Assets for liveability
Liveability means making a place where people want to live, businesses want to invest and communities can thrive. This includes having good drinking water, low waste and access to green and blue spaces that help with mental and physical health. To create a liveable place, we need to think about what the community needs now and in the future, balancing short-term and long-term needs for everyone in Western Australia.
In collaboration with Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER), we have established the Drainage for Liveability Program. This program aims to convert stormwater drains and basins into living streams, which is made possible by working with interested community groups, local authorities and stakeholders.
Recently, we have introduced our Assets for Liveability Program to recognise the opportunities presented by our broader assets supporting liveability across the state.
This program is based on the Water Sensitive Cities concept and compliments the State Government’s Waterwise Perth Action Plan by integrating water and land use planning. It aims to show how water can make our communities more sustainable, productive, resilient and liveable. The Water Sensitive Cities approach recognises the importance of water in enhancing the liveability and sustainability of cities, highlighting the multiple benefits that water infrastructure can provide. It also considers opportunities for better land and water outcomes including nature-based solutions.
The benefit of this program is that it looks at the big picture. It shows that our assets don't have to be used for just one thing. Instead, they can be part of the city, neighbourhood, and community, providing important water services and other benefits. This idea is key to creating a waterwise city.
The below projects shows how we can do this, highlighting the many advantages of a well-planned, waterwise urban area.
Completed projects
Mary Crescent Reserve
Mary Crescent Reserve was once a wetland and a gathering place for Aboriginal people. Over time, it became a grass park but remained a place for connection
The community wanted to improve the reserve, leading to a collaboration between us, Greening Australia, the Town of Bassendean and locals to restore the wetland. This aimed to reconnect people with its cultural and environmental importance.
This project also led to the Town of Bassendean adopting the Waterwise Verge Program, encouraging residents to create native gardens that use less water and link the wetland to the river through a biodiversity corridor.
Nurdi Park
In another project with the City of Canning, we turned Nurdi Park from a plain grass area into a lively community space. We worked with the City and others to change part of an open drain along the park's edge into a living stream and wetland. This system captures water from the stream, cleans it in the wetland and then lets it flow back into the stream and into the Canning River.
Now, the community has a park that improves stormwater quality, provides a home for wildlife, and offers space for many activities.
Peter's Place
Peters Place Reserve is an award-winning project done with the City of Bayswater. It turned a stormwater drain into an urban living stream, which works like a natural wetland. The plants and soil in the stream clean the water before it flows into major waterways like the Swan River. Now, Peters Place helps with flood protection, improves water quality and provides a nice place for the community and wildlife.
The project started with the Morley Activity Centre Precinct Planning. After talking with the community, it was clear they wanted a greener and more active city centre. Peters Place was one of the spots chosen to help achieve this goal.
Wharf Street Basin
A Western Australia first, the Wharf Street smart park is an innovative example of transforming a stormwater basin into a multi-purpose space that benefits both the environment and community while keeping the connection to the river in mind. After being fenced off for 60 years, it now serves as a vital liveability feature in the heart of Canning.
As part of the Smart Cities Council program this collaborative project involved us, the City of Canning, DWER and other partners. Together, we used landscape design and technology to create a recreational area with a new approach to stormwater management. The four-hectare site now offers a relaxing space for people, a habitat for wildlife and an educational area to learn about water.
Additional resources
- Living Stream Lite - a decision support tool for tree planting on our drainage assets.
- Fencing and revegetation along rural drainage assets - guidance notes for landholders seeking our approval in collaboration with the Peel Harvey Catchment Council (PHCC).
Contact us
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact us by emailing liveable.communities@watercorporation.com.au.