City of Mandurah achieves gold and platinum status
The City of Mandurah was the first regional council to join the Waterwise Council Program in 2009 and have since achieved Gold and Platinum Waterwise Status.
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.
The City has worked hard over the last 10 years by being actively involved in reducing its own water usage, through in house water audits and retrofits, and delivering key water conservation messages to the community. They have also been improving water quality within the City’s footprint and estuarine environment by building capacity among community members and teaching residents how to look after their drains and waterways.
Some of the key initiatives implemented by City of Mandurah since 2009 include:
- Waterwise verge workshops and incentives
- Blue Crab Program educating the community about responsible drain usage
- The creation and distribution of ‘Gluten Free Ducks’ signs for urban lakes
- Investment in council owned building leak detection technology, internal water audits and retrofits
- Environmental Services Officers and Works and Services Landscaping Officers working together for eco-zoning and hydro-zoning opportunities around urban lakes and local parks
- Reuse of wastewater to irrigate recreational spaces from a local treatment facility
- Geothermal bore installation at Mandurah Aquatic Centre,
- Becoming a member of Transformative Cities Cooperative Research Centre Project 2019
- Partnering with “Switch your Thinking” to provide rewards and discounts to residents for sustainable products
- A Bushland Buyback Scheme that the City adds $500,000 to each year to purchase a property that has significant native vegetation on it that would otherwise be developed
- Rolling out innovative Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) infrastructure
- Creating a strategic WSUD management plan for future upgrades and retrofits city wide
The City also has a Waterwise Mandurah Group, that meet monthly to discuss ongoing opportunities and project management with the goal of reducing water use and improving water quality through responsible drainage.
City of Mandurah initiatives include Gluten Free Ducks signs and Blue Crab Program for drainage.