New rain garden - a leap towards cleaner waterways

A new rain garden which will rejuvenate our waterways is just another piece in the puzzle of Canterbury Bankstown’s plan to protect our ecosystem.

The recently completed rain garden in Foord Ave at Hurlstone park, sits on the banks of the Cooks River, removing harmful pollutants from stormwater runoff.

Mayor Khal Asfour said the rain garden works by slowing and filtering the stormwater, treating it before it enters the river.

“Urbanised areas like Canterbury-Bankstown can create a number of issues for our waterways, including pollution from motor vehicles and litter,” he said.

“Our waterways are home to three of the largest catchment areas in NSW, the Georges River, Cooks River and Parramatta River, so identifying ways to improve waterway health is crucial.

The 16 rain gardens in Canterbury-Bankstown utilise native plants to filter the pollutants in stormwater before entering the waterway.

“Along with improving water quality, our rain gardens protect aquatic habitats for marine life and birds, assist to control bank erosion and help reduce the urban heat island effect,” Mayor Asfour said.

“By slowing the flow of stormwater and filtering it, we are working to ensure our creeks and rivers become clean and green.”

Foord Ave rain garden is a Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) initiative, which is part of Councils broader stormwater improvement program, which aims to: 

“The Stormwater Levy contributes to over 40 other water management projects, including at the well-known Lake Gillawarna and Cup and Saucer Creek,” he said.

​“They’re all part of our plan to enhance the look and feel of urban areas and ultimately take us a step closer to becoming a Clean City.”