Newcastle trials new sustainable technology for the city’s raingardens

The City of Newcastle is trialling new sustainable technology to maintain the health of the city’s garden beds with the technology aimed at improving cleanliness of stormwater runoff through an innovative filtration system.

Filter soils have been installed at test sites in Newcastle suburbs with City of Newcastle being the first council to use the biofilter material that contains recycled products within the soil mix, such as crushed recycled glass instead of virgin sand, and organic composted waste products instead of artificial fertiliser and clay.

The unique material can remove pollutants such as sediment and heavy metals that come from our tyres and brake pads as they wear down; grease, oil, petrol and air conditioner coolant that drips from motor vehicles; and excess nutrients from parks and gardens that can cause algal blooms.

The water is carried away through drains, pipes and channels to local creeks, wetlands, estuaries and finally to the ocean, which is a great outcome for the environment.

Raingardens are small garden beds located along the street featuring soil and plants that slow down and filter pollution in stormwater, so it doesn’t harm waterways and beaches.

The raingardens are usually found on street corners where cars can’t park and have more grass-like shrubbery than usual roadside plantings and are set in lowered beds over drains.

Data collected from the test sites will be verified by University of Newcastle as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Centre for Organic Research and Education (CORE) and City of Newcastle.

Biofilter raingardens have now been installed at sites in Cooks Hill, Merewether, Mayfield West, Stockton, The Junction and Wallsend. Existing systems in Beresfield and Fletcher will soon be renewed with biofilter material.

Image: Costa Georgiadis, Chair Centre for Organic Research and Education; Eric Love, City of Newcastle Asset Services Manager; Peter McMurray; and City of Newcastle Asset Engineer Luke Jaszczyk at a biofilter raingarden in Wallsend. Courtesy City of Newcastle