WYNDHAM CITY Waterways Local Update
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Waterways Local Update DURING 2011–2012
WE HAVE:
WYNDHAM
• Managed over 650 building and
development referrals, applications
and requests
CITY
• Carried out weed control along more
than 250km of waterways
• Conducted over 36 Waterwatch
educational sessions in local schools
WYNDHAM CITY MAP
sea municipal boundary
wetlands/waterbody waterway
main city/shire area major road
park/reserve train tracks
weed control works Melbourne Water’s
revegetation works waterway management
district boundary
N
MELBOURNE WATER’S WATERWAY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
We work with Wyndham City Council to care for
local waterways and manage regional drainage
systems, through an ongoing program of works
and activities involving the local community.
We also liaise with Council on new development.
Across the Port Phillip and Westernport region,
Melbourne Water works to enhance life and improve
liveability for the 1.8 million Waterways and Drainage
customers of Greater Melbourne. Our role lies in
managing around 8400 kilometres of rivers and
creeks, over 1400 kilometres of drains, more than
200 flood retarding basins, 100 urban lakes, and 300
wetlands within our Waterway Management District.
We are also responsible for ensuring that new
development does not increase flood risk or threaten
our waterways. Our work in this area is funded
from the Waterways and Drainage charge.
Managing Waterways
During the financial year July 2011 to June 2012 we undertook a range of works to help maintain and improve the health of local
waterways, focusing on weed control, bank stabilisation and revegetation.
Waterways Where What we’ve done Why
Skeleton Creek Skeleton Creek, Replanted a 2.3km stretch Restore overstorey
between Emily Court of the waterway with and habitat connectivity;
and Carinza Drive indigenous plants compete with reeds,
add diversity
Laverton Creek Between Laverton North Replanted a 1.5km stretch Restore overstorey
Retarding Basin and of the waterway with and habitat connectivity,
Old Geelong Rd indigenous plants add diversity
Little River Kirks Bridge Rd to Undertook 6.9km To strategically control
Mouyong Rd of weed control Tiger Pear infestation
Werribee River Western bank from estuary Undertook 2.8 km of weed Regeneration of native
to Old Boundary Rd at the control and revegetation seed bank through weed
Western Treatment Plant maintenance control and maintenance
of revegetation
Werribee River Islands in Presidents Undertook 600m weed Weed control for
Park, west and east control and revegetation native regeneration
bank downstream and weed suppression
of Watton St bridge
2 | Wyndham City Local Waterways Update 2011/2012
Waterways Where What we’ve done Why
Werribee River Werribee Open Range Zoo Carried out 500m weed Woody weed control,
control, flood clean up, cleaning up after floods
revegetation maintenance to protect the revegetation
and regeneration
Various Across the Council area 252.9km of weed control To maintain river health
on waterways and drains and hydraulic function
of the waterways and
669.0 cubic metres of litter
drainage system, and
and debris removed
improve amenity values
3.1km of revegetation
63Ha of grass managed
in drainage reserves and
retarding basins
We have developed draft Healthy Waterways and Stormwater strategies, and are consulting with our customers, communities and
stakeholders on the proposed actions to manage rivers, estuaries, wetlands and stormwater for the period July 2013 to June 2018.
Managing our assets Cultural Heritage
We’re responsible for maintaining natural and constructed Along the waterways we care for and in the landscapes
rivers, creeks, wetlands, underground drains, pump stations, on which we provide drainage and flood protection, lies
retarding basins, and many traps that prevent litter and other the story of Melbourne and the people who lived there for
items from polluting waterways. We’re also the caretaker of many thousands of years. The 2006 Aboriginal Heritage Act
sites of biological significance, many of which are home to recognises the importance of waterways in the lives of the
endangered plant and animal species. Aboriginal people and the first settlers.
