Melbourne Water’s work to improve waterways and provide flood protectionin the City of Darebin.
584referrals for land subdivision reviewed
Improvedsustainable stormwater management
ImprovedDarebin Creek flows through the historic bridge
Melbourne Water is responsible for 8,400 km of rivers and creeks, 428 wetland treatment systems and more than 1,400 km of regional drainage systems in the Port Phillip and Westernport region.
This work is funded by the Waterways and Drainage Charge, which is paid by property owners and collected by water retailers on our behalf.
Within your local area, Melbourne Water cares for the following waterways:
•Darebin Creek
•Edgars Creek
•Merri Creek
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Healthy waterways
Maintenance and new projects
Each year we create and maintain healthy waterways by removing litter, debris and excess sediment.
We remove and spray weeds, cut grass and plant native trees and shrubs.
1 km revegetation / We plant native trees and shrubs along waterways to provide habitat for birds and animals. Revegetating waterways and replacing weeds with native plants prevents erosion and improves water quality.
16 km weed control / Introduced and noxious weeds can choke waterways and take over from plants that provide healthy habitats for birds and animals.
47 m3 litter/debris removal / Litter can have devastating consequences for native animals and plants living in waterways. Debris such as leaves and grass cuttings can restrict the flow of water to cause floods and change the habitat for platypus and fish.
Stormwater
We work closely with Council and local communities to better manage stormwater to protect the environment, provide alternative water sources and improve the stormwater that flows into local waterways.
What we have done / WhyProvided funding to facilitate the installation of water sensitive urban design projects across a number of sites / To improve amenity, stormwater quality and waterway health, build capacity of Council staff, and increase community awareness and education about stormwater impacts.
Contributed to a project that assists Darebin in moving towards a water sensitive city / Ensures that better stormwater management and best-practice stormwater treatment can be supported with new and existing small, medium and large scale projects.
Provided funding for the auditing of Council facilities for stormwater management and harvesting / The audit will identify and evaluate opportunities for integrated water management, such as alternative stormwater and rainwater use, water efficiency and reducing localised flooding.
Contributed to a project that will build community capacity in sustainable stormwater management / Provide education highlighting Darebin’s stormwater management and projects, and workshops to install free downpipe-diverters
in homes.
Provided funding for the Northland Urban Renewal precinct to improve water quality and reduce plant loss at Darebin Creek / Identifying best-practice stormwater, filtration and collection options will help reduce the risk of flooding on the surrounding parks and neighbourhoods, and flash flooding at Darebin Creek.
Through our Living Rivers program, we worked with Council and contributed $248,000 to projects that assist waterway health and create sustainable stormwater management solutions in your area.
Find out more at melbournewater.com.au/livingrivers
Monitoring and research
We regularly undertake extensive monitoring, investigations and research to help us better understand how we can improve local waterways.
What we have done / WhyUndertook fish surveys at Merri Creek / The surveys helped evaluate the benefits of new vertical-slot fishways installed in 2012 and complemented another monitoring program of fishway performance.
Monitored sediment along the Yarra River, Leamington Street Wetland and Stockland Development Wetland / This monitoring improves our knowledge of contaminants and guides our management of the waterways.
Improved the management of stormwater to protect our waterways / We explored such things as using artificial wetlands and trees for filtration to better manage stormwater and rural land runoff.
Investigated more effective methods for revegetation and weed control along waterways / These investigations help us to revegetate, control weeds and desert ash, and manage pollution to improve the health of our waterways.
Further explored integrated water management / This work provides us with better understanding on how to manage multiple water sources more efficiently and effectively, with improved techniques in water biodiversity.
Planning for future development
We plan for future development to ensure growing communities do not threaten local waterways. We also advise and assist new developments to ensure they do not increase flood risk.
What we have done / Why548 referrals for land subdivisions reviewed / To ensure proposed land subdivisions meet current standards for drainage and stormwater quality.
231 development applications reviewed / To make sure that growing communities don’t increase flood risk.
188 flood information requests reviewed / To provide flood information to property owners and people interested in purchasing or redeveloping property.
54 applications for works near Melbourne Water assets and works such as bridges, shared pathways and jetties reviewed / To ensure waterways, and the plants and animals that live there, are protected from the potential impacts of building works.
16 stormwater connection applications reviewed / To ensure waterways and the plants and animals that live there, are protected from the potential impacts of construction works.
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Flood protection
While floods are natural and we can’t stop them all from occurring, we aim to minimise the damage they cause to people, places and communities.
We manage the regional drainage system and work with Council, the Victorian State Emergency Service, the Bureau of Meteorology, property owners and developers to make sure flood information is up to date. We provide flood warning services, prepare flood response plans, and identify and construct new flood protection projects in areas with the greatest need.
What we have done / WhyWorked with stakeholders to review plans and hydraulic reports to assist with the Darebin Yarra Trail, and removing level crossings at Grange Road in Alphington, Bell Street in Preston and Coburg, and at High Street in Reservoir / Ensure proposed works will not impact the floodplain, path of
over-land flow, assets and waterways, and that the project is feasible, safe and possible for community use.
Removed silt from Darebin Creek and reshaped the bank at Darebin Road and Livingstone Street / Improving creek flows through the historic bridge during significant storms reduces stream power and flood levels, benefiting nearby property owners, businesses and the bike/pedestrian trail.
Threevolunteersin your area provide us with rainfall data by recording information from a rain gauge in their backyard. These figures and the data from our automated gauges, provides us with valuable rainfall information
Find out more atmelbournewater.com.au/communityrainreaders
Working with the community
The involvement of community groups, volunteers, land managers and farmers supports our management of local waterways and regional drainage systems. If you’d like more information about funding opportunities please call
131 722 or email
$6,519 / Stream Frontage Management / Private land owners and managers for works that protect or enhance riverbanks, such as weed control, fencing and planting native trees.
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We also worked with the local community on several events and initiatives throughout the year.
Who we worked with / What we didDarebin Creek Monitoring Group
Friends of the Wildlife Reserve
Merri Creek Management Committee / Provided water quality monitoring support and hosted a Waterbug Census training day at Darebin Parklands about macroinvertebrates and how to monitor them in local waterways.
Darebin Parklands Association / Supported the group to stabilise the bank of Darebin Creek to protect the historical footbridge within the Darebin parklands.
Merri Creek Management Committee
Friends of Merri Creek
Westfield Reserve Monitoring Group
Friends of Edwards Lake
Northcote Monitoring Group / Supported Waterwatch groups through our partnership with the Merri Creek Management Committee.
Waterwatch is a citizen science program that encourages communities to monitor platypus, frogs and waterbugs as well as the water quality of their local river or creeks. We empower our volunteers to collect data, protect the waterways environment and share their knowledge.
Visitmelbournewater.com.au/waterwatchor call 131 722 to find out more.
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Copyright © Melbourne Water Corporation July 2016
Waterways Local Update 2015 –161