The City of Joondalup’s award winning climate change strategy

The City of Joondalup claimed two major awards at the 2024 International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) World Green City Awards for its Climate Change Strategy. The city was announced as the winner of the Living Green for Water category and the inaugural Youth Award.

Located in Perth, Western Australia, the City manages and cares for nearly 400 parks, natural areas and public open spaces essential to the wellbeing of its residents and the wider community. Situated within a global biodiversity hotspot that has the highest concentration of rare and endangered species on the continent, already impacted by habitat fragmentation, and with Perth having the least tree canopy cover of all Australian capital cities, the City, its environment and its residents are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The Council is committed to building a more liveable and resilient city, which is reflected in its response to climate change through the implementation of its Climate Change Strategy. The award-winning Strategy identifies corporate and community focused initiatives that aim to adapt and mitigate against the environmental impacts of climate change, rapid urbanisation and the increasing urban heat island effect.

Caption: Danielle Bowler, Joondalup mayor Albert Jacob, Michael Hamling and Rebecca Maccario from the City of Joondalup received the Living Green for Water Award and Youth Award at the AIPH World Green City Awards.

Background

The City of Joondalup is located in Western Australia, and its traditional custodians are the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation. With a population of about 165,000 and a total land area of approximately 99 square kilometres, the city is one of the state’s largest local governments.

The City strives towards mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change, which it recognises will have significant ramifications on the health, viability, resilience and biodiversity of the city’s natural and urban areas. Climate change will also significantly impact the health and wellbeing of its residents, particularly its most vulnerable populations.

Responding effectively to climate change involves local governments being proactive and identifying strategies to implement now that will have generational impacts.

The Climate Change Strategy provides guidance for implementing an effective pathway to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts. Developed through a thorough risk assessment process, the strategy includes 43 projects across 8 key focus areas reviewed annually that all work towards combatting the impacts of climate change.

The City aspires to reduce water usage, enhance green urban spaces and encourage community engagement through education to overcome climate change. By implementing the all-inclusive strategy, the City adopts a proactive and ambitious pathway to achieving its goals while also engaging the community and protecting and enhancing the biodiversity, and amenity of the City’s natural and urban green spaces.

Caption: Lake Joondalup, Yellagonga Regional Park.

Action taken

The City has implemented several waterwise initiatives within its corporate operations and wider community to conserve and protect its precious water sources. These actions are ensuring the City is better equipped and prepared to face climate change impacts, and is what led to the City of Joondalup being internationally recognised at the AIPH Awards as a Living Green for Water City.

Urban tree planting

The City’s two urban tree planting programs have increased the number of trees planted across the City, both in areas found to generate the highest surface temperature and where residents request trees be planted on their verge. Thermal heat mapping is used to identify areas most prone to the urban heat island effect.

In 2023/24 the City planted 2,253 trees as part of the Winter Urban Tree Planting program. An additional 1,677 trees were planted as part of the City’s Leafy City Program. The Climate Change Strategy includes a target of planting a minimum of 1,000 trees per year.

Caption: The City provides opportunities for the community to attend waterwise garden workshops.

Community Waterwise Verge Programs

As an endorsed Gold Waterwise Council, the City receives water corporation funding to implement initiatives such as the Waterwise Verge Rebate Program, Native Plant Giveaway and Waterwise Demonstration Gardens. The aim is to inspire and support residents in creating waterwise gardens, and to improve biodiversity across suburbs.

The City’s Waterwise Verge Rebate Program provides the opportunity for the community to create their own waterwise verges and contribute to a greener, biodiverse and more inviting city that aligns with the Councils strategic goal of reducing the impacts of climate change. The program provided residents with waterwise plants for their verge and valuable information through workshops and support from City staff to guide their decision making.

In 2022/23 the program provided 2,000 plants to 101 residents, resulting in 65 turfed verges removed and replaced with waterwise native gardens. The 2023/24 Native Plant Giveaway provided approximately 8,000 plants to 750 residents, alongside a range of resources and support to create waterwise native gardens for wildlife.

Caption: The Waterwise Verge Rebate Program led to residents creating beautiful waterwise verges that save water, provide habitat for wildlife and look amazing!

Waterwise Park Redevelopment Projects

In responding to climate change, the City prioritises initiatives that reduce water usage by improving green urban environments. Through its Play Spaces Renewal Program, the City uses detailed landscaping and irrigation designs to reduce irrigated areas by implementing hydrozoning, ecozoning and waterwise landscaping.

When upgrading play spaces, poor condition turfed areas are removed and replaced with mulch and nature-based play items and irrigation is switched off. Trees across the City’s suburbs that are removed due to poor condition or being deemed unsafe, are first stored and then upcycled for use as nature play equipment in the City’s renewed playspaces. In 2023/24, 12 play spaces were upgraded, converting irrigated turf areas to unirrigated mulched areas.

Caption: The Play Spaces Renewal Program aims to reduce water usage by undetaking ecozoning and hydrozoning in City parks.

Youth engagement

The City supports young people to embrace healthy and active lifestyles by providing green urban environments for them to undertake social, recreational and sporting activity. This includes playgrounds, parks, skate parks, sporting grounds, natural areas and more.

The City works closely with schools through the Adopt a Coastline or Bushland initiative. School students across the City ‘Adopt’ a patch of bushland or coastline and learn how to take care of it through rehabilitation and conservation, while learning about wildlife and the importance of the natural environment.

The City also invites young people to have a say in their future by engaging with them through targeted forums such as the City’s Strategic Community Plan Youth Mayoral Workshop and youth representatives on the City’s Strategic Community Reference Group.

Caption: Schools within the City can take part in a free environmental program where students learn to protect and conserve their natural environment.

Result

Through implementing its Climate Change Strategy the City of Joondalup has realised great achievements and outcomes in adapting to and mitigating climate change.

As a result of its planting initiatives, canopy cover within the City has increased from 9% in 2014 to 12% in 2020. This will result in reduced water usage in the long-term by mitigating the urban heat island effect, improving the soil and filtering groundwater. The City is confident tree planting is having a positive impact along with community education and opportunities for residents to be active participants in urban greening.

By collaborating with its residents, State government departments, organisations and other local governments, the Council has effectively implemented the actions identified in its Climate Change Strategy, which has had a significant positive impact on the community and environment.

The City is proud to receive the AIPH World Green City Awards in Living Green for Water and Youth categories and will continue to lead in addressing the effects of climate change.

The AIPH World Green City Awards showcase bold and inspiring urban greening initiatives by cities from around the world, all of whom are leading the way in shaping a greener urban future, with the next edition of the awards to be held in 2026.

Further information on the City of Joondalup:

• City of Joondalup a Dual Winner at 2024 AIPH World Green City Awards | City of Joondalup
• Water management | City of Joondalup
• Climate change initiatives | City of Joondalup
• Case Studies: AIPH World Green City Awards 2024 Winners • AIPH
• Green City Case Study: City of Joondalup, Australia: Climate Change Strategy • AIPH