Synopsis

The City of Belmont, a Water Campaign™ participant since 2004, recognises that fertilisers applied to gardens can contribute to water quality problems in local streams. The City lies within the boundaries of the Swan River catchment and borders the river on one side. This water body has suffered increasing water quality problems over many years.

Excess fertiliser can be transported to receiving water bodies via surface drainage networks or through leaching into the groundwater, which then flows into downstream surface water bodies. Once nutrients build up in the receiving water body, algal blooms can result (Government of Western Australia 1999).

The impact of fertilisers on the Swan River’s water quality can be addressed in a number of ways. The Swan Canning Clean-up Program Action Plan recommends; water management and conservation techniques on site, improved fertiliser regimes, stream restoration, setbacks beyond or within which no fertilisers are applied and vegetated buffer areas (Government of Western Australia 1999).

In recognition that improved fertiliser regimes are an important part of addressing this problem, the City of Belmont’s Parks and Gardens department ran a demonstration for its residents on correct fertiliser use.

Approach Undertaken

The demonstration was part of a series of free community demonstrations on garden maintenance for their residents. The demonstrations cover a range of topics including; efficient fertiliser use, propagation, rose pruning, reticulating your garden and how to plant a waterwise garden.

Members of the public attended the first demonstration on efficient fertiliser use which covered the best types of fertilisers, application timing and application rate in order to reduce wastage and therefore fertiliser run-off. The demonstration allowed residents to see that applying fertiliser correctly will still result in a healthy garden with minimal impact on local water quality.

The demonstrations were held on a Saturday morning for one hour in one of the City’s parks. Two Parks and Gardens department staff attended and ran the demonstration.

Costs

Costs for delivering the demonstration were minimal. The major expense was the officer’s time in organising and presenting the demonstrations.

The demonstration was advertised in the Council’s own community newsletter. In the future advertising costs may increase as promotion of the demonstration is expanded to local papers.

Savings and Benefits

Feedback forms were distributed at the demonstration and the feedback received indicated that the participant’s understanding of appropriate fertiliser application had increased. This understanding can then be put into practice in their own gardens and contribute to reducing nutrient run-off into the local waterways.

The demonstrations are also another way for staff to; provide a visible and tangible service of value to their community, build relationships with these community members and demonstrate Council’s environmental leadership.

References

Government of Western Australia (1999) Swan Canning Cleanup Program Action Plan Swan River Trust Perth WA

ICLEI-A/NZ would like to acknowledge the assistance of Mr Jeff Bird, the City of Belmont and Mr Craig Heal from the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council in the preparation of this case study.

To receive further information or become involved in the ICLEI Water Campaign™ in Australia, please contact:

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability
4/267 Collins Street
Melbourne Vic 3000
Ph: (03) 9639 8688
Fax: (03) 96398677
Email: anz@iclei.org
Web: www.iclei.org/anz/water/water.htm

For further information about this project contact:

Jeff Bird
Parks and Gardens Supervisor
City of Belmont
215 Wright Street
Cloverdale WA 6985
Ph: (08) 9477 7222
Email: jeff.bird@belmont.wa.gov.au

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