Moonee Ponds Creek Integrated Water Management Project Pack: February 2018 summary

This document outlines concepts that have been developed by the Moonee Ponds Catchment Collaboration Group across 2017.

The collaboration consists of 18 organisations that are working to transform the Moonee Ponds Creek into an iconic waterway for with high social and environmental benefits.

The group is focussed currently on coordination activities, but has identified the following projects as relevant to an improved catchment.

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Project name Description Project Aims Long Term Outcomes Moonee Ponds Creek channel naturalisation Removal of concrete from the 1) Showcase 1) Showcase channel where this form of example of how improved – reversal of the northernmost part of the concrete channel infrastructure begins, in to remove amenity and to natural land form Strathmore. This project existing concrete liveability would be focussed on the and bring the outcomes channel and the wider creek to a more through removal

catchment through natural state. of concrete accompanying work on channel (site permeable pavement in 2) Education of can be used to

streets and more WSUD students and inspire further interventions. This will wider works in other showcase some of the range community places) of treatments to reduce flow to the creek channel as 3) Showcase of 2) Community Image: Bishan Park, Singapore, shows how cities can transform their detailed in the Chain of Ponds stormwater better waterways from concrete drains to more natural waterways (draft) masterplan. The management understand how project could be linked to an interventions in urban IWM education program at the surrounding landscapes can Strathmore Secondary streetscapes be modified to College. reduce stormwater runoff into creek and improve amenity whilst managing the risk of flooding

Image: where the Moonee Ponds creek concrete channel begins, 3) Improved Strathmore. instream habitat and increased biodiversity Relevant policies and strategies that support this project Text to be inserted by individual organisations

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Project name Description Project Aims Long Term Outcomes IWM at the Moonee Valley Racecourse: private practice that can Best practice IWM 1) Demonstrate 1) Increased benefit downstream landholders planning as part of wetland interest and the planned Moonee development investment in Valley Racecourse and other IWM the catchment redevelopment. This practices on an by private project will inner Melbourne landholders demonstrate how ‘brownfield’ stormwater development 2) Wetlands management and site. provide flood management of 2) Demonstrate management wetlands connected partnerships capacity to assist to the creek system between downstream land can used to create government and benefits downstream. private industry 3) (potentially) This could be a test to manage testing a levy case for obtaining flooding on system that can funds from private public land via be paid by land developments pumps and downstream downstream to help pipes onto beneficiaries to Image: Sourced from Moonee Valley Racecourse Master Plan fund works upstream private land upstream landholder

Relevant policies and strategies that support this project Text to be inserted by individual organisations

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Project name Description Project Aims Long Term Outcomes Enhancing Moonee Ponds Creek through the Arden Macaulay urban Best practice IWM 1) Demonstrate 1) Increased renewal program planning as part of best practice interest and the Arden Macaulay development in investment in urban renewal a ‘brownfield’ the catchment program, to develop floodplain site. by private the Moonee Ponds E.g. recycled landholders Creek as a central water, feature of the urban stormwater 2) Improved renewal precinct. harvesting, flood amenity To include activation controls, outcomes and improved access contributing to for residents to linear park along 3) Improved flood interact with the the creek management creek through North outcomes and West Melbourne, 2) To develop a Image: Depiction of Arden Macaulay development potential Kensington and more accessible 4) Improved urban Docklands and well used ecology creek corridor in outcomes North and West Melbourne, Kensington and Docklands

Relevant policies and strategies that support this project Text to be inserted by individual organisations

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Project name Description Project Aims Long Term Outcomes Activating spaces shadowed by freeways – Moonee Ponds Creek, Activation of open 1) Showcase how 1) Creation of new West Melbourne space and waterways to activate areas recreational shadowed by the under bridges spaces alongside CityLink freeway. and next to Moonee Ponds This project will railway Creek showcase upgrades infrastructure, to to amenity of public demonstrate 2) Improved visual spaces in constrained best practice amenity of spaces. This project Moonee Ponds is closely connected 2) Enhance user Creek to the Arden enjoyment and Macaulay urban number of users renewal program of the riparian 3) Development of land along case studies of

