Rewilding Verges

Turning Hilton verges into native gardens and habitat

Rewilding Verges is a Hilton Precinct Gardens, Verges & Trees (GVT) project helping local residents transform grassed verges into waterwise native gardens.

The program helps make larger verge transformations more achievable by sharing some of the cost with participating households and providing practical support along the way.

Together, we're replacing areas of lawn with native planting that provides habitat, increases biodiversity and contributes to a greener Hilton.

Applications for the 2026 Rewilding Verges program are now closed.

Keep an eye on Hilton Precinct for information about the 2027 program.

How It Started

Rewilding Verges grew from GVT's broader goal of increasing native vegetation and creating stronger habitat connections throughout Hilton.

Our early verge projects included community verge makeovers and native plant support for residents. From there, the idea developed into a larger coordinated verge regeneration program.

In 2025, the Hilton Verge Regeneration Project transformed more than 900 square metres of verge across Hilton.

That work was made possible through a combination of community participation, volunteer hours, support from local businesses, sponsorship and grant funding from the City of Fremantle.

Rewilding Verges continues that work by helping more Hilton households make the transition from lawn to native garden.

How the Program Works

Transforming an established lawn verge involves much more than simply putting a few plants in the ground.

One of the biggest jobs — and expenses — can be preparing the site.

For verges with established couch grass, this can include removing or grinding the existing lawn and preparing the area so that the couch is less likely to immediately take over the new garden.

Through Rewilding Verges, Hilton Precinct contributes towards the cost of creating the new verge, while participating residents also make a financial contribution towards their own transformation.

This shared-cost approach allows the funding available to the project to stretch further and helps us support more Hilton verges.

The exact cost of each verge varies depending on its size, existing lawn, preparation required and the work involved.

Why Native Verges?

A verge might be a relatively small piece of land, but collectively Hilton's verges make up a significant part of our neighbourhood.

Replacing lawn with appropriate native planting can:

create food and habitat for local wildlife
provide stepping stones between larger areas of habitat
increase plant diversity
reduce the amount of lawn requiring regular mowing
create attractive, waterwise streetscapes
increase greenery throughout our neighbourhood

One transformed verge is useful. Lots of transformed verges across Hilton can begin to form something much bigger.

Creating Habitat Connections

Rewilding Verges is part of GVT's broader work to strengthen habitat throughout Hilton.

Rather than thinking about individual gardens in isolation, we're interested in how our verges, street trees, parks and gardens can work together.

As more residents add locally appropriate native plants, these small spaces can help provide food, shelter and movement pathways for birds, insects and other wildlife across the suburb.

A Community Effort

Rewilding Verges has always relied on more than funding alone.

Residents contribute to their own verge transformations, volunteers contribute their time, and local organisations and businesses have helped us make the program possible.

Previous verge regeneration work has been supported by the City of Fremantle, C&Co Real Estate, local businesses and the many Hilton residents and GVT volunteers who have contributed their time.

It's a good example of what can happen when residents, community groups, local government and local businesses all contribute towards the same goal.