Amazing waterwise initiatives in the City of Canning

The City of Canning undertook some amazing initiatives to become a Platinum Waterwise Council.

What does it take to be recognised as Western Australia’s leading Waterwise Council? City of Canning was recently named the Platinum Waterwise Council for 2019, only a few years since it was officially endorsed as a Waterwise Council.

City of Canning community has strong ties with water – with the Canning River – the Dyarlgarro Beelya – running through its boundaries.

Platinum recognition is given to a local government that has demonstrated innovation and best practice techniques in sustainable water management, as well as commitment to community education and behavioural change among ratepayers. City of Canning joins three other Waterwise Councils that have achieved Platinum recognition – the cities of Mandurah, Vincent and Subiaco.

This recognition was developed as part of our journey towards Perth becoming a more waterwise city – which extends beyond just saving water, to recognising the cultural importance of water, implementing changes to ensure quality urban spaces that are designed to be water sensitive and increase the liveability of communities.

Some of the key initiatives implemented in 2017-18:

• Lambertia Creek Living Stream – we partnered with the City to transform the Lambertia Creek stormwater drain in Ferndale into a living stream. Around 111 volunteers from the local community got their hands dirty as part of the project, helping to plant 25,000 seedlings at the site as part of National Tree Day. Around 0.73ha of land was rehabilitated through the project which will also improve water quality and provide a habitat for local fauna.
• Sustainability audits –  the City carried out 25 audits at homes within Canning Vale, Rossmoyne and Riverton to help educate residents about their water use and provide advice about how to save water.
• Youth Hackathon – 70 students from St Norbert College and Canning Vale College participated in a Youth Hackathon event in August 2018, with a sustainability theme focused on increasing water literacy within the community.
• Little Green Steps – the City partnered with Little Green Steps to provide sustainability themed professional development opportunity to early childhood educators.
• Water saving audits at aged care facilities – two facilities were audited with water efficient fixture and fitting installed to help save water.
• Stormwater used for irrigation – the City created a ‘wet well’ to divert a portion of stormwater to a small storage tank, which is then filtered and used to irrigate garden beds and street trees along Sevenoaks Street.
• Hydrozoning – at Clifton Park, the oval and its surrounding area were hydrozoned by the City, with irrigation stations positioned so high quality sports turf is separated from the surrounding area which requires less watering.
• Community engagement and education – the City held 20 community workshops about sustainability and ran a number of programs and educational events through its Canning River Eco Education Centre.
• Local Biodiversity Strategy – endorsed in June 2018, the City’s Local Biodiversity Strategy reinforces that the living environment is critical in creating a ‘welcoming and thriving city’, including maintaining and enhancing vegetation throughout the City.
• The Riverton Leisureplex and the Cannington Leisureplex have been endorsed as Waterwise Aquatic Centres since 2014.

The City of Canning is also a partner of the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities and is the first council to have an endorsed vision – the Vision for a Water Sensitive Canning. This vision provides a clear direction on how it will become a resilient, liveable, sustainable and productive Waterwise City.