A 260 square metre wasteland at the intersection of Paul Matthews Road and Omega Street in Albany is being transformed into a densely planted native rain garden.

Work started this month with the removal of dense kikuyu grass and the excavation of 1.4 metres of old fill to make way for new soil and 1,200 native plants.

Rain gardens are designed to filter out contaminants like oil, grease, copper and zinc from car tyres; and lead, phosphorous, clay and sediment that would otherwise end up untreated in our streams and beaches.

The joint project with Landcare Research is to determine whether rain gardens are as cost-effective in dealing with rain runoff from roads as other stormwater devices.

To find out, Landcare Research will measure the volume and quality of stormwater entering and leaving the rain garden during 16 rainstorms.