Waterwise Verge Gardens

Verges play an important role in creating cool, green spaces for our communities, providing habitat for our local wildlife, and improving streetscape amenities in the City. Verges are often covered in lawn or hardstand surfaces such as paving that use significant amounts of water and radiate heat in summer.

A street verge is the road reserve area between a road and the adjacent property boundary but does not include any footpath. The verge is owned by the Crown and managed by the City.  

Residents are encouraged to install low water use plants, ground covers, edible plants (vegetables and herbs), lawns and landscape treatments on their verge. Verge treatments are regulated by the City’s Local Government and Public Property Local Law 2014. 

Residents are able to undertake improvements to the verge that are in line with the permissible verge treatments described in the Street Verge Guidelines. 

Why install a Waterwise verge garden? 

The City encourages soft landscape verge treatments, including waterwise native plants and mulch. Waterwise verge gardens can: 

• Save water in the garden  
• Require little maintenance, with occasional weeding, pruning, mulching and hand watering 
• Creates green liveable communities and streetscapes 
• Contributes to healthy drainage 
• Create a cooling effect and counteract the urban heat island effect. Below, further information about urban heat island effect.
• Provide a habitat for local wildlife and promote biodiversity. 

What is urban heat island effect?

Urban heat island effect is the build-up of heat in urban areas. This build up is exacerbated by an increase to urban densities and building heights that trap heat overnight, particularly during periods of extended dry and heat. Greening initiatives, like adding a street tree to your verge or creating a waterwise verge garden will assist to offset the build-up of urban heat. Through understorey and canopy planting initiatives cooling is maximised.

The City is creating greener, cooler, and more comfortable neighbourhoods for everyone, through its Leafy City and Street Tree Planting programs.

By creating waterwise gardens and requesting a street tree, you can help create cool, green and biodiverse neighbourhoods.

Tips and Resources 

• Learn how to create a waterwise verge garden.
• Find out more through our waterwise verge garden guide and infographic.
• Find suitable plants for your local area and garden type.
• Learn about growing biodiverse and waterwise gardens
• Search Water Corporations directory’s for waterwise plants, waterwise specialists and waterwise products. 
• Get free mulch from the City using Mulch vouchers or from Mulchnet. We recommend only using eucalyptus prunings from Mulchnet due to Polyphagous shot-hole borer risk with non-native mulch. 
• Street Verge Guidelines. 
• Free street tree application. 
• Tree Management Guidelines 2019.
• Water Corporation share information through the Waterwise verge best practice guidelines and about creating waterwise verges.

Want to see a Waterwise verge garden?  

You can view a demonstration waterwise verge garden at the following locations:  

• Carina Loop, Ocean Reef
• Currambine Community Centre, Currambine
• Duncraig Library, Duncraig.