WATER The Whittlesea Green Wedge contains Key goal and directions Legislative framework the critical upper and middle catchments The water goal for the Whittlesea Green Protection and management of waterways 7. Waterways and of a number of metropolitan waterways, Wedge is as follows: within the City of Whittlesea is influenced by Catchments including: a range of legislation: GREEN WEDGE GOAL 1. • Surface and ground water is protected 2. Merri Creek Water: Sustainable water use and healthy from pollution by the Environment 3. Darebin Creek waterways, wetlands and groundwater Protection Act 1970 with its supporting 4. Diamond Creek State Environment Protection Policies This section of the Management Plan will (SEPPs). In the east, the Plenty River is the largest focus on the following sub-theme: river within the Green Wedge and is • The formation of authorities, such as naturally the only perennial watercourse. WATER Sub-theme Water, to manage and Scrubby Creek, Bruces Creek and Barbers protect water resources is enabled by Creek flow into the Plenty River. The Merri 1. Waterways and catchments the Catchment and Land Protection Creek runs substantially along the western Act 1994, the Water Act 1989 and the boundary of the municipality, falling from Each sub-theme describes key features Corporation Act 1992. the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. and values, conveys community views, Edgars Creek, Curly Sedge Creek and identifies planning controls and guidelines, • The Catchment and Land Protection Central Creek are all tributaries of the and summarises key programs. Relevant Act 1994 also enables the declaration Merri Creek. The entire upper and middle actions are listed in Part 3: Action Plan. of Special Areas for water supply catchment of the Darebin Creek is located catchment areas that supply Victoria’s within the City of Whittlesea. This includes potable water (previously referred to as the sub-catchments of Findon Creek and Proclaimed Water Supply Catchments). Henderson Creek. A small portion of the In order to assist the regulation of some Diamond Creek runs through the far north- land uses, Special Areas Plans can be east of the municipality. developed and linked to local planning schemes. This Act also requires This equates to approximately 476 Councils to have regard for any regional WATER kilometres of rivers, creeks and tributaries catchment strategies which apply to and seven wetlands within the broader land within their area. Yarra Catchment. The water supply catchments and water storage reservoirs • Protection of waterways and protection associated with Toorourrong and Yan from flooding is enabled the Planning Yean Reservoirs are also located in the and Environmental Act 1987 through municipality. Groundwater held in aquifers the Victorian Planning Provisions and also contributes to surface water supplies. the Whittlesea Planning Scheme, administered by the City of Whittlesea. This interwoven relationship between surface and groundwater resources, and • Victoria’s Native Vegetation how activities on the land affect water Management Framework and the health, relies on integrated catchment NEROC Report - Sites of Faunal and management to tie together the range of Habitat Significance in North East considerations. Melbourne.

D r a f t W h i t t l e s e a G r e e n W e d g e M a n a g e m e n t P l a n 2 0 1 1 - 2 0 2 1 64 7.1 Objective Here the elevation and numerous spurs Plenty River Catchment WATER The objective for this sub-theme is: and valleys provide the beginning, or upper Approximately 80% of the Plenty River reaches, of a number of small streams that Catchment is contained within the City of 7. Waterways and flow into the Plenty River to the east, and Waterways and catchments objective Whittlesea. From its northern headwaters Catchments the Merri Creek and Darebin Creek to the in the Great Dividing Range, the drainage west. To protect and improve the environmental catchment of the Plenty River experiences health, and social and economic values of seasonal variations in water flow, but is waterways, wetlands and aquifers. Four defined sub-catchment areas the only perennial watercourse within the contribute to the Yarra Catchment within municipality. the City of Whittlesea: the Plenty River, The Whittlesea Green Wedge contains the the Darebin Creek, the Merri Creek and critical upper and middle catchments of a Due to the steep ridges and valleys in the to a lesser extent the Diamond Creek number of metropolitan waterways. These headwaters, gully erosion is occasionally a Catchment (refer to Map 19 over the page). areas provide opportunities for restoration, problem. Where the terrain levels out, the revegetation and passive recreation. Plenty River settles into a floodplain. This Many smaller tributaries feed these floodplain is more than a kilometre wide systems, such as Barbers Creek, Bruces in some places and the river is frequently 7.2 Features and Values Creek and Scrubby Creek, that all flow Waterways within the municipality provide inundated between the Whittlesea into the Plenty River. Many other smaller Township and Mernda. valuable environmental, social and streams, often ephemeral in nature, also economic benefits for residents and visitors contribute to the water flow of these alike. The Plenty River Catchment feeds the waterways. Yan Yean and Toorourrong Water Storage Reservoirs and passes through forests, 7.2.1 Waterways The following is a brief summary of the open pasture and grazing land to the The waterways within the municipality municipality’s watercourses (City of Whittlesea Township. Here the terrain display a prominent north-south alignment. Whittlesea 2000a; City of Whittlesea levels out and the Plenty River settles to a

