Inland Waters
Page 176
‘Our Patch’ Sites
Our Patch groups are volunteers from the community, schools or industry who
look after a 'patch' of land within the catchments. With support from an Our
Patch Project Officer (provided by the NRM board) each group works to
improve their Patch, including water quality, biodiversity and natural habitats, by
implementing environmental best practice.
Within the City of Port Adelaide Enfield there are 10 active Our Patch sites. An
example of an Our Patch project is Friends of Dry Creek. The group helps to
restore
Eucalyptus camaldulensis
(river red gum) woodland by:
•
Undertaking weed control
•
Plantings
•
Opportunistic fauna and flora surveys
•
Litter collection
Gross Pollutant Traps
There are a total of 51 trash racks managed by the Council. Since 2005/06 the
total volume of litter collected across the Council and prevented from entering
receiving water bodies is 637.78 tonnes.
Water Sensitive Urban Design Systems
Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is an urban stormwater management
policy that Council is increasingly incorporating into new and existing urban
infrastructures. Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is defined as an urban
planning and design approach that integrates the management of the total
water cycle into the urban development process. It includes:
•
Integrated management of groundwater, surface runoff (including
stormwater), drinking water and wastewater to protect water related
environmental, recreational and cultural values;
•
Storage, treatment and beneficial use of runoff;
•
Treatment and reuse of wastewater;
•
The use of vegetation for treatment purposes, water efficient landscaping
and enhancing biodiversity.
Council has undertaken the construction of a Bio-retention project at Murchison
Street, Mansfield Park - a Bio-retention system is designed to provide flow
control and water quality treatment functions. A Bio-retention basin is
characterised by the ability to detain/retain runoff in a depression storage (or
ponded area) above the bio-retention system. This system will be designed to
detain enough stormwater to sustain the growth of the project plantings
throughout summer without dependence on mains water.
