Going Green in Strata

If your strata property has a green verge, many local councils will help you turn it into a water-wise garden bed with rebates for native verges, free or discounted
plants and workshops on how to get started.

The City of Vincent, for example, has an Adopt a Verge program to increase local biodiversity and provide nature corridors for native birds and animals to move through.

The council will perform the earthworks and supply the mulch. It’s up to owners to plant and maintain it.

The city also provides a voucher for 20 native tube stock plants which can be redeemed at its biannual native plant sales. There are many other local councils with verge schemes and planting incentives including Cockburn, Bayswater, Cottesloe and Stirling. Check with your council – and the time of year incentives are available. Some require a letter of support from the strata company.

Turn your strata community’s collective minds to reducing waste. Add a textile recycling bin to your complex bin room for old clothing and fabric. Other tubs can be used for everything from discarded mobile phones to batteries and printer cartridges. Not for profit Planet Ark has an online resource of recycling services by suburb.

Once you’ve started down the path to an eco-friendlier complex, your Strata Company may want to allocate more money to green projects.

These could include vertical and roof top gardens or solar panels. For the building itself, the federal government has a National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) to measure and compare the environmental performance of buildings, including apartment complexes. Star ratings – similar to what you may find on your fridge – are awarded to buildings based on the findings of independent assessors who look at performance in areas such as energy and water use. Apartment buildings with at least four apartments on at least two floors are eligible for rating.

Community herb and vegetable gardens create useful green space. Start small in a spare patch of earth, but don’t forget to get permission from the Strata Company. Talk to like-minded neighbours, discuss it at your next annual general meeting and see if it is something your complex would like to do. Likewise, worm farms are moving out of suburban backyards. Some apartment communities on the East coast have been experimenting with worm farms as a way to turn food scraps into fertiliser which can be used on garden beds and balcony pot plants. In WA, the City of Stirling will host a free workshop on worm farming, composting and bokashi for its residents on June 18. The City of Vincent subsidises the cost of composting and worm farm equipment.

Adjusting irrigation on common gardens throughout the year can save water. The Water Corporation says most irrigation controllers have a seasonal adjustment setting, which alters the set watering times.

Water Corp recommends setting the seasonal adjustment at 100 percent for January and February only, then gradually decreasing the percentage in the cooler months.
From June to August it is mandatory to switch off sprinklers for all scheme and bore water in Perth, Mandurah and some parts of the South-West and Great Southern.

Approach your strata manager about placing your ideas on the agenda for your property’s next annual general meeting. Strata managers accredited with SCA (WA) are across sector trends and have a wealth of contacts at their fingertips.

Put your ideas in writing and send them in with any information you have collected so the other owners can consider your ideas ahead of the meeting. Be prepared to elaborate in the meeting and volunteer to take the lead on any projects that might be endorsed.