The northern section, with its strongly WATER 2000b). floodplain. This floodplain is more than a dissected slopes and valleys, contributes to kilometre wide in some places and the river the catchment system associated with the is frequently inundated between Whittlesea Yan Yean and Toorourrong Reservoirs. This and Mernda. area also comprises the south western part of the Great Dividing Range. From this middle reach, the Plenty River passes through the increasingly urban areas of Doreen and South Morang. This river catchment leaves the municipality at the Plenty Gorge Parklands then continues onto Bundoora and the Yarra River. Scrubby Creek, Bruces Creek and Barbers Creek are the three major tributaries of the Plenty River Catchment located within the City of Whittlesea.

65 D r a f t W h i t t l e s e a G r e e n W e d g e M a n a g e m e n t P l a n 2 0 1 1 - 2 0 2 1 Merri Creek Catchment MAP 19 FOUR RIVER CATCHMENTS Approximately 25% of the Merri Creek Catchment is located within the City of Whittlesea. This comprises the eastern portion of the upper and middle reaches of the catchment area.

The upper portion of the Merri Creek Catchment enters the municipality at the north-eastern boundary in Beveridge. South of Beveridge, near the Bald Hill area, ) R E P P the Merri Creek forms the City’s municipal U Toorourrong ( R E Reservoir IV boundary with Hume City. The Creek R Y T N leaves the municipality at Thomastown LE P before entering Darebin, Moreland and EK RE Yarra municipalities and enters the Yarra Y C BB RU River at Dights Falls. SC

The alignment of the Merri Creek has D A R been derived from lava spread, occurring E B I N in depressions, fractures and joints in the C R E volcanic rock. Low rainfall in the upper E K Yan Yean ( U Reservoir reaches has lead to intermittent and P P E ephemeral stream flows. Beyond the R ) Donnybrook area, the water flow generally increases to a perennial basis.

Within the municipality, Edgars Creek, Curly Sedge Creek and Central Creek are the M WATER E R three sub-catchments of the Merri Creek R I C Catchment. R E E K ( U P P E Diamond Creek Catchment R A small portion of the Diamond Creek ) catchment is contained at the eastern most

point adjoining the Shires of Murrindindi URBAN GROWTH BOUNDARY and Nillumbik. This portion of the Diamond RIVERS AND CREEKS TRIBUTARIES Creek Catchment includes Running Creek MINOR TRIBUTARIES which continues into Kinglake National PLENTY RIVER CATCHMENT Park. MERRI CREEK CATCHMENT DAREBIN CREEK CATCHMENT DIAMOND CREEK CATCHMENT

01.25 2.5 5 SOURCE: Melbourne Water, 2008 N Kilometers

D r a f t W h i t t l e s e a G r e e n W e d g e M a n a g e m e n t P l a n 2 0 1 1 - 2 0 2 1 66 Darebin Creek Catchment Three quarters of the Darebin Creek Catchment lies within the municipality, comprising of the entire upper and Port Phillip Bay middle reaches of the catchment. From Yarra River its headwaters in the gently undulating sandstone hills to the north-west of Grants Road, the Darebin Creek flows down to the western plains through to Woodstock and Wollert. Within these plains, Darebin Bundoora Creek and its tributaries once formed typical pool and riffle formations. Today, Mill Park Thomastown pressures ranging from draining, to filling Hendersons Creek Epping for development, has led to highly disturbed South Morang flow regimes within the middle (and lower) reaches of the catchment. Quarry Hills Findon Creek As the Darebin Creek moves into the Mernda increasingly residential areas of Epping Wollert and the established suburbs of Mill Park and Thomastown, water flow is assisted by urban runoff. This catchment leaves the municipality at Settlement Road then flows through Thornbury, entering the Yarra River Darebin Creek at Alphington. WATER Findon Creek and Henderson Creek (with Woodstock its headwaters in Quarry Hills) are the Donnybrook two major tributaries of the Darebin Creek Catchment within the City of Whittlesea.

