Improving one of our city’s key waterways

Over the years there have been requests from the community to improve the function of the creek as an effective stormwater system. During the development of the Murray River Experience and Botanic Gardens Master Plans, the community also expressed a desire to look at ways the creek might be returned to a more natural state.

Council engaged Alluvium Consulting, a leader in the provision of catchment and river analysis and advice, to investigate the constraints and opportunities associated with this important corridor.

The creek was divided into 11 separate management zones, with a report outlining a specific set of actions relevant to each zone. The community was invited to have their say on the report at a series of in-person Community Information Sessions and an online survey, with the majority of feedback supportive of the proposed actions.

Key next steps include: partnering with the local Indigenous community to facilitate self-determination of their role, with respect to the management and representation of culture in the corridor; developing a works program for the implementation of the actions; developing an updated Flood Model of the catchment to test the impact of naturalisation on flooding; undertaking pilot projects for naturalisation to test in low-risk locations; developing a Catchment Stormwater Quality Improvement Plan and more.

AlburyCity Mayor Kylie King said, “I’d like to thank the community for their valuable input as nearby residents and users of the area around the creek.”

“The plan gives us a clear path forward to improve the creek’s function during heavy rain events, a plan for testing naturalisation and creating spaces for local habitat and improving opportunities for recreation,” she said.

The full report can be found on the AlburyCity website.