Greening our part of the world

With winter well and truly here, it’s an excellent time to add some greenery to your home and we can help you do it for free. We are currently offering local home owners and tenants a free tree to help grow our urban forest. When it comes to claiming your tree, we just ask that the trees be planted in the ground on private property rather than grown in pots. Register for your free tree today!

I recently had the opportunity to spread the word about the lasting benefits of a Water Corporation initiative. For the past three years, funding support from the Water Corporation’s Waterwise Greening Scheme has enabled us to provide residents with free waterwise native plants for verges. Last year, we were able to give away more than 15,000 waterwise plants to residents. Sign up for our ‘Living Green in Stirling’ e-newsletter to find out when this offer is next available.

With Amber Jade Sanderson MLA, Water Minister Dave Kelly and Water Corporation CEO Pat Donovan

In exciting news for the community, the new Bina Parkland playground is now open at Princess Wallington Reserve in Balga. The first of a three-stage community parkland project, the newly-opened regional playground features a flying fox, swings, learning circle a climbing frame and more. Ward Cr David Boothman recently visited the impressive playground, which incorporates native trees and vegetation into new pathways and uses logs from the parkland for bench seating.

Balga Ward Cr David Boothman with Director Infrastructure Michael Littleton, Project Officer Krystal Hunter and Manager Facilities, Projects and Assets Paul Kellick

Stages two and three of the $6.2 million Bina Parkland project will deliver new BMX tracks, a skate facility, a multi-court sports area, picnic areas and more by mid-2021. Lotterywest kindly contributed $2.34 million to the overall project via community sponsorship. For everyone visiting the new playground, the carpark on Camberwell Street offers the best option for access.

To support our local small businesses with the challenges of COVID-19, we are getting behind two Stirling Business Association (SBA) programs. For the next 12 months, the City will be covering 50 per cent of the cost of all new and existing SBA memberships for small businesses (less than 20 staff) based in the City of Stirling. Annual SBA memberships link small businesses with skills training, networking events, online forums and more.

SBA CEO Yvonne Atkinson and Deputy Mayor Bianca Sandri with Dr Andrew Young and Lee Young from Eyeconik Optometrists

As a second way of supporting the SBA, the City is subsidising its Business Mastermind online program that provides advice to small business owners about preparing, adapting and evolving their business in a COVID-19 marketplace. Deputy Mayor Bianca Sandri recently visited Osborne Park business Eyeconik Optometrists, which will be taking part in the Mastermind program. The subsidies are part of the City’s Economic Stimulus and Community Recovery Package. The Stirling Business Association website has more information about these great programs.

We recently awarded our first ‘Dollarydoos for a Scholarly Few’ grant to Carmel School in Dianella. Developed by the City’s Youth Development team, the program offers local high schools an opportunity to secure funding to introduce new youth-led projects that they find meaningful. In their submission, students from Carmel School proposed partnering with the Perth Homeless Support Group Inc to create care parcels for people in need.

Carmel School students Sasha Lawrence, Davi Lazar, Isabella Wilkins and Demi Leibowitz with care packages 

After receiving a grant, students spoke with the charity group to ensure what was distributed would prove useful to people experiencing homelessness. With simple first aid supplies such as band aids, cotton buds and disinfectant wipes much-needed, the students created a total of 1,000 care bundles and hand-crafted messages of positivity. A worthy and thoughtful project indeed! We plan to issue more grants of up to $1,000 during the next 12 months, interested high schools should email youth@stirling.wa.gov.au for more details.

If you’re looking for an enjoyable and satisfying outdoor activity, go no further than our Community Tree Planting program. We still have three planting events in this year’s round happening in Yokine (8 August), Dianella (22 August) and Mirrabooka (5 September). The program is part of our ongoing efforts to increase canopy cover from the current level of 12 per cent to 18 per cent by 2040.

Cr Karlo Perkov and Cr Chris Hatton at the Balcatta tree planting event

Several of the City’s Councillors including Cr Chris Hatton, Cr Karlo Perkov, Cr Elizabeth Re and Cr Stephanie Proud have already rolled up their sleeves at local planting events in Balcatta and Innaloo. Thank you to everyone who got involved including some eager volunteers from as far away as Maylands, Kingsley and Kewdale who took part in the Innaloo event.

Cr Stephanie Proud and Cr Elizabeth Re at the Innaloo tree planting event

Each year, we plant around 10,000 new trees on street verges, reserves and in natural areas, through a range of initiatives including the Community Tree Planting program. Register for one or more of the upcoming tree planting events today.

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