Moonee Ponds the interventions Creek in to share with Kensington and other West Melbourne government agencies, urban planners

Image: Proposed ‘under line’ park, Miami, USA

Relevant policies and strategies that support this project Text to be inserted by individual organisations

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Project name Description Project Aims Long Term Outcomes Reducing litter in the Moonee Ponds Creek through changing Education and 1) Encourage 1) Reduction of community mindset engagement program community litter at a sub- focussing on a ownership and catchment or

suburb or sub commitment to suburban scale, catchment of the tackling the to benefit the Moonee Ponds, to problem by Moonee Ponds stop litter at the conducting Creek and Port source. community Phillip Bay Building on prior events, litter initiatives in the workshops, litter 2) Greater catchment. reduction and awareness education amongst the programs. community of litter management and water quality

Image: Posters used to reach culturally diverse communities, as part of the 2003 Moonee Ponds Creek Litter Initiative.

Relevant policies and strategies that support this project Text to be inserted by individual organisations

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Project name Description Project Aims Long Term Outcomes Enhancing stream ecology and urban biodiversity in the Research, education and 1) Greening of the 1) Improved urban Moonee Ponds Catchment citizen science project. A catchment to ecology - flagship species could be promote ecosystem chosen and then biodiversity and function, revegetation and education stream ecology population programs run to bring it improvements. health, diversity back to the catchment. of flora and 2) Conduct long term fauna The project would include biodiversity long term biodiversity monitoring 2) Improved public monitoring, as part of the understanding of Network of Greening 3) Education biodiversity Intervention Sites. These programs values of the sites are across Melbourne creek and are being use to

quantify the before and 3) Data on after changes in biodiversity changing state resulting from a greening of key interventions. biodiversity Image: Black swans on the Moonee Ponds Creek, West Melbourne Findings will help guide indicators over management actions aimed time at supporting existing biodiversity and bringing locally extinct species back into our cities.

Relevant policies and strategies that support this project Text to be inserted by individual organisations

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Project name Description Project Aims Long Term Outcomes Scoping study for a land bridge across the Moonee Ponds Creek and A scoping study for the 1) Investigate the 1) Data for the land bridge proposed in feasibility and development of the Moonee Valley and potential funding a business case

Moreland draft partners to to build a land Image: Proposed land bridge at masterplan – Chain of create a land bridge Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy, Ponds. bridge Texas, USA This would investigate Note: Long term the feasibility of a 2) Document case outcomes if the land nature connection studies from bridge is built across the Moonee around the world include improved Ponds creek and showcasing pedestrian and Tullamarine Freeway other land cyclist connectivity connecting Royal Park bridges across from Parkville to and Travancore Park. freeways and Flemington; The study could review watercourses increased green case studies from spaces – around the world. biodiversity and urban cooling benefits; and increased visual amenity

Relevant policies and strategies that support this project Text to be inserted by individual organisations

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Project name Description Project Aims Long Term Outcomes Bandicoots to the Bay: The Moonee Ponds Shared Pathway Building of shared 1) A continuous 1) Improved paths and associated pathway from accessibility and

infrastructure to fill the Woodlands Park safety for path gaps along the existing to the Docklands, users shared path, to ensure following the

a continuous path along Moonee Ponds 2) Improved the creek from Creek, completed navigability Woodlands Historic Park – gaps filled Greenvale (where a 3) Increased bandicoot recovery 2) Continuous and recreational project is underway) to consistent value the Docklands in wayfinding Melbourne. signage 4) Increased visual Images: Existing bike paths alongside the Moonee Ponds Creek amenity 3) Educational signs and artwork 5) Education and installed learning opportunities for local communities using the open space and shared paths

Relevant policies and strategies that support this project Text to be inserted by individual organisations

