HAWTHORN has announced a project that will keep its home base Waverley Park watered while saving more than 30 megalitres of water a year.

The club’s training ground and surrounding parks and gardens will be irrigated by water collected from the roof and car park of the nearby Woolworths complex.

The partnership was announced on Thursday morning in conjunction with Woolworths, the Victorian Government, Monash Council and the Mirvac Waverley Park residential development.

The announcement was made in the lead-up to the AFL’s Green Round which has been introduced this year to boost environmental awareness.

Hawks president Jeff Kennett said the project was a simple idea that was the result of hard work between all stakeholders and consultants Cardno Grogan Richards.

“This is a ground breaking, or should I say, a water saving initiative, which is not only important for Hawthorn’s needs but our local community,” Kennett said.

“The environmental initiative will set a new benchmark throughout Australia, that when good will exists between government state and local, the private sector being Woolworths and Mirvac and sporting clubs such as the Hawks, outcomes can be achieved that best service the public interested and harvesting our most important resource.”

The $730,000 project will be jointly funded by Hawthorn and the Victorian Government.