It's been about half a decade since Darwin lost most of its shade trees in a cyclone. So why are some parts of the suburbs still treeless, barren, and hot?
Darwin recently experienced record heatwaves at the warmest time of year, making the bitumen in the Northern Territory capital even hotter.
Cyclist Rob Brooks is jaded by the lack of shade for people exercising on paths and roads.
"It'd be nice if we could get some trees put in that are going to provide some shade for these people to lessen the heat that's being radiated out of the bitumen path," he said.
"[It would] make the place a lot nicer and … keep it a bit cooler.
"Shade any of the shared paths and they'd get a bit more use.
"People would maybe get a wider window to use the paths and do some exercise."
Plant it and they will come
Mr Brooks, who competes in ironman, triathlon and other endurance events, feels more shading is needed at Lee Point, East Point Road, Nightcliff Foreshore, and Casuarina Coastal Reserve.
He said more people could ride comfortably to the hospitals, university, or shops and offices in Casuarina.
"You pick your time and find locations where you can go to chase the shade as much as you can," Mr Brooks said.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Environment and Parks said there were no plans for extensive tree planting along any bike paths in Casuarina Coastal Reserve.
However the NT government held a public planting of 450 trees at Lee Point on Saturday.
Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis has campaigned to green Darwin since Cyclone Marcus in March 2018, including replanting and regular free seedling giveaways.
He said the council had planted about 20,000 trees and given away that number again since elected in 2017.
"The problem we've got is that it's an established city," Mr Vatskalis said.
"Wherever the council can, we will actually plant trees, and we've got the program to plant as many as we can.
"But there's no way I can plant a tree on a 20-centimetres-wide verge."
Another department, Infrastructure, Planning, and Logistics (DIPL), and not the councils, is responsible for main arterial roads and paths in the Top End.
Hot 'as hell'
Other issues cited by Mr Vatskalis include powerlines above and below the ground, and historical and sacred sites.
Power and Water recommends vegetation near powerlines have a maximum height of 3 metres.
"Every problem has got a solution. So we'll go back and find out what we can do," Mr Vatskalis said.
A DIPL spokeswoman said the department reviewed landscaping annually and as part of capital works, and a recent $80,000 project planted trees on cycle paths on Roystonea Avenue, Frances Bay Drive, and the Stuart Highway.
It also funds councils to cool and green streetscapes, such as on Temple Terrace.
"Type of landscaping and the type and location of trees needs to be carefully considered for arterial roads to ensure vegetation does not obstruct traffic lanes, sight distances and clearance zones," the spokeswoman said.
'Opportunities remain'
The department has funded $50,000 to plant trees on the bike path this financial year around the Hidden Valley overpass on Tiger Brennan Drive.
In response to the lack of shade on Trower and Bagot roads, she said: "Overhead wires and property access limits verge tree-planting opportunities, however suitable vegetation is considered where appropriate.
"A large number of trees have been provided [on the Stuart Highway] in response to the tree loss from Cyclone Marcus and it is recognised many opportunities remain, especially to further shade the cycle path.
"The shared path on Vanderlin Drive has opportunities for tree planting that will be progressively addressed in coming years."
Big bitumen barrier
Former NT government architect Lawrence Nield said trees were just one important factor when it came to cooling the urban environment.
"You need to make sure you have breezeways through the city and not have buildings or trees blocking that," he said.
Mr Nield sees black bitumen as the biggest barrier to cooling.
"It is the main generator of heat in most urban areas," he said.
"Lack of trees is the number two problem.
"All bitumen needs to be shaded by both buildings and by trees."
'People will leave'
Mr Nield's vision for Darwin is tree-lined streets with minimal bitumen.
Add to that strategically placed fountain parks which funnel cooling breezes through the city and suburbs.
"Fountains would be part of the everyday urban scene," he said.
"The do-nothing scenario is that people will leave Darwin even more quickly than they have in the past."
Shade begets exercise
CSIRO Living Darwin Lab senior environmental scientist Stephen Cook said the surface temperature in the shade could be up to 20 degrees Celsius cooler.
"Planting those trees where they're actually needed, along pathways where people are moving [to get to] their workplace, can potentially encourage people to use active transport more, so to walk and cycle more around Darwin," he said.
To request trees along government roads, email Roadreporting.NTG@nt.gov.au. For council land, tree request forms are on their websites.
