The Water Corporation and Department of Communities have teamed up with a group of tenants for a Waterwise makeover to a Mosman Park public housing complex.
With help from environmental consultants, residents installed a special Waterwise exemplar garden at the complex, on the corner of Stirling Highway and Wellington Street.
It replaces the previous unattractive and high-maintenance garden with native, Waterwise plants, reducing water consumption and providing a space for the senior residents to enjoy.
The garden’s design will inform future Department of Communities’ Waterwise landscaping policies, helping ensure public housing properties across the State use water as efficiently as possible.
More than 3,000 native shrubs, 10 native trees and 20 fruit trees were planted over two days, with residents co-designing the garden during recent workshops.
A further 10 tuart trees have been donated by the Town of Mosman Park to provide shade and canopy cover along Gibson Street.
Minister for Water, Simone McGurk said the new garden would significantly reduce water use and provide a space the residents could be truly proud of.
“WA is home to thousands of native, Waterwise plant species, which are a great alternative to most lawns and can help lower household bills by reducing water use,” Ms McGurk said.
“This project is about much more than simply installing a new garden. It’s helped bring residents together, and we’ve seen that sense of belonging reflected in the garden’s design.”
The Water Corporation and the Department of Communities have partnered since 2017 to deliver the Waterwise Public Housing Program, which aims to help tenants reduce water consumption and lower their bills.
To date, the program has seen water-efficient fittings installed at more than 800 public housing properties State-wide, saving more than 300 million litres of drinking water.
