How to get the most out of your Waterwise Council's greening initiatives

‘Greening’ with waterwise plants and trees can improve the environment we live in by reducing urban heat, improving local water quality, bettering community wellbeing, and increasing biodiversity.

Find out how we’re working with waterwise councils to empower local communities to live more sustainably through the Waterwise Greening Scheme.

The Waterwise Greening Scheme and waterwise councils

In July 2019, Water Corporation’s Waterwise Greening Scheme was launched for waterwise councils with many Perth local governments taking part over the last two years. The scheme offers co-funding for a wide range of waterwise greening initiatives that support positive impact for the community.

Some of the initiatives include native plant giveaways, verge transformations, gardening competitions, workshops, tree planting and the development of demonstration gardens. So far, the greening scheme has co-funded the planting and delivery of more than 57,700 waterwise plants, 360 waterwise verge subsidies and 820 waterwise trees.

Get to know your local government and get involved

Step 1

Check your local government is a waterwise council.

Step 2

Check their website or get in touch with them to see if they have waterwise greening initiatives on offer for local residents.

Step 3

Check out their waterwise verge policy (as approved by us) and finally, find out how you can access their rebates or incentives for waterwise greening. This includes verge transformation rebates to help you transform your verge into a waterwise garden, or free waterwise native plants at annual plant giveaways.

Your local government will guide you through the next steps you need to take.

What's so wise about a waterwise verge?

A waterwise verge is a step away from a lawn or paved verge, and a move towards a low maintenance garden that comes with many benefits:

• Saving water in the garden
• Creating a beautiful green space for your street
• Provides a cooling effect to counteract ‘urban heat island’ effects in summer
• Provides a habitat for local wildlife and promotes biodiversity

Before you get started, download our handy guide to creating a waterwise verge, which maps out everything you need to do from checking your local governments requirements, to design and installation.

Check out local demonstration gardens for inspiration

Some of our waterwise councils have been hard at work creating stunning examples of waterwise gardens and verges for you to draw inspiration from. You can find a demonstration garden at the following locations:

• Town of Bassendean Men’s Shed Verge Demonstration Garden – May Holman Drive, Bassendean.
• South Perth Bodkin Park Waterwise Demonstration Garden – Mullingar Close, Waterford.
• Shire of Murray Waterwise Demonstration Garden – 18 to 22 George Street, Pinjarra.
• Tulip Way Succulent Strip – Tulip Way, East Cannington.

Good soil is the foundation of a waterwise garden

The healthier your soil is, the more climate resilient your plants will be. The easiest way to improve your soil is when you are planting. Mixing soil improver and wetting agents into the top layers of the soil is the best way to improve the soil health. Once you’re done planting, the next step is mulch, which acts like sunscreen for your soil to lock the moisture in. Find out more about setting up your soil for success.