One of our current projects, Yanchep Golf Estate, strives to embrace the current best practice in water sensitive urban design.
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The combination of a strong vision, a cohesive and cooperative project team and a responsive client has allowed the project to achieve significant sustainability outcomes not only in WSUD but also in tree retention, timber harvesting, seed collection and habitat protection.
The estate is located in the in the south east corner of the Yanchep – Two Rocks Local Structure Plan Area. With Perth’s population predicted to reach 4.2 million by 2056, major developments along the northern corridor are likely to absorb a significant proportion of this growth. The Yanchep – Two Rocks region will have an ultimate population of 155,000.
This poses significant challenges in the form of climate change, resource management and water scarcity and there is an opportunity to rethink sustainable development practices, particularly with respect to Perth’s suburban context. In particular water sensitive urban design is one aspect of an integrated approach to climate sensitive design that is achievable by local government and developers.
Department of Water recently published a very useful series of informative brochures to promote the benefits of a range of WSUD techniques and assist these user groups. Illustrated with diagrams and photographs, supported by text and references to further information the brochures provide an overview to encourage WSUD practices. It is worth checking out this website.
The strategic approach to WSUD within Yanchep Golf Estate includes the implementation of a number of direct initiatives that combine water collection and filtration with recreation, ecological programme, enhanced biodiversity and community interaction to genuinely inform the character and structure of the public realm. Bio-retention and flood storage measures are designed as integrated elements within the landscape, celebrating the vital role water plays in our urban ecosystems and highlighting its tremendous recreational and aesthetic value to the community.