Each year we work to create or maintain clean, healthy, To fulfil our obligations under both the Aboriginal Heritage
free flowing waterways by removing litter, debris and excess Act and the Heritage Act, we have developed an ‘engaged
sediment. We remove and spray weeds, cut grass, plant native compliance’ model and forged open, strong and lasting
trees, plants and grasses, and provide solutions to erosion relationships with the Traditional Owners of the land on
problems. We also respond to events that may cause risk to which we work.
the public, our assets or the environment – for example trying
to stop excess sediment running off construction sites and
entering our waterways.
Local Waterways Update 2011/2012 Wyndham City | 3
Managing Water Quality
Melbourne Water, Council and local communities are working to better manage stormwater in order to protect the environment,
provide alternative water sources and to improve the quality of runoff that reaches our waterways.
Where What we’ve done Why
Wyndham City Involvement in lifecycle costing and To work with Council to compile a costing basis for WSUD
WSUD Asset Inventory Projects assets to be used across council. To assist Council to better
record, track and maintain WSUD assets
Wyndham City Part funded place on To provide an opportunity to explore diverse and innovative
International WSUD Study Tour approaches to sustainable stormwater management.
for a Council employee
Werribee Attended Council’s To increase community awareness of the 10,000
Sustainability Expo Raingarden program and encourage homeowners
to build their own raingarden
Werribee Delivered a ‘how to build To help educate community about raingardens and
a raingarden’ workshop demonstrate to homeowners how to build their very
own raingarden
You can help reduce and improve the stormwater that leaves
your house by building a raingarden. To find out more, visit
melbournewater.com.au/raingardens
Through our Living Rivers program and by supporting
Clearwater, a not-for-profit organisation, we are working to
provide councils and other water authorities with training,
advice and technical information to build their capacity
to deliver water sensitive urban design. To find out more,
please visit clearwater.asn.au
Flood Management and Drainage
Each year we manage and improve the regional drainage We also work with the Bureau of Meteorology and Victoria
system for the Port Phillip and Westernport region – State Emergency Service to provide flood warning services
that’s more than 1400 kilometres of drains. for the community.
We work with and provide advice to property owners and We have prepared a Flood Management Plan with Council
developers to make sure that our flood information is up to that identifies flood risks, outlines roles and responsibilities
date, that we identify and construct new flood protection and describes, at a high level, key flood planning and
projects in areas with the greatest need and that new management activities.
development has appropriate drainage.
We manage a Hydrologic Data Collection Network, which
monitors rainfall and flows in waterways, and support Council
and the Victoria State Emergency Service in preparing flood
response plans.
4 | Wyndham City Local Waterways Update 2011/2012
Managing Urban Growth
Through our advisory role in the town planning and subdivision process we assist urban growth and redevelopment within our
growing communities. This includes the important role of planning for greenfield development through our Developer Services
Scheme process. Works undertaken by developers and funded by their contributions ensure that flood protection standards are
met, stormwater runoff and quality meet best practice standards, and the environmental values of our waterways are protected.
What we’ve done Why
417 referrals for land subdivisions reviewed Subdivision referrals enable Melbourne Water to set
conditions that relate to drainage outfall or treatment
of stormwater. Easements or reserves may also be required
for floodplain, drainage or waterway management purposes
42 development applications reviewed To establish whether proposed developments are
compatible with flood risks. The flood risk to people and
property is minimised by setting appropriate conditions
on planning permits
158 flood information requests reviewed To advise property owners and people interested in
purchasing or redeveloping a property on the flood level
that applies to that property
Seven applications by Council to build near Melbourne To protect waterways and their flora and fauna from
Water assets reviewed the potential impacts of works
100 applications for other authority works, like bridges, To protect waterways and their flora and fauna from
shared pathways and jetties reviewed the potential impacts of works
41 stormwater connection applications reviewed To protect waterways and their flora and fauna from
the potential impacts of works
Little River in the Little River township
Local Waterways Update 2011/2012 Wyndham City | 5
Monitoring, Investigations and Research
In 2011/12, we carried out extensive monitoring, investigations and research in order to help us better understand the key
influences on, and risks to, river health. Research provides evidence to help us to better understand the region’s waterways
and ensure that works such as river and creek rehabilitation are adapted to provide the best results.
