Verge Gardens

Shire Update 07-2023

https://www.bridgetown.wa.gov.au/services/roads/verge-managment.aspx

Habitat Trays for Waterwise Verge Gardens are now (30-05-22) available

The Bridgetown Community Landcare Nursery grows local plants for local wildlife. To help gardeners and those on small properties they have created habitat trays, collections of 10 plants in forester tubes that are specially selected to encourage local wildlife, including: blue wren heaven, food for a finch, cockatoo forage, bee friendly, bog for a frog, melaleuca and bottlebrush magic, creeklines and a new verge friendly tray for those who want to make their road verge attractive to wildlife.

 Email nursery@blackwoodenvironmentsociety.org.au for more information

Outcomes from Open Space 15-08-21 on Waterwise Verge Gardens

There was great support for shire to incorporate the Water Corporation Waterwise Verge Policy when the shire Verge and Tree policy is reviewed later this year. The new Verge and Tree Policy will need to include very clear guidelines for people who are planning to establish a verge garden. It was proposed that the Sustainability Advisory Committee write the new policy, to ensure that it has consulted with, and included, local knowledge and expertise and has clear guidelines of the WW Verge Gardening Policy. There needs to be suitable soil and site preparation of the verge. Perhaps the shire could assist with the preliminary spraying of the verge prior to householders undertaking planting.· Soil preparation needs to be carefully done as to not impact on the services providing the home with electricity, water, telephone, optic fibres etc.  Advice can be sought from Southern Flora, Community Landcare Nursery and Landcare on designing the verge plant layout. This could make a nice community “Hands On Workshop” involving all of the above plus the Community Garden. The presenters should be remunerated where appropariate. This is very site-specific depending on where the verge is located and will have to be within the boundaries of what the Shires verge planting policy is stipulation ie minimum distance 2.5m from the edge of the road, height restrictions etc.  Suitable plants for verges can be sourced at the Bridgetown Community Landcare Nursery and Southern Flora . Bridgetown Community Landcare Nursery will further develop a list of suitable plants. These species are native plants local to our area so a Southern Flora list would make a useful addition for colour and form.  Habitat trays for Verges may become available for purchase from the Community Landcare Nursery. Workshops on the new policy would need to be included in the adoption of the new policy. Questions like “What will happen to the verge garden when the people sell or the tenants move out?” would need to be addressed. Suggestion that a local community group could be formed like a “Helping Hands for Verges” to assist people with initial planting of their verge. Consideration would be whose umbrella/ public liability and volunteers insurance would cover this? Where would any tools and equipment needed come from? Water wise and Fire control awareness – This should be clearly covered in the Verge Gardens Policy that is adopted by the Council. Important to be aware that the verge garden may impact on BAL ratings. Shire verge policy needs to make it clear that landholders are responsible for ongoing maintenance and this maintenance again needs clear guidelines. Encouraging wildlife [birds and pollinators etc] so close to the roads could result in animal/birdlife roadkill incidents. Compaction of verges due to vehicles having been parked on them, could mean that the householder will need to undertake some ripping method to loosen the soil for planting. This needs to be done with extreme care due to the service lines to the property being in this area.