Bundoora Park warm season grasses

Warm season grasses are grass species that are thick, hardy and tolerant of drought. They have wide spreading roots, which means that they do not require as much water as other species’ of grass to remain healthy throughout the year. They are much better than cool season grasses at maintaining their colour during hot weather, and can even become greener as the temperature increases. Warm season grasses can reduce the amount of water required to maintain grasses by up to 60%.

Some warm season grass species’, such as Couch grass and Kikuyu grass are more sturdy and resistant to damage from vehicles, pedestrians or pets. Others, such as Buffalo grass are more tolerant to shade.

A ‘Toro’ computerised, water-efficient irrigation system monitors the amount of water released for irrigation of the grasses. The system is controlled by sensors which can choose a targeted area to irrigate, or shut off irrigation when it is raining
Converting the grass of the golf course is part of a larger project at Bundoora Park. This project is a part of the holistic approach (an approach that considers all the things that affect something and all the things it is affected by) of water cycle management that Council has adopted. It achieves all the following aims:

• Potable Water Substitution – an equal amount of harvested water is used in place of potable water.
• Efficiency – the irrigation system and watering regimes for the golf course have been improved and Council abides by Melbourne’s permanent water saving rules.
• Demand Management – golf course fairways have been converted to a type of grass that has low water needs.
• Flood Mitigation – stormwater is collected and filtered through the dam and wetland system to slow its flow into Darebin Creek, mitigating (reducing) flood risks.
• Receiving Water Habitat Protection – in the past, during storms, stormwater from surrounding areas washed litter, hydrocarbons (oils) and other pollutants into the Darebin Creek, which is home to abundant wildlife such as fish, frogs and birds. The Bundoora Park dam and wetlands system reduces the amount of stormwater flowing into the creek and makes it much cleaner. This reduces erosion (loosening of soil on creek banks) and improves the quality of water in the creek, which is beneficial to the plants and animals that live in and around the creek.

• An intuitive irrigation system that responds to dry conditions and shuts off when it is raining.
• Grass species such as Couch, Buffalo and Kikuyu, which thrive on sporadic summer rainfall.

2010-11

The golf course grass was converted to warm season grasses.

City of Darebin’s Parks and Gardens team manage and monitor the irrigation of the golf course and the health of warm season grasses.

To convert your lawn to warm season grass at home it is important to consider a few things:

• How will the grassed area be used? This informs the species of grass that you should choose.
• Do you have time (4-6 weeks) to grow your grass from seed? This informs whether you should grow your grass from seed or install pre-grown grass.
• During which season will you be installing your grass? This also informs whether you should grow your grass from seed or install pre-grown grass.

Melbourne residents can apply for a 28 day exemption from normal water restrictions to water warm season grasses outside set watering times. This gives the grass time to establish roots and become more resilient. For more detailed information about this exemption and step-by-step guidance for growing warm season grasses at home, visit this website.

Bundoora Park is a large, popular recreational reserve in the north-west of Darebin. The park features an 18-hole golf course, free barbecues, children’s playgrounds, an educational urban farm, wildlife park, community gardens, historical buildings, wetlands and an abundance of native flora and fauna.

Warm season grasses at Bundoora Park reduce the amount of water required for irrigation, keeping the golf-course and parklands in good condition in all seasons, benefiting the community. Additionally, irrigating warm season grasses costs a lot less than it would to irrigate cool season grasses. This saves Council and rate-payers’ money and helps preserve the community’s drinking water supply.

In low water or drought conditions, less water is required to irrigate warm season grasses at the golf course, conserving water for native flora and fauna and other purposes.

Darebin City Council acknowledges the Wurundjeri people as the traditional owners and custodians of this land and pays respect to their Elders past and present.