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Project name Description Project Aims Long Term Outcomes Moonee Ponds catchment as an IWM demonstration catchment The catchment as a 1. Establish 1) Establish a whole, the people in Moonee Ponds reputation for

it, the policy Catchment as a Moonee Ponds documents, and demonstration Catchment as supporting tools like site for best practice a mapping and open government, example of source data portal, community and Integrated Water the urban industry Management in development professionals to Melbourne projects, and the on- learn about a ground projects in range of IWM 2) Share lessons the public realm, are interventions, from Moonee all a showcase of and the policies, Ponds to other what can be done in tools and catchments in IWM. This project governance Melbourne, idea builds on all the frameworks that and other projects support internationally proposed for the coordinated Moonee Ponds Creek, catchment 3) Leverage and adds the policy management interest and and coordination and investment in collaboration group the catchment Yarra elements.

Key: natural waterways, underground

Relevant policies and strategies that support this project Text to be inserted by individual organisations

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Project name Description Project Aims Long Term Outcomes to Moonee Ponds Creek missing link The Dynon Road tidal 1. Engineer a new 1) Healthier canal is a polluted, solution to avoid waterways

unseen, uncared for pollution of 2) Connected piece of waterways (this waterways infrastructure that may include a 3) Urban cooling, needs cleaning up wetland system shady shared and rehabilitating. or an paths The land where the underground canal runs could be drainage transformed into a solution) cycling and 2. Develop a pedestrian shady connected green path and connection space and between two major pedestrian waterways. cyclist link between the Maribyrnong and Moonee Ponds, alongside Dynon Road.

Relevant policies and strategies that support this project Text to be inserted by individual organisations

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Project name Description Project Aims Long Term Outcomes Strengthening Planning Controls in the Moonee Ponds Catchment The Moonee Ponds 1. Deliver an Adoption of the Creek needs stronger independent guidelines and protections and consultant’s overlays in planning consistent application report that scheme of policy across defines the Increase of people municipalities, in need for enjoying the creek order to transform planning because access to the creek into an controls/ the creek is iconic waterway for problem protected; and the Melbourne. definition for creek spaces are different parts appealing because The Maribyrnong and of the creek. of protection of the Yarra rivers have Suggests creek from stronger planning guidelines. overshadowing and controls and design 2. Develop inappropriate guidelines that the Environmental development and Moonee Ponds Significance land use project could build Overlays which surrounding it. on. councils can introduce with their own amendments.

Relevant policies and strategies that support this project Text to be inserted by individual organisations

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Project name Description Project Aims Long Term Outcomes Connecting people to our creek There are many 1. Create more  More people opportunities to access points connected to the improve the access for people to Moonee Ponds of communities to safely get Creek the creek, including: closer to the  A linear park waterways in along the creek A new ford creek the catchment. and its crossing at the 2. To improve tributaries. northern end of some of the  Improved Primrose St existing community Essendon to currently barriers to connectivity, inaccessible open access. access and space area in 3. To overcome activation Moreland. This will fix existing the missing link in constraints in the Moonee Ponds the shared Creek shared trail path network (pedestrians and 4. To improve cyclists are forced off recreational the creek trail, into opportunities residential streets) along the creek Provide access over levee banks in Kensington where the residents are informally accessing

creek banks for dog walking, Daylighting projects for tributaries: Westbreen Creek and Melville Creek to connect people to their local waterways

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Project name Description Project Aims Long Term Outcomes Moonee Ponds Creek catchment modelling and analysis Catchment modelling and 1) Provide up Information to analysis to determine how to to date inform business

prioritise the best options to model of cases and design detain water higher in catchment work for stream catchment so that we could hydrology modification re-naturalise the creek in future. 2) Analysis of model to New proposals to modify the identify best waterway are always met options to with requests to demonstrate detain water that there will be no adverse in the flooding affect on catchment downstream areas. Up to date modelling for the catchment, with climate change scenarios will enable thorough analysis of options for modifications of the stream.

Image: flood prone areas in Moonee Valley Relevant policies and strategies that support this project Text to be inserted by individual organisations

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