The City of Monash is set to turn green, with the announcement of a ‘Living Roof’ to be created atop the Monash Civic Centre.
The project is a collaboration between Monash University, Melbourne University, Melbourne Water and the City of Monash.
The City of Monash is located in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne and has around 172,000 residents.
The Living Roof project will involve retrofitting the existing 92 square metre concrete roof over the Council Chambers with a shallow ‘vegetated’ roof or rooftop garden.
Monash Mayor Charlotte Baines said the roof will not only benefit the environment, but will save money in the long run.
“Chicago City Hall has a rooftop garden that saves almost $US10,000 annually in energy costs,” she said. “Green roofs can help mitigate climate change effects and also alleviate the urban ‘heat island effect’. This is the term used to describe builtup areas in cities that are hotter than nearby rural areas or parks with trees and greenery.
“Living roofs will be one of the important elements of the design of liveable cities and buildings in the 21st century.”
The Living Roof will allow Council to test the quality of stormwater discharging from the roof and measure the reduction in roof rainwater runoff.
Water monitoring equipment will be installed by Monash University to record water quality benefits and stormwater volume reductions. Melbourne University will research plant and soil substrate performance through regular monitoring over three years.
“Stormwater runoff from suburban streets and gutters is the number one polluter of Melbourne’s waterways, because the water carries debris and high levels of nutrients into our rivers and creeks,” Mayor Baines said.
“Green roofs offer potential solutions for reducing pollution and improving stormwater management in urban areas.”
Melbourne University will also assess the benefits of ‘living’ roofs for application across urban Melbourne.
