Our established suburbs typically have large areas of roofs, driveways, roads, car parks and other hard, paved surfaces. Most of the rain that falls on these surfaces doesn’t soak into the ground – it runs off into the stormwater drainage system. This stormwater carries everything it washes off the ground – like litter, leaves, silt, oils and nutrients.

Raingardens clean the stormwater and can allow a little to soak into the ground. They support healthy plants, look good, and can even create local cool spots as the plants use the water captured in the raingarden to grow.

The rain gardens will:

• filter stormwater so that it is clean before it flows into the Torrens River
• create a permeable surface to allow stormwater to infiltrate
• increase the amount of greening space on street side
• support healthy plants
• create a greatly improved look and feel
• reduce the urban heat island effect by creating local cool spots
• provide habitat for biodiversity in the area

In 2017 we constructed the first rain garden sites in Ross Avenue Reserve and at the intersection of Hartley Road and Jarman Terrace. More recently we converted many of the kerb build outs in Greville Avenue into rain gardens.

Raingardens work by filtering the stormwater as it flows down through the plants and soil into a drainage pipe at the base. Leaves and litter stay at the surface where they break down or can be collected later. Silt and oils aretrapped in the soil where soil microbes break them down over time and the left over nutrients are used by the plants for growth.

In the 2019/20 financial year we are designing rain gardens for Thistle Avenue and Collingwood Avenue.

Construction of the raingardens at these locations will depend on design feasibility, consultation with the community and future funding.

Refer to the coloured concept plans in the document library which shows the locations they are being proposed.

There are lots of different plants you can use in a rain garden.

In the City of Charles Sturt we use:

• Atriplex Semibaccata (Australian Saltbush)
• Juncus Pallidus (Great soft-rush)
• Carex Appressa (Tall Sedge)
• Lomandra Longifolia (Spiny-head mat-rush)

To get involved and share your feedback on the proposed raingardens you can:

♦ Come along on an interactive Walking Tour to learn more about what raingardens do. Saturday 14 December 2019. 10am to 11.30am.

◊ Meet in the reserve at the corner of Pine Street and Hartley Road. Wear comfortable shoes.

◊ Registration is required to attend - refer to registration box at the top of the page

♦ Provide your comments online by completing the online survey

Comments related to this proposal are required by 9am Monday 23 December 2019.