- A total of $4 million over four years will be provided to support local governments in reducing their groundwater use
- Seven grant recipients have been selected as the most impacted local governments by the urban heat island effect
- Under the Gnangara groundwater allocation plan local governments will need to transition to a 10 per cent reduction in groundwater use from 2028
Local governments will receive a share of $4 million in funding to help reduce groundwater use under the Gnangara groundwater allocation plan.
The Gnangara Waterwise Councils Grants Program is a joint initiative between Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) and Water Corporation that focuses on the local governments with large groundwater entitlements that are also most at risk of the urban heat island effect.
The cities of Joondalup, Perth, Wanneroo, Vincent, Swan and Stirling, and the Town of Bassendean submitted projects to help reduce their groundwater use and have been approved to receive funding. The City of Bayswater and the Town of Cambridge are also working to develop projects for consideration.
Funding will support the redevelopment of parks to include waterwise principles and create resilient open spaces, increased tree cover, upgraded irrigation systems, installation of weather stations and smart irrigation control systems as well as stormwater harvesting. Projects will also look at the potential for wastewater reuse as alternative water sources.
This initiative is part of the Government of Western Australia’s Kep Katitjin Gabi Kaadadjan Waterwise Perth Action Plan 2 to establish leading waterwise communities for Boorloo (Perth) and Bindjareb (Peel) by 2030.
For more information, please visit Program: Kep Katitjin Gabi Kaadadjan Waterwise Perth action plan 2 | Western Australian Government (www.wa.gov.au)andPlan – Gnangara (dwer.wa.gov.au)
Comments attributed to Water Minister Simone McGurk:
“I congratulate the local governments that have been selected to receive funding for projects that will reduce their groundwater use.
“These projects will allow communities to continue to use our city’s beautiful green spaces, whilst reducing their reliance on Perth’s precious groundwater.”
Summary of Gnangara Waterwise Councils Grants Program
Applicant/ Project | Project Summary/deliverables | Recommended funding |
City of Joondalup Community Parks and Public Open Space Groundwater Savings Program | Redevelopment of Barridale Park (aim to reduce water usage by 21 per cent) using waterwise design principles and hydro-zoning Installation of new irrigation smart meter system across multiple sites Outcomes: Improved irrigation efficiency and management of public open spaces and parks Implementation of sustainable and affordable solutions to improve water efficiency Water saving measures through adjustments to the City’s irrigation system Automated data tracking of groundwater consumption and improved data transparency Improved scheduling, replacement, and maintenance of irrigation infrastructure | $600K |
City of Perth Increasing Stormwater Harvesting from the Claisebrook Main Drain to Drought-proof the City of Perth | Provide a sufficient alternative water supply to offset the City’s 500,000kL groundwater allocation irrigating the CBD, therefore ‘drought proofing’ the City of Perth into the future, by increasing stormwater harvesting capacity of the existing Claisebrook main drain harvesting system. Automated pipeline between Claisebrook Lake, Queens Gardens and Lake Vasto automatically filling the lakes to supplement groundwater/irrigation demands. Education and promotion of the technology and water saving initiatives. | $200K |
Town of Bassendean Recreational park ecozoning and sports turf injection systems | Installation of sports turf injection systems at three sporting facilities, to improve turf management and reduce water use. Ecozoning to reduce areas of irrigated turf at Success Hill Reserve and Mary Crescent Reserve, with installation of mulch and tree planting. | $200K |
City of Wanneroo Gnangara Groundwater Allocation Plan – Smart Irrigation Control Implementation | Installation of a centrally controlled smart irrigation control system which will include the installation of weather stations at strategic locations across the City. The weather stations will be connected to the central irrigation system and will allow irrigation schedules to be adjusted automatically in real time based on site climatic conditions. It is estimated that this will achieve a 15 per cent reduction in ground water use through enhanced control and monitoring associated with central systems. | $600K |
City of Vincent Groundwater Use Reduction and Urban Forest Management Initiatives | Several sub-projects: 1. Beatty Park Leisure Centre – Wastewater Reuse Feasibility Study 2. Litis Stadium – Inground Irrigation and Electrical Cabinet renewal to improve water efficiency and turf health & resilience. 3. Weather Stations and Soil Moisture Probes to Improve Water Efficiency 4. Parks Tree Mapping increasing canopy cover and tree health and guide future planting locations. 5. Waterwise Council – Education Officer increasing awareness of the importance of waterwise activities and change public perception of green spaces in a drying climate. | $200K |
City of Swan Lilac Hill Northern Oval, Ron Jose Oval and Ballajura Oval Hydro-zoning | Undertake hydro-zoning and renew all the irrigation within: Lilac Hill Northern Oval, Ron Jose Oval and Ballajura Oval. The project includes separating active turf areas from passive turf areas, removing irrigation in natural bushland areas and replacing older sprinklers with modern water efficient sprinklers. By undertaking these works, the City is aiming to reduce groundwater use at both locations by 15-20% (7,000-10,000kL per oval). This will assist the City’s goal of reducing overall groundwater use by 10 per cent in the Gnangara Groundwater System. | $600K |
City of Stirling Future Proofing Parks and Sourcing Recycled Water for Irrigation of public open space | Nine waterwise park upgrades including: Improved irrigation efficiency Hydrozoning Ecozoning Investigation into potential alternative water sources for irrigation of public open space (stormwater harvesting, managed aquifer recharge, sewer mining) and cost benefit analysis. A demonstration Water-smart Park established, showcasing WSUD principles and reducing irrigated turf areas. A Watersmart Park Implementation plan will be developed for prioritisation and replication of future Watersmart parks including strategic review of all City parks to prioritise park redesign projects to maximise groundwater savings by 2028. | $600K |
