Shire of Augusta-Margaret River’s Caring For Our Place program offers prize for waterwise garden

Green thumbs able to show their water wisdom are now in the running for a cool reward.

The Shire of Augusta-Margaret River has launched a new competition to back up its Caring For Our Place program designed to urge ratepayers to live more lightly on the land.

First off the bat, a waterwise garden competition running across social media gives participants the chance to snatch a $200 voucher for Everyday Potted Plants in Forest Grove.

“While we have had some rain throughout December and January, this is a perfect reminder to us all that we should be preparing for potentially a long summer and doing everything we can to reduce our water use,” shire president Julia Meldrum said.

“Those living on rainwater know all too well that water is a precious resource, but for those on scheme water it’s easy to forget, so we’re encouraging everyone to think about ways to reduce our water use.

“A big one is looking at our water use in the garden.

“The aim of the Facebook competition is to encourage our community to share how their waterwise gardens are holding up this summer.

“Sharing your wins, knowledge and lessons is a powerful way to inspire other community members.”

The competition springs out of the shire’s new Caring For Our Place initiative, reported first by the Times last month, aiming to support residents to take ownership and act as custodians for the environment.

It follows a decision by the shire to focus on a zero carbon emissions target by 2030 rather than set wider community targets, with education, leadership and advocacy to encourage residents to cut down on water and energy costs.