[Uplifting orchestral music plays]

[Close ups of heavy machinery undertaking works at Darebin Creek, and Melbourne Water staff talking to project partners]

[On-screen text: Lucy, Project Officer – Melbourne Water]

Lucy: Once the project is completed, fish will be able to migrate up and downstream of this point, which will help to sustain our native fish populations. 

[On-screen text: A “rock ramp fishway” enables fish to migrate upstream and seek refuge.]

Lucy: Melbourne Water have constructed a rock ramp fishway, which enables fish to migrate upstream and seek refuge.

[Close-ups of fish species]
[On-screen text: Common Galaxias, Short Finned Eel]

Lucy: The species that this project is targeting are Diadromous species, the Common Galaxias and the Short Finned Eel. They require access to fresh water and the ocean in order to complete their lifecycle.

[On-screen text: The Fish Ladder is constructed with imported, locally-sourced rock.]
[Time-lapse of trucks moving rocks onto the site, and excavators carefully placing rocks along the creekbed]

[On-screen text: Adam, Greenworks – Supervisor]

Adam: The fish ladder’s constructed with imported, locally-sourced rock we construct on site. We can match it into the natural waterway and the environment. We’ll import approximately 500 tonne of rock.

[Greenworks crews unload pipes and pumps off a truck.]

Adam: There’s 11 stages of fishway. All the water in the creek is bypassed using pumps, so we’ve got three eight-inch pumps on site. Each eight-inch pump can pump approximately ten megalitres a day.

[On-screen text: Each pump redirects 10MgL per day]

[On-screen text: Peter, Darebin Creek Management Committee – Senior Ranger]
[Camera pans along the trajectory of the creek. Close-up of Peter.]

Peter: How can fish swim up that channel? Having this going on right now is really exciting for everybody that lives around here and also for the fact that here’s a big engineering project for biodiversity. It’s just a winner. I follow the project daily with great excitement.

[Close-ups and aerial views of machinery moving rocks to construct the fish ladder. Music fades as the screen fades to black.] 

[Sounds of birdsong accompany views of the natural environment. Close-ups of a seedling in a planter box and volunteers with a wheelbarrow, a smoking ceremony, and a person looking at interpretive signage for the Darebin Parklands Fish Ladder.]

[On-screen text: Kat Theophanous, MP for Northcote]

Kat: It’s a really lovely, local, special project that means a lot to us, and that’s what it’s all about at this point. It’s really doing what we can in tangible projects that protect our environment.

[On-screen text Graeme, Executive Officer – Darebin Creek Management Committee]
[Melbourne Water staff and the general public gather around to listen to Graeme speak.]

Graeme: You can see the water cascading down and forming eddies, which is exactly what you’d expect it to do to get those little refuges on the steps up for the fish coming through. 

[Close-up of water flowing through the fish ladder, and people undertaking weeding.]

Graeme: This is connectivity in action, but also the connectivity of society. So we connect people with the creek and people with people who love the creek.

[Close-up of Adam. Member of the public talks to a volunteer at a pop-up community information session along the creek.]

Adam: Several members of the public often come and ask, “what’s happening?” And they all seem pretty excited and happy with what’s happening.

[On-screen text: Maryanne, Darebin Parklands Association]

Maryanne: Having a place that people can come, where they can sort of escape the city. They don’t have to leave it but they’re just getting out into the bush. They can hear the birds, sit by the creek or paddle, it’s a place where people can actually relax and enjoy the environment.

[On-screen text: Charlie, Darebin Parklands Association – Thursday Crew Member]

Charlie: I live really nearby, so I do a lot of walks here in the park solo and with friends and yeah, it’s a great place to come. The running water is really relaxing and I think I’ll come and sit down here and try and spot some fish. Definitely.

[Groups of volunteers plant seedlings and remove weeds along the creek.]

Lucy: The ecological benefits for the waterway and the community as well will benefit. 

[Lucy talks to other staff members next to a temporary sign that reads, “For your own safety please do not attempt to cross if the boulders are wet or under water. Thank you for your cooperation.”]

Lucy: It’s been really great working on this project. It’s a really good opportunity to share this knowledge in order to sustain healthy fish populations.

[Melbourne Water logo]

[End of transcript]