Planning groundwater reduction plan at City of Bayswater

Location :

City of Bayswater, WA

Client :

City of Bayswater

Year :

2025-2026

Sector :

Turf Agronomy | Irrigation Strategy | Natural Turf

The City of Bayswater initiated this project to meet its obligations under the Gnangara Groundwater Allocation Plan, which requires a sustained reduction in groundwater use. With irrigation across public open spaces accounting for a significant portion of overall consumption, the challenge was to define a clear and practical pathway to achieve a 10% reduction without compromising the quality and usability of parks, reserves and sports fields.

To support this, SPORTENG partnered with CADSULT to bring together the right mix of expertise across irrigation strategy, turf agronomy, hydraulic performance and local regulatory requirements. This combination allowed us to look at the problem from every angle, from how water is applied on the ground through to how systems perform over time and respond to Western Australia's climate.

By working closely together, we developed a strategy that is both technically robust and practical to implement. The result is a clear, evidence-based 10-year groundwater reduction plan that supports compliance, guides long-term asset renewal and ensures the community continues to benefit from high-quality, well-performing public open space.

THE CHALLENGE

This project wasn’t just about reducing water use. It was about achieving this reduction across a large irrigation asset base without diminishing quality

Over 35% of the City’s irrigation assets are more than 30 years old, contributing to inefficiencies such as pressure instability, uneven water distribution, irrigation overspray and increasing maintenance demands. At the same time, the City needed to comply with the Gnangara Groundwater Allocation Plan, requiring a measurable 10% reduction in groundwater extraction.

The complexity came from balancing three competing priorities:

Reducing water consumption across a large, ageing asset base
Maintaining turf quality and usability for sport and recreation
Delivering a realistic, staged upgrade plan aligned with operational capacity

On top of that, each site had different conditions. Soil types, usage patterns and irrigation performance varied significantly, meaning a one-size-fits-all approach wouldn’t work.

THE SOLUTION

We approached the project as a long-term water and asset management strategy rather than a simple condition assessment. The first step was building a clear understanding of how the existing irrigation network was performing across the municipality. Through a combination of desktop analysis, GIS mapping and on-ground validation, we identified where water was being used efficiently, where it wasn’t, and where the greatest opportunities for improvement sat.

From there, we developed a 10-year groundwater reduction roadmap that aligns technical performance with practical delivery. Instead of applying blanket upgrades, we focused on targeted interventions that deliver the greatest impact. This included combining system upgrades, operational improvements and landscape optimisation such as hydraulic efficiency improvements, smarter irrigation control, and hydro zoning and eco zoning.

A key part of the approach was prioritisation. We created a structured framework that weighs water savings potential, asset condition, community importance and cost-effectiveness. This allows the City to confidently stage upgrades over time, investing where it matters most while maintaining service levels across all sites.

We then translated this strategy into detailed, site-specific plans for priority locations. These concept-level designs provide clear guidance for future works, including upgrade pathways, cost estimates and implementation timelines. Throughout the process, we worked closely with CADSULT to ensure the solutions were tailored to Western Australia’s climate, regulatory environment and operational realities.

THE RESULTS

The outcome delivered a clear, actionable 10-year roadmap that gives the City confidence moving forward.

The plan enables:

A planned and measurable 10% reduction in groundwater use
Improved efficiency across an ageing irrigation infrastructure
Reduced operational and maintenance pressures over time
Continued delivery of high-quality, functional open spaces

Just as importantly, it gives the City a structured way to make decisions. Instead of reactive upgrades, they now have a prioritised, evidence-based program aligned with both financial planning and environmental goals.

For the community, the impact is simple. Parks and sporting spaces remain healthy, playable and accessible, while being managed more sustainably for the future.