Where What we’ve done Why
Skeleton Creek, Dry We have assessed fauna, including Future urban developments have the potential to negatively
Creek, tributaries of frogs and macroinvertebrates of ten affect these waterways. It is important to assess the values
Werribee River waterways within the future urban of these waterways before the development takes place
growth boundary to introduce conditions that protect our waterways
Werribee River, Monitoring with Werribee River Ongoing water quality monitoring for effects of stormwater
Skeleton Creek Association, Skeleton Creek on urban waterways
Monitoring Group
Werribee River Sampled fish in the Werribee River To assess the health of the estuary and the broader
Estuary and at 34 sites across the catchment using fish as an indicator. Ongoing monitoring
broader Werribee River catchments will allow us to identify changes and trends over time
Little River Sampled fish in the To assess the health of the estuary using fish as an indicator
Little River Estuary
Werribee River Carried out an annual To investigate the distribution, abundance and movement
platypus survey of platypus in Melbourne Water area
Wyndham region Regularly monitored one long-term To gather long-term data and measure against various
water quality sampling site standards, to identify changes and trends over time,
identify pollution sources and continue to inform the
community about local water quality
Urban council areas Monitor and investigate the To identify and prioritise works on wetlands to ensure they
performance of constructed continue to treat stormwater effectively
stormwater treatment wetlands
Werribee River
6 | Wyndham City Local Waterways Update 2011/2012
Involving Community
We work with community groups, volunteers, friends groups, home owners, residents, land managers and farmers to help
support our management of waterways, drainage and floodplains.
Through our River Health Incentives Program, we provide grants to landowners and public land managers to improve the
condition of their waterway frontages. The program provides funding for activities like weed control, revegetation, fencing
and the installation of off-stream stock watering systems.
Grant Who we gave it to Number of grants Funding approved
approved last year in the area (ex GST)
Stream Frontage Management Program Private landholders 3 $11,402
Corridors of Green Public land managers 2 $26,250
Community grants Public land managers 2 $1,500
If you’re a landowner or land manager with waterway frontage and would like information about funding and educational
opportunities, please call us on (03) 9679 7431 or email river.health@melbournewater.com.au
Event/Project Who we worked with What we did
Waterwatch schools Warringa Park School, Galvin Conducted a range of sessions focussed on
program (36 sessions) Park Secondary College, macroinvertebrates, catchment issues and water quality
Carranballac College
We have over 370 volunteer community rain gauge readers across the Melbourne Water area. There are 21 rain readers in
this municipality. Every day these people read their rain gauge (usually located in their backyard) and record data. This data,
together with data from our automated gauges, provides us with valuable rainfall information. To view this information go to
melbournewater.com.au/communityrainreaders
Waterwatch is a free, fun, hands-on river health education program at Melbourne Water that supports communities,
schools and businesses to be actively involved in monitoring and protecting the health of our rivers and creeks.
Visit waterwatchmelbourne.org.au to find out how you can be involved.
The important work described in this report is made possible principally by the Waterways and Drainage charge included
in water bills and collected by retail water companies on behalf of Melbourne Water.
Local Waterways Update 2011/2012 Wyndham City | 7
What’s coming up?
Werribee River
Managing Water Quality
Where What we’ll do Why
Wyndham City Continue to support Council To further build on Council’s capacity and commitment
to build skills in sustainable for sustainable stormwater management and WSUD
stormwater management through
a combination of guidance and
project funding
Melbourne Water Telephone 131 722 ISSN: 1837-0292 (Print) ISSN: 1838-2401 (Online)
990 La Trobe Street, Docklands Facsimile 03 9679 7099 Copyright © Melbourne Water Corporation July 2012
PO Box 4342 Melbourne Victoria 3001 melbournewater.com.au All rights reserved.
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