Ready, set, grow: Waterwise garden makeover for senior tenants

Water Corporation staff volunteer their time to assist with the waterwise makeover in Mosman Park. 

• Native garden to reduce water consumption at Mosman Park social housing complex
• Co-designed by tenants, Water Corporation, Department of Communities and The Forever Project
• Design to inform future waterwise landscaping policies at public housing projects

Water Corporation and the Department of Communities have teamed up with a group of green-thumbed tenants for a unique waterwise makeover to a Mosman Park public housing complex.

With help from environmental consultants at The Forever Project, residents this week helped install 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 with The Forever Project.

A further 10 tuart trees have been donated by the Town of Mosman Park to provide shade and canopy cover along Gibson Street.

Access to green space has numerous social and mental health benefits, and the revitalised gardens will provide tenants with more opportunities to interact with nature. The design includes nature paths, shade trees, gabion seats and larger areas of accessible green space.

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.

The Waterwise Public Housing Project is an initiative under the Western Australian Government's Kep Katitjin - Gabi Kaadadjan (Waterwise Perth Action Plan 2), which supports Boorloo (Perth) and Bindjareb's (Peel) transition to one of world's leading waterwise cities by 2030.

Comments attributed to Water Minister Simone McGurk:

"Not only does the new garden look fantastic, but it will also significantly reduce water use and provide a space these residents can truly be 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.

"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.

"It was especially pleasing to see tenants involved in selecting different plants and shrubs and getting their hands dirty during the planting.

"This garden will now serve to inform waterwise landscaping design at future public housing projects and build on the successful partnership between Water Corporation and the Department of Communities."

Comments attributed to Housing Minister John Carey

"This is a fantastic example of collaboration between government agencies to deliver better outcomes for public housing tenants and the wider community.

"The native garden greening also adds to the overall amenity of the housing complex, bringing more vibrancy.

"Through the Waterwise Public Housing Program, this Government is helping reduce water consumption at public housing properties while supporting tenants to lower their bills."

Planting underway on site.

The Mosman Park public housing complex.

The waterwise makeover provides a welcoming space for senior residents to explore and enjoy.