resilience is becoming an increasingly important consideration for the built environment and how it is being recognised through Green Star and broader sustainability frameworks.
Speaker: Elham Monavari, Head of Green Star Strategic Delivery, Green Building Council of Australia
12:35pm | Why Heat Resilience Matters
As hotter conditions become more common, heat is emerging as a significant challenge for the health, comfort and liveability of our communities. Here, we’ll explore the risks associated with rising temperatures and why the built environment must move beyond building-scale responses to consider neighbourhood, precinct and community resilience.
Speaker: Sebastian Pfautsch, Professor of Urban Ecology and Principal Research Fellow, Western Sydney University
12:55pm | Heat Resilience in Practice: Planning and Design Responses
Drawing on experience across Green Star projects, councils and development projects, Oliver will share practical examples of how heat resilience is being incorporated into planning, urban design and project delivery.
Speaker: Oliver Grimaldi, Director of Sustainability, Summation
1:15pm | What Developers Are Doing Today
Hear will share lessons on approaches to heat resilience across masterplanned communities. We’ll examine practical measures such as cool roofs, canopy, streetscape design and community-scale cooling strategies, along with the challenges of implementation, governance and long-term maintenance.
Speaker TBC
1:35pm | Panel Discussion and Audience Q&A
Bringing together research, planning, development and green infrastructure perspectives, the panel will explore how the built environment can respond to rising heat risks, the role of planning and policy, practical implementation challenges, and what is needed to create cooler, healthier and more resilient communities. Audience questions will be addressed throughout the session.
Panelists
- Oliver Grimaldi, Director – Sustainability, Summation
- Gail Hall, Founder, Australasian Green Infrastructure Network and Climate Change Adaption, Kingston City Council
- Elham Monavari, Head of Green Star Strategic Delivery, Green Building Council of Australia
2.00pm | Session Close