The Importance of Turfed Verges: 10 Benefits for Perth Homes and Communities

A turf verge is much more than a strip of grass between the road and footpath. When well established and maintained, it becomes a living part of the urban landscape that plays a vital role in our communities.

Here are 10 reasons why turfed verges are so important:

1. Creates a Practical, Useable Space

Turf provides a continuous, flat and durable surface that can recover from regular use and disturbance. A verge is part of everyday life. It accommodates:

• Pedestrians, children, pets and recreation
• Prams and mobility aids
• Bins and verge collections
• Vehicle access and occasional parking
• Utility and maintenance work
• Access to driveways.

2. Increases Home Value

Your verge is one of the first things people notice when approaching your home. A healthy, well-maintained lawn creates an attractive appearance, helping a property feel more established and cared for.

Research from Hort Innovation has also highlighted the potential value of natural lawns, with its 2019 study reporting that a lawn can add more than $100,000 to a property’s value in some circumstances.

Turf is particularly valuable to families as it provides a soft, open and durable space for children and pets to play, while giving families a practical outdoor area that can be enjoyed every day.

3. Reduces Urban Noise

Turfed verges can help soften urban noise, particularly when combined with trees, shrubs and other vegetation.

Unlike hard surfaces such as concrete and paving, which can reflect sound, soil and vegetation provide a softer landscape surface that can help create a more comfortable and pleasant environment.

4.  Reduces Fire Risk

Fire safety is an important consideration for many Western Australian homeowners, particularly in areas close to bushland.

Healthy, green and well-maintained turf provides a low-fuel, fire resistant barrier around properties.

5. Strong Soil Protection

Perth is well known for its sandy soils, which can be particularly vulnerable to erosion and wind-blown dust when left exposed.

A healthy turf with dense coverage and strong root system helps hold soil together.

This can help:

• Reduce soil erosion
• Minimise wind-blown dust
• Stabilise ground
• Protect soil structure
• Reduce exposed soil around homes and streets

6. Turf supports healthy urban ecosystems

A turfed verge can contribute to a healthier urban ecosystem by providing living ground cover in areas that would otherwise be exposed soil or hard surfaces.

Its roots support microorganisms and insects in the soil, while adding organic matter and helping maintain healthy soil structure.

Synthetic turf can create something called ‘dead earth’. The plastic surface creates a barrier, blocking the soil from air, water and organic matter. Over time the soil beneath can becomes lifeless or less biologically active, with a loss of microorganisms and other natural processes that contribute to healthy soil.

7. Natural turf provides a cooling effect

Living turf cools the surrounding environment through evapotranspiration, releasing moisture into the atmosphere as part of its natural growth process.

Unlike hard surfaces that absorb and radiate heat, healthy natural turf can remain significantly cooler during hot weather. Natural turf can be around 5°C cooler than average surface temperatures, while synthetic turf can reach temperatures up to 11°C hotter.

In a hot climate like Perth, maintaining more living green spaces can help reduce the impact of the urban heat island effect, creating cooler and more comfortable streets and neighbourhoods.

8. Water Wise

Varieties such as kikuyu, couch and buffalo are well suited to Perth’s climate and are recognised by the Water Corporation as drought-tolerant lawn options.

Once established, the right turf can cope well with Perth’s hot and dry conditions when irrigation is managed properly.

Greenacres Turf Group only produces water-efficient and drought-tolerant varieties suited to local conditions.

9. Stormwater and Infiltration

Turf is a living, permeable surface that allows rainwater to soak into the soil rather than immediately running off hard surfaces.

A healthy turf root system also helps maintain soil structure and improve infiltration, allowing more water to be absorbed naturally into the ground.

Turfed verges can therefore help reduce surface runoff and support better stormwater management across urban areas.

10. Turf can help filter dust and pollutants

Healthy turf can help trap dust and particulate matter close to the ground, while the soil and root zone can help capture and filter some pollutants before water moves into surrounding soil and drainage systems.

This is particularly relevant on verges beside roads, where traffic can contribute to dust and airborne particles.

Like other living plants, turf also absorbs carbon dioxide as it grows and stores carbon in its leaves, stems and root system. In fact, each square metre of turf removes approximately 2.5kg of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!

Verges Offer More Than We Think!

A turf verge may seem like a small part of a property or streetscape, but its benefits extend well beyond appearance. From cooler streets and healthier soils to more usable verges, turf plays an important role in creating greener, more liveable urban spaces.

While the impact of one verge may seem small, across thousands of homes and streets throughout Perth, these green spaces can make a meaningful contribution to healthier, greener and more liveable neighbourhoods.