Building Heat Resilience Together: Reflections from the Greater Melbourne Heat Action Plan Workshops

As temperatures rise and heatwaves become more frequent and intense, the need for coordinated, community-driven responses to extreme heat has never been more urgent. In response, Sweltering Cities, in collaboration with the Greater Melbourne Heat Alliance (GMHA), hosted a four-part Heat Action Plan (HAP) workshop series to help organisations across Greater Melbourne prepare, adapt, and build resilience.

Over four sessions, participants from diverse sectors explored how to identify local heat risks, develop tailored action plans, and evaluate their effectiveness over time. Through shared learning, reflection, and strategic planning, the workshops aimed to empower local leaders and community organisations to tackle the complex challenge of extreme heat with practical tools and inclusive approaches.

What Are Heat Action Plans?

Heat Action Plans are strategic frameworks designed to reduce the harmful effects of extreme heat, especially on vulnerable populations. These plans involve both emergency responses and long-term preparedness, with coordinated action across public health, planning, emergency services, and community organisations. From early warning systems to local infrastructure improvements, HAPs are essential for creating safe, liveable cities in a warming climate.

Workshop 1: Understanding Heat Impacts

The first session laid the groundwork for the series by exploring the science of extreme heat and its disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups, including older people, renters, children, and those with chronic illnesses. Using case studies from Phoenix and Ahmedabad, the workshop illustrated the value of proactive, community-led responses.

Highlights:

• Importance of local data on health, housing, and transport to inform effective responses.
• Need for community-led monitoring of heat risks using citizen science.
• Cascading impacts of heat across interconnected systems.

Workshop 2: Resilience, Adaptation, and Reducing Heat Risk

This session moved from understanding heat to exploring practical solutions. Participants examined what adaptation and resilience look like in practice, from safer housing and heatwave communication to emergency preparedness and community cooling strategies.

Key takeaways:

• Personal and place-based adaptations (e.g. cool indoor spaces, clearer dress codes).
• Maladaptation concerns, including overreliance on air conditioning or ineffective messaging.
• Domestic violence and social risks increase during heat events, requiring inclusive planning.
• Culturally relevant communication and personal heat plans are vital.

Workshop 3: Making and Implementing Your Heat Action Plan

With a solid understanding of heat risks and possible responses, the third workshop focused on creating practical and effective HAPs. Discussions highlighted the critical role of “heat champions”, trusted local leaders who support others during extreme heat, and the challenges community hubs face, such as lack of funding and energy security.

Highlights:

• Examples of local plans from the City of Yarra and the Tasmanian Government.
• Importance of clear triggers for plan activation and roles for implementation.
• Need for state and federal support for overstretched volunteers and staff.
• Community engagement and social connection must be protected during heat events.

Workshop 4: Monitoring and Evaluation

The final workshop tackled how to assess the impact of Heat Action Plans. Participants explored diverse evaluation frameworks, including feminist and intersectional approaches, and discussed the value of different approaches to evaluation. Ultimately, the goal of this workshop was to emphasise the importance of evaluation and monitoring in order to ensure accountability, identify gaps, and improve future planning.

Key takeaways:

• Effective HAPs require ongoing monitoring, clear responsibilities, and inclusive data collection.
• Peer learning and reflection throughout the series strengthened outcomes.
• Resources developed during the series were seen as practical and valuable.
• Participants valued the gradual pace of the workshops, which allowed for deeper engagement.

What’s Next?

The Heat Action Plan workshop series created a collaborative space for local organisations to build climate resilience through informed, locally relevant planning. Participants envisioned a future where Heat Action Plans lead to:

• Safer homes and stronger social networks.
• Equitable access to cooling infrastructure.
• Empowered heat champions supporting communities.

However, discussions also revealed systemic barriers, such as:

• Insufficient funding and policy support for frontline community organisations.
• Risks of maladaptation and generic emergency messaging.
• Challenges in sustaining community connection during heatwaves.

Recommendations and Next Steps

To build on the momentum of the workshops, GMHA and Sweltering Cities propose:

1. Expand the Heat Action Plan Program

Adapt and extend the program for new audiences, including:

• Local councils and regional areas.
• Culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
• New sectors and emerging community leaders.
• This could include translating materials, simplifying content, and developing tailored resources.

2. Create Practical Tools

Develop user-friendly resources like:

• Personal heat plans.
• Trigger-based response guides.
• Community engagement templates.
• A shared monitoring and evaluation framework built on intersectional, community-led approaches.

3. Foster Peer Learning and Knowledge Sharing

Sustain learning through ongoing peer exchange facilitated by GMHA, helping organisations build stronger networks and better heat response practices.

4. Advocate for Structural Support

Push for long-term investment in community-led and community-facing organisations. Ensure critical frontline work is resourced equitably and safely.

5. Mainstream Heat Adaptation

Integrate climate adaptation into housing, health, planning, transport, and emergency response policy. Strengthen cross-sector collaboration to avoid maladaptive outcomes and address the root causes of vulnerability to extreme heat.

Final Reflections

The Heat Action Plan workshop series has demonstrated the power of collaboration, lived experience, and community leadership in tackling extreme heat. By centring equity, local knowledge, and systemic change, we can move toward a more resilient and compassionate future. One where everyone has the tools, information, and support they need to stay safe and connected in the heat.