Endangered species to benefit from Liverpool Road retarding basin revegetation
Melbourne Water is about to finish the redevelopment of the landscape surrounding Boronia’s Liverpool Road retarding basin, with native endangered wildlife reaping the rewards.
Minister for Water Harriet Shing, along with the Member for Bayswater Jackson Taylor and Member for Monbulk Daniela De Martino, visited the $380,000 Melbourne Water-funded project site, unveiling signage that talks to the rich biodiversity value of the area as well as the endangered species and the indigenous plants that call this open space home.
Minister Shing was joined by 30 grade two students from the nearby Basin Primary School to plant some of the last shrubs allocated to the green space. The first to see the interpretive signage, they also learned about the importance of their local environment in a special outdoor class run by Melbourne Water’s Waterways and Catchment Services team.
Liverpool Road retarding basin has significant conservation values and is home to several vulnerable or endangered vegetation communities including Swamp Scrub and Wet Verge Sedgeland - which are relied on by Swamp Skink for the short, dense aquatic vegetation.
Endangered native animals like the Swamp Skink will thrive thanks to the almost 12,000 indigenous plants added, while the removal of noxious weeds and the installation of fencing will keep dogs away from their habitat.
The large lake’s mix of deep and shallow open water – which flows from the Dandenong Creek - provides the perfect habitat for waterbirds such as Latham’s Snipe, Hardhead and Eastern Great Egret.
“Melbourne Water is committed to investing in our waterways and the lands that surround them for the benefit of the community, wildlife and the environment so that they remain healthy and can be enjoyed by everyone today and for generations to come,” Sue Jackman, Melbourne Water Executive General Manager Service Delivery said.
“We are in the decade that matters. We’re looking towards the future and anticipating the evolving needs of a growing Melbourne. It’s the actions we are taking now that will define how we – and our kids - are set up for the future.”
The retarding basin - which was updated in 2016 and is one of over 200 retarding basins managed by Melbourne Water across the city - is an essential part of the area’s drainage network. During heavy rain it collects and holds stormwater, slowing it down before it reaches overflowing drains, rivers or creeks.
Having started the local community project in September 2022, with funding from Melbourne Water’s ‘Sites of Biodiversity’ allocation, the revegetation program will be completed this month.
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