North Heatherton Wetland Upgrade Project

Current

In Melbourne, rivers and creeks are essential to our way of life. That's why we are committed to enhancing life and liveability in your local area and upgraded the North Heatherton Wetland. 

Map of Wetland Project Site

A constructed wetland is a series of shallow, densely planted, man made ponds that help to filter stormwater. Wetlands act as the ecological kidneys, filtering out pollutants that wash into our stormwater from roads, concrete, parks and gardens. 

This project will protect important habitat, ecology and amenity of the North Heatherton Wetland for the community to enjoy now and for generations to come. 

Why is this work necessary?

The North Heatherton Wetland was previously not meeting its storm water treatment quality standards and required an upgrade to function more effectively. The project achieved the following:

  • Reduced stormwater pollution and enhancing the natural filtration process. 
  • Adjusted wetland water levels to create a healthy environment for plants and birdlife to thrive. 

What did the works involve?

  • Removing vegetation from within the wetland, which allowed for the completed of works and to enable safe entry and exit from the works area. 
  • Drained a section of the wetland to facilitate renewal.
  • Upgraded the wetland inlets and outlets which will allow for better water flow management. 
  • Utilised heavy machinery to reshape a section of the wetland. 
  • Removed and stockpiled of wetland sediment for disposal. 

What to expect.

Construction vehicle traffic: There will be an increase in large vehicle movement in the local area as material and equipment are delivered for the works. 

Dandenong Creek Trail detours: For the safety of everyone, sections of walking paths around the wetland will be closed during the works. During these works, pedestrians and bike riders will be detoured on a temporary shared user path. 

Noise, dust and vibration: During construction, noise is expected from trucks and machinery. we will reduce these impacts as much as practicable. 

Vegetation: Some vegetation will need to be removed for our workers to access the wetland. 

Working hours: Crews will be works Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 6:00pm. 

As works on the wetlands approach completion pedestrian footpaths will be re-opened from Mid July 2025. Please follow any safety signage on site and take care while using temporary shared user paths. 

Current and upcoming works. 

Civil works have been completed on the North Heatherton Wetlands Upgrade Project achieving several key construction milestones as part of stage 1 works including:

  • Wetland reshaping works
  • Removal of topsoil to facilitate wetland reshaping
  • Installation of the wetland drainage structure

We have also found and relocated 54 frogs, 72 eels and 12 reptiles from within the wetland. 

Upcoming works include the re-planting and re-vegetation of the wetlands. Some sections of the wetland will continue to be fenced off to allow of the vegetation to re-grow. Footpaths in these areas will remain closed to pedestrians. 

Timeline:

 

Complete
 

Late October to Early November 2024

Early works and site mobilisation will commence on site. 

A community information event is scheduled for Saturday 26 October 12:00 Midday to 2:00 pm at Dandenong Stadium. Feel free to come visit and find out some more information about the works. 

Complete
 

November 2024 to July 2025

Stage 1 - Reshaping the bed of the wetland will commence in later 2024 and will take approximately 10 months to complete.

Not Started
 

September 2025

Stage 2 - Revegetating the wetland. over 64,000 wetland plants are expected to be planted by late 2025. 

Keep up to date. 

We are committed to keeping the community updated as the project progresses. As updates become available, we will communicate with residents and businesses about the works through door knocks, letters, phone calls and site signage. 

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the project team:

Phone: 1800 931 978

Email: [email protected] 

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