Sustainability awards launched on World Water Day

22 March 2022

In recognition of World Water Day on 22 March 2022, the City of Stirling is pleased to announce the launch of its Sustainable Verge Awards.

2022’s theme for World Water Day is ‘groundwater – making the invisible visible’ – a common challenge faced when making decisions about how to respond to a changing and warming climate.

With World Water Day advocating for the better protection and management of our groundwater resources, the City is delighted to announce the awards as they acknowledge community contributions to reduce water consumption, improve biodiversity and establish nature strips throughout our streetscapes.

The City of Stirling is already an award-winning local government in the waterwise space; having been a Gold status Waterwise Council since 2017 with waterwise aquatic centres, water smart parks and several waterwise community programs including Plant Giveaway Day, waterwise verge rebates, greywater system fee relief and educational waterwise workshops.

The community in Stirling has also always led the way in waterwise behaviour. In 2020/21, 41 residents transformed over 3,593m2 of verge space under the Waterwise Verge Rebate program, including the removal of 1,896m2 of thirsty grass and 17 irrigation systems. After the transformation, all participants reported using less water on their verge, with more than 80 per cent of participants estimating they now use more than 75 per cent less water.

The City’s Waterwise Verge Rebate program, however, does not include recognition of existing gardens by design so as to incentivise new garden makeovers. The City’s inaugural Sustainable Verge Awards will complement this work by rewarding retrospective waterwise efforts.

Mayor Mark Irwin said the awards would recognise community efforts that provided both ecological and social benefits related to key goals of our Waterwise Council endorsement, Urban Forest Plan, Local Biodiversity Strategy and Strategic Community Plan.

“The City has consistently received feedback from the community to provide recognition and support to residents who have completed work on verges in line with our waterwise and biodiversity goals,” he said.

“Our awards will recognise community activities that reduce water consumption and encourage stormwater infiltration, as well as the innovative efforts of businesses who improve biodiversity by increasing local native plant species, and habitat and food for native wildlife.”

The Sustainable Verge Awards categories will include:

Residential - Waterwise Nature Strip

  • Existing verge incorporates elements to reduce water consumption and encourage stormwater infiltration, such as waterwise plants, use of recycled water, application of mulch, or efficient (drip style) irrigation systems.

Residential - Biodiverse Nature Strip

  • Existing verge incorporates elements to improve biodiversity such as a diverse range of local native plant species and an increase in habitat and food provision for native wildlife.

Business/Organisation – Sustainable Nature Strip
Existing verge includes:

  • Waterwise elements to reduce water consumption and encourage stormwater infiltration.
  • Elements to improve biodiversity (increase local native plant species, and habitat and food for native wildlife).
  • Innovation, such as conversion to wheel strip parking which allows use of the space for biodiversity as well as by customers.

Winners of each category will receive a $500 prize pack and runners-up in each category will receive a $250 prize pack.

Winners prize packs will include a water smart flow meter, $350 Green Life Soil Co voucher and a $100 WA Wildflower Society Nursery voucher.

Runners-up prize packs will include a water smart flow meter, $150 Green Life Soil Co voucher and a $50 WA Wildflower Society Nursery voucher.

Applications will be open from 22 March 2022 until 30 April 2022, with the winners announced in May. Entries and nominations will be accepted via comment on the City’s Facebook post or via email to sustainability@stirling.wa.gov.au. All submissions will require a photo, description of the project in 50 words or less, and a nominated category.

Later in the week on 26 March 2022 in recognition of Earth Hour, the City of Stirling will also power down the lights at Administrative Centre at 25 Cedric Street (on the floors operated by the City) as it does each year.

These activities are just a small part of the City’s overall climate change mitigation response. Under the Sustainable Energy Action Plan (Corporate) 2020-2030, for example, we will see 100 per cent of the City’s electricity needs met by renewable sources and 70 per cent reduction on emissions by 2030 on the way to net-zero by 2050 in line with the COP26 Glasgow agreements.

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