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Hydrozoning and Ecozoning Emerald Park
The City of Joondalup, population 157,871 (2006 Census), is located about 30 kilometres north of the Perth CBD. Council is an ICLEI Member and joined the Water Campaign™ in 2007.
The City of Joondalup manages 241 parks and playing fields, which are irrigated using groundwater. This region of Australia has experienced a reduction in rainfall over the past 30 years – a trend predicted to continue – resulting in significant water shortages.
Council has trialled ecozoning and hydrozoning at Emerald Park in Edgewater, Perth. - Ecozoning is the division of a park or reserve into zones of turf and natural areas to promote biodiversity and conserve water, while keeping the area’s amenity and function.
- Hydrozoning is the set up of irrigation to allow for different zones of a park or reserve to receive different amounts of water based on their type of use and turf requirements.
 - Emerald Park
As part of this project watering regimes at the park have been altered to greatly reduce water consumption from irrigation. Grounds have been constructed to include water efficient design of active and passive areas. This has been achieved by mulching the passive area at the park.
This project provides a basis for a schedule of works for hydrozoning and ecozoning for all of the city’s parks.
Irrigation of parks, gardens and playing fields is the largest use of water by local governments in Australia making up, in most cases, over half of a municipality’s water consumption.
As with the majority of local governments in the Perth metropolitan region, the City of Joondalup uses groundwater to irrigate areas of open space and playing fields.
In Western Australia, the current drying climate means that the amount of water being recharged to groundwater aquifers is declining. In addition the widespread use of groundwater by commercial and private users has meant that groundwater levels are rapidly falling, causing changes in wetland hydrological regimes, acid sulphate soils and saline groundwater intrusion.
The city is committed to introducing environmentally sustainable practices for conserving water and has set specific goals for this. In 2009/10 the city aimed to reduce their total groundwater consumption by 1.3 million kilolitres compared to the previous year.
The overall aim is to reduce groundwater usage by 50 per cent in parks and reserves across the City of Joondalup. This will reduce water consumption to below the city’s statutory water allocation.
By setting these goals, the city is conserving freshwater resources for Joondalup residents now and in the future, as well as demonstrating to the community the environmental benefits of increasing water efficiency.
 - Emerald Park before
 - Emerald Park after the project works
The hydrozoning and ecozoning of Emerald park is a project of the city’s Landscape Master Plan 2009–19 and Water Conservation Plan 2010–11.
The Landscape Master Plan is a document outlining the city’s position for landscaping within its jurisdiction. It includes themes such as promoting biodiversity, reducing water use, providing diverse and high-quality recreational sporting opportunities, consistent and iconic landscape image and educational opportunities.
The city has a wide variety of small and large sporting and recreational parks and the threat of climate change to these areas is a major challenge in maintaining the biodiversity, amenity and access of public open spaces. The Landscape Master Plan addresses this and, in particular, includes the staged planning and implementation for ecozoning and hydrozoning on the city’s parks. This will ensure the conservation of biodiversity and water across the jurisdiction.
The city’s Water Conservation Plan is critical to reducing the city’s water use. The Water Conservation Plan focuses on setting a water budget, hydrozoning, developing an irrigation schedule, maintenance, design guidelines, education and communication, retrofitting and identifying alternative water supplies.
Initially 10 parks were selected as priorities for applying hydrozoning under the Water Conservation Plan due to their high water usage and frequent use by the community. Following implementation of hydrozoning for these parks other parks will be scheduled for hydrozoning.
This project was funded by the city’s Irrigated Parks Development Program capital works budget.
 - The project was featured in a local publication: Joondalup Weekender, 10 December 2009.
Hydrozoning and ecozoning were implemented at Emerald Park in Edgewater, Perth in 2009. The aim of the works at this park was to reduce water usage while not affecting the amenity or usability of the area for park users. The process of hydrozoning and ecozoning was chosen as they are considered best practice and are an action of the city’s Landscape Master Plan.
This project involved consultation with various business units from the city including Operations Services, Landscaping and Conservation Services, Leisure Services, Environmental Development, Operations Administration and Parks and Engineering.
Designs were created that separated the park into three main areas: the sports field, wooded surrounds with mulched garden beds and irrigated grass banks for spectator seating.
The city distributed an informational flyer to all its ratepayers discussing the water reduction plans. A flyer was circulated to residents surrounding Emerald Park informing them of the proposed plans and signage was also installed at several locations around the park.
The next step of implementation was to upgrade the irrigation system and controller to water efficient systems. Footpaths were installed ensure that accessibility and connectivity were maximised throughout the park. Mulch was spread throughout the formerly irrigated wooded park surrounds.
Waterwise native garden beds will be installed throughout the mulched areas in 2010/11 to add to the biodiversity and amenity of the park.
To From July 2009 to April 2010 Emerald Park has used approximately 55 per cent less water for irrigation following irrigation upgrades and hydrozoning than it did in the 2008/09 financial year. This equates to a reduction of 31,692 kilolitres (kL) from the same period in 2008/09.
The broader target rate for groundwater irrigation per hectare across the city is 6,700 kL/ha. The rate achieved to date for 2009/10 at Emerald Park is 4,545 kL/ha.
Also as a result of this project there will be a significant reduction in operational costs for mowing and irrigation maintenance costs as only about half of the 5.76-hectare park is now non-irrigated.
 - Emerald Park before
 - Emerald Park after project works
This project has provided the evidence for expanding the project of hydrozoning and ecozoning to other parks within the city. A schedule of parks to be hydrozoned and ecozoned has been developed and will be implemented gradually over the coming years.
The close monitoring of water use for each park is essential to the planning and implementation of hydrozoning and ecozoning as well as reducing groundwater use.
City of Joondalup
Council website: www.joondalup.wa.gov.au
Grant Mullins, Environmental Technical Officer
Lisa Pilkington, Senior Environmental Project Officer
ICLEI Oceania
5/267 Collins St
Melbourne Vic 3000
Ph: +61 3 9639 8688
Fax: +61 3 9639 8677
Email: oceania@iclei.org
Website: www.iclei.org/oceania/water
Thanks to Grant Mullins and Lisa Pilkington from the City of Joondalup for their assistance in producing this case study.
Photographs supplied by Council.
Does your council have an initiative that could be promoted by the Water Campaign™ as a future case study?
We’d like to hear if your council has implemented an innovative water saving initiative or project to improve water quality. Contact your Water Campaign State Manager with details.
© June 2010 ICLEI Oceania
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