Our Sustainable Environment Strategy details how we are pursuing environmental improvement in coming years.
Biodiversity
The City of Swan covers an area of 1,042 square kilometres and contains three distinct landforms – the Swan Coastal Plain, Darling Plateau and Dandaragan Plateau.
The City has some of the most significant communities of flora and fauna in the metropolitan area and it is this biological heritage that the City is looking to maintain, enhance and sustain. Our commitment to the management of Swan’s biodiversity is addressed in our draft Local Biodiversity Action Plan.
Local Natural Area Mapping
As part of the draft Local Biodiversity Action Plan, a Local Natural Areas mapping was created to capture the richness of our local ecosystems and highlights key areas of biodiversity importance. Discover the Local Natural Areas within the City of Swan through the interactive map below.
Next Steps in the Action Plan
The draft Local Biodiversity Action Plan outlines the next steps to increase the practical application of biodiversity management within city practices and support our
community. These steps include:
- Engaging Private Landowners: Specific actions to engage and support private landowners in protecting biodiversity.
- Updating Mapping Data: Continuously updating local natural area mapping to provide guidance on the condition and priority management of local natural areas.
- Implementing Actions: Setting implementable actions to conserve, protect, retain, and manage local natural areas. We encourage all residents and visitors to get involved in our biodiversity protection efforts. Together, we can make a difference in preserving the natural beauty of the City of Swan.
For more information, please contact Sustainable Environment team by email, swan@swan.wa.gov.au.
One of the biggest threats to our natural environment is land clearing. Other threats include arson, off road vehicles, overgrazing, diseases such as Dieback, fire wood collection, chemical run-off and illegal dumping.
The City of Swan implements a number of capital works projects and maintenance programs on its land to reduce these threats.
Water
Waterways and their fringing vegetation have important environmental, recreational and cultural values. By keeping water catchments in good condition we help preserve the health of WA's waterways.
Plants, including algae, use nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus to grow. Excessive levels of nutrients in waterways can cause algal blooms which can be harmful to human health and the environment.
Through a series of initiatives, the City of Swan has been working to reduce the input of nutrients into waterways. Actions include:
- Installing litter traps on storm water drainage pipes
- Conducting nutrient testing of turfed areas before fertilizing
- Street sweeping
- Installing several constructed wetland filtration systems
- Designing and distributing educational pamphlets
- Holding free community workshops and presentations
- Re-vegetating streams and waterways.
Water quality monitoring is completed several times per year either in natural streams such as the Bennett Brook, Ellen Brook or Brockman River, and in City of Swan or Water Corporation managed stormwater basins. Monitoring determines the health of the water for preservation of plant and animal life and prevention of issues such as algal blooms.
Remediation works designed to strip nutrients and provide habitat have commenced at a number of urban stormwater basins in the Bennett Brook catchment.
The City of Swan works closely with the Department of Health to monitor the microbial quality of popular swimming beaches along the Swan River, including at Middle Swan Reserve and Ray Marshall Park.
Carbon
We are dedicated to reducing our impact on climate change.
The City has installed large-scale solar thermal heating systems for its swimming pools at the Swan Active Beechboro and Swan Active Midland leisure centres. These systems use solar energy to preheat pool water and therefore reduce the volume of natural gas required for this task.
The City also has an ongoing program to progressively install small scale solar hot water systems (e.g. for showers) at suitable community facilities such as Coolamon Pavilion, Midland Sports Complex and the Stratton Community Centre.
This City of Swan has an electric vehicle charge station that features two chargers outside the City’s main administration building in Midland.
Our community can plug in to the DC fast charger 24/7 and the AC charger is available outside of City operational use (Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm).
The City uses the AC charger during operational hours to charge its fleet of electric vehicles.
The fast-charging station takes approximately 20-30 minutes to sufficiently charge an electric vehicle.
In the 2024/25 financial year, the City charges 0.46c per kWh on each charger.
To use the charger, simply sign up to Charge Hub.