5 November 2009
$5 MILLION UPGRADE OF RIVER GUM CREEK
- Improvements to creek health
- New wetland pools to reduce pollutants
- More than 200,000 new native plants
The health of River Gum Creek in Hampton Park will be significantly improved when a major rehabilitation project is completed.
The second stage of a $5 million project is about to start and will create a series of vegetated wetland pools in the creek between Kilberry Boulevard and Quail Court.
General Manager of Waterways, Chris Chesterfield, said the wetland pools would improve drainage in the River Gum Creek Reserve and enhance water quality in the creek by reducing stormwater pollution.
“The wetland pools will naturally treat and reduce stormwater pollutants in the creek such as nitrogen and phosphorus,” Mr Chesterfield said.
“Stormwater run-off can carry a wide range of pollutants including nitrogen that causes algal blooms, to motor oil and animal droppings that affect the health of fish and platypus.
“The new wetland pools are expected to remove about 1,300 kilograms of nitrogen a year from River Gum Creek.
“Melbourne Water has a target to remove 100 tonnes of nitrogen from the waterways system by 2010 to improve the health of Port Phillip Bay.”
Work on stage one of the project involving the construction of new wetland pools between Seebeck Drive and Quail Court was completed in March this year.
Construction of stage two is expected to take about five months and then the whole area will be revegetated with more than 200,000 native plants.
The new plants including a large number of aquatic plants, grasses, shrubs and trees, will create a new habitat for fish, frogs and birds.
The rehabilitation project is being undertaken by the Waterways Alliance – a partnership between Melbourne Water, Ecodynamics, Fulton Hogan and SMEC.
The project is expected to be completed in December 2010.
Media Contact: Gavin Rainsford +613 9235 1587 +61 (0)400 690 502