What can I do?

This page will give you helpful tips on how you can become more sustainable and reduce your environmental impact. They include information on how to:

  • Reduce your water use
  • Reduce your energy use
  • Minimise your waste
  • Get involved in your community

Reduce your water use

Through its Waterwise Program, Water Corporation provides a wealth of useful tips, articles and advice on how you can save water, including where you can save water:

  • In the home for example kitchen bathroom, toilet
  • Outdoors for example garden, lawn care
  • While you are on holidays

To find our more visit WaterCorp – Waterwise advice

Plants suited to our climate need less water, are low maintenance and will look great in your garden.

The City provides a number of annual schemes to assist residents to maintain street trees and create a successful verge garden including:

  • The native plant subsidy scheme: Running every year during May, the scheme allows residents to purchase up to 20 native plants from local nursery APACE, at a subsidised rate.
  • Free mulch: Mulching is one of the many easy ways you can maintain a waterwise garden. Subject to availability, City of Fremantle residents can collect mulch from the Fremantle Recycling Centre for use on their verges. Proof of residency is required to receive free mulch.
  • Free street trees: Fremantle residents can apply to have a street tree planted on their verge at no cost to the property owner. To request a tree simply complete Request a new street tree – online form.

Visit Your Home – Water to find out about:

  • Reducing water use
  • Rainwater collection and use
  • Wastewater reuse
  • Stormwater
  • Outdoor water use
  • Waterless toilets

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water also have some handy information on Water Efficiency in the home.

Water is a precious resource and we don’t want to waste it. If your water bill has increased unexpectedly lately, it could be the result of a water leak. Learn how to investigate potential leaks.

Reduce your energy use

Reducing your energy use isn’t just good for your hip pocket, it helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to climate change. While small behaviour changes may not seem like much, they can have a big impact.

Installing solar panels on your property reduces your electricity bills and lowers your carbon footprint. To get started, check out the Australian Government Solar Consumer Guide.

Some considerations:

  • Any electricity you use will be free when your system is generating power – when the sun is shining, consider using timers to run your big-ticket items during daylight hours (pool pumps, washing and drying, water heating)
  • If you use most of your power during the evening it might be worth considering battery storage. For more information on battery storage visit the Australian Government’s Solar Consumer Guide
  • While solar panels can help to reduce energy costs, it’s important to consider ways to reduce your energy demand overall, so that you purchase as little energy from the grid as possible.

Check out the Energy Guide to find out easy ways to reduce your energy bills, with advice on:

  • Appliances
  • Heating and cooling
  • Hot water systems
  • Lighting
  • Pool pumps
  • Renewable energy.

Your Home is a holistic guide to creating sustainable homes. The website has detailed content available for all, depending on whether you are buying, building, renovating or just looking for ways to make small improvements to their home.

Minimise your waste

Did you know that as waste decomposes in landfill, it releases greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change? Reducing your waste to landfill is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and live a more sustainable lifestyle.

The City currently offers a range of waste minimisation rebates. Follow the link to see what is currently available for City of Fremantle residents.

Find out what more about the Fremantle Recycling Centre, the Reuse Shop and how to dispose of hazardous waste such as paint, batteries and gas cylinders.

The FOGO (food organics and garden organics) system was introduced across the City of Fremantle in 2019, with the aim to improve waste recovery rates, increase diversion from landfill and reduce costs of processing material. By collecting organics in the FOGO bin, we generate high quality compost to use on farms, parks and gardens and avoid organic waste going to landfill.

Find out more about what goes into your FOGO and recycling bins and how the three-bin system works here.

Get involved in the community

Being an active part of your community can help create a sense of belonging, build new networks and offer the opportunity to learn new skills. Resilient communities are also an essential part of our sustainability journey. There are a range of options to get involved, check out the list below and there’s sure to be something of interest to you:

Advocate

Help us advocate for action on the climate and biodiversity emergency by getting in touch with your local member of parliament and letting them know this is important to you.

When writing to your local MP, be sure to introduce yourself and explain you are a member of their electorate. You can then tell them about specific concerns you have regarding the climate and biodiversity emergency, and state clearly what you want the MP to do. This could include committing to:

  • Facilitating the transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030.
  • Requiring major resources projects to offset their carbon emissions.
  • Investment in substantially expanding networks of sustainable transport modes, such as cycling, walking and public transport so that these options become viable alternatives to private cars for all people.
  • Investment in infrastructure to support the transition to all electric cars, buses and trucks by 2025 and support local manufacturing of all types of road transport vehicles.
  • Supporting local governments to climate proof their communities as we increasingly feel the worsening impacts of climate change.
State representatives

You can check which electorate you’re in by visiting Electoral Boundaries WA and putting in your postcode or suburb. City of Fremantle is covered by the Fremantle electorate for the Legislative Assembly and the South Metropolitan Region for the Legislative Council. Visit Member List for your current sitting member of parliament.

Federal representatives

City of Fremantle is in the Federal Electorate of Fremantle. Visit Senators and Members via Parliament of Australia to find the current Member for Fremantle and Western Australian senators.

Share this page

The City of Fremantle acknowledges the Whadjuk people as the Traditional Owners of the Fremantle/Walyalup area and we recognise their cultural and heritage beliefs are still important today.

Our site
Connect with us
Contact us
Back to of the page