Introduction

The City of Holdfast Bay is committed to water conservation, enhancing water quality, pursuing operational reductions in efficiency and activities, and encouraging similar initiatives from the community.  In addition Council is also committed to conserving waterways that traverse through natural areas and educating stakeholders about the ecological significance of those waterways.

Current Activites

• Commitment through both Strategic Plan and Sustainable Futures Plan 2009 – 2014  to conserving and enhancing water resources 
• Development of an online Sustainable Living Guide (Ecocity) that contains various actions associated with water conservation as well as up to date rebates and opportunities
• Participation in the SA Water ‘Swap and Save Showerhead’ Program that saw 400 shower heads swapped over
• Use of Class A water irrigate 13.4 ha of Councils Reserves (approximately 30%)
• Investigation of the feasibility of extending the Class A main line approximately 6km to Council’s southern boundary 
• Adoption of the SA Water IPOS model for effective and efficient irrigation of Council reserves 
• Development of a Water Management Plan for the City, which highlights key storage and re-use opportunities
• Kingston Park Caravan Park Waterproofing Study with the ultimate aim to have zero reliance of mains water (particularly for irrigation purposes)
• $70 000 allocation of the Holdfast Bay Environmental Action Trust Fund (HEAT Fund) in the 2009/10 financial year allocated to stormwater related initiatives, currently looking at an aquifer and storage, recharge and re-use program
• Maintain a high level/efficient street sweeping program  
• Restoration of water courses through revegetation, weed control, facilitation of natural regeneration, and bank stabilisation
• Development of two large waterwise native gardens that are regionally recognised (Carter House Native Garden (name change likely to occur) and Holdfast Bay Indigenous Interpretive Garden located outside the Civic Centre on 24 Jetty Road Brighton. These gardens demonstrate how residents can use water wise plants that are local to the area with the added benefits of biodiversity conservation 
• Participation in the annual Environmental Protection Agency frog census 
• Continued investigation into Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) into Council operations
• Waterwise community seminars for the Community are currently being developed for mid year 2010
• Installation of rainwater tanks at Brighton Library and Brighton Civic Centre 
• Installation of water saving devices throughout Council properties (including open spaces such as push button timed taps on Esplanade showers)
• Management of Gross Pollutant traps

Planned Activites

• Investigate the feasibility and implementation requirements of small-scale retention and wetlands throughout the City such as Gilbertson Gully, Seacliff 
• Reserves for Biodiversity program whereby large open space reserves are selected to reduce the overall percentage of irrigated area (lawn not used for recreational purposes) and use of local drought tolerant plants throughout (mostly around perimeter) 
• Continued irrigation upgrades for open space areas 
• Inclusion of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) components (wetlands, road swales etc) into Council operations 
• Pursue partnerships to develop and implement water conservation initiatives 
• Investigate Aquifer Storage and Recovery projects throughout the City 
• Investigate a policy review requiring all new developments to maximise on-site water retention and re-use
• Investigation of the use and efficiency of permeable surfaces to replace impervious surfaces

Visit us online at http://www.holdfast.sa.gov.au