Eden Park

Darebin Creek Catchment

67 D r a f t W h i t t l e s e a G r e e n W e d g e M a n a g e m e n t P l a n 2 0 1 1 - 2 0 2 1 7.2.2 Wetlands 7.2.3 Water supply catchments Map 20 over the page shows the The City of Whittlesea contains a number Of the 157,000 hectares reserved for distribution of wetlands and water storage of wetlands scattered throughout the harvesting water for Melbourne’s water reservoirs within the City of Whittlesea. municipality. Wetlands are an important supply (DSE 2006b), the City of Whittlesea habitat for many land and water animals contains around 8000 hectares of 7.2.4 Groundwater and their continuation is imperative for closed water supply catchments. These According to the most recent Regional many bird species. drainage areas feed the municipality's two Catchment Strategy, knowledge of water storage reservoirs: Yan Yean and the complex dynamics of groundwater Accordingly, these wetlands also appear Toorourrong. is incomplete (PPWCMA 2004). Yet on the list of sites of biosignificance (as groundwater is an important component of discussed in the Biodiversity Section). Toorourrong Reservoir is located within the total water resource, especially when the . This reservoir it occurs close to the surface, interacting The Yarrambat-Morang wetlands, located is linked by channels to the Yan Yean and contributing to the flow and health of adjoining the Plenty River in South Morang Reservoir, seven kilometres further south. waterways and wetlands. is recognised as a wetland of national Due to the February 2009 bushfires, public biosignificance. access is now restricted from Jacks Creek Within the City of Whittlesea, any Road and the reservoir could be offline groundwater contained within aquifers Hernes Swamp, located in the north- for the next decade. Prior to the fires, the (layers of soil that can hold and transport western corner of the municipality, and grounds contained introduced specimen groundwater), could be suitable to be O’Herns Road wetland, adjacent to trees, conifers and bbq facilities, in addition pumped to the surface in bores and used Craigieburn grasslands, are recognised to a platypus ‘hide’, courtesy of the for a variety of purposes. as sites of state biosignificance. Several Australian Platypus Conservancy. other wetlands such as Camoola Swamp, Groundwater extraction is commonly used Towts Swamp and Tununda wetlands Melbourne’s oldest water storage site, for stock, irrigation and domestic purposes. have been identified as having regional , was constructed However, as the municipality does not biosignificance. in 1853 and originally supplied potable fall within one of the eleven Groundwater water for the north of metropolitan Management Areas (Southern Rural Water Human activity has also created new Melbourne. Surrounded by an extensively 2003), ground water extraction via bores is wetland environments such as reservoirs, planted catchment of eucalypts and not subject to licence conditions from water WATER sewage treatment plants and storm water some exotic trees, today low water flows authorities. treatment plants. It is estimated that these mean this reservoir is rarely used to artificial wetlands now comprise around 22 supplement Melbourne's potable water per cent of the region’s wetland coverage supply. However, limited public access is (PPWCMA 2004). available to well maintained grounds with bbq facilities and well preserved heritage Within the rural areas of the City of items such as bluestone-lined pumps and Whittlesea, the creation of farm dams is on aqueducts. the increase, particularly due to low rainfall levels and water restrictions.

D r a f t W h i t t l e s e a G r e e n W e d g e M a n a g e m e n t P l a n 2 0 1 1 - 2 0 2 1 68 MAP 20 WETLANDS AND WATER STORAGE RESERVOIRS 7.3 What the Community is Saying Consultation was undertaken with residents and community groups through a series of community forums and supplemented by workshops with government departments and agencies with an interest in the Whittlesea Green Wedge. 1 Despite the range of opinions expressed, 2 a common thread can be drawn from the ) R E P P feedback received: U Toorourrong ( R E Reservoir IV R Y T N • LE Our municipality is located P 3 at the headwaters of several EK RE Y C significant water catchments, BB RU SC yet few restrictions are placed on the location of farm dams and the number of bores. Lack of D A R 4 E knowledge of the hydrological cycle B I N C has been identified as an issue, while

R E E opportunities to tap into existing K Yan Yean Reservoir ( U waterways incentives have been P P E R applauded. )

Refer to the Community Views Final Report WATER for a detailed summary of community responses.

M E R R I C

R E E K 5 ( U P 7 P E R ) URBAN GROWTH BOUNDARY 1 HERNES SWAMP 2 CAMOOLA SWAMP 3 TOWTS SWAMP 4 DUNNETS ROAD SWAMP 5 MORANG WETLANDS 6 6 TANUNDA WETLANDS 7 O’HERNS WETLANDS RESERVOIR LAKES AND WETLANDS RIVERS AND CREEKS

01.25 2.5 5 SOURCE: Melbourne Water, 2008 N Kilometers

69 D r a f t W h i t t l e s e a G r e e n W e d g e M a n a g e m e n t P l a n 2 0 1 1 - 2 0 2 1 7.4 Issues A key area identified for immediate • Environmental Significance Overlay The main areas requiring action in order improvement is the treatment of waterways has the purpose of ensuring proposed to protect and improve the waterways and from a water quality and abutting land use development is compatible with catchments of the Green Wedge are: perspective (Whittlesea Planning Scheme, identified environmental values, Clause 21.02-09). including waterways and floodplains. • Lack of promotional and interpretive The Merri Creek and environs signage identifying location and Within the Whittlesea Green Wedge, the (Schedule 3) is specifically protected importance of the catchments Public Use Zone has been applied to water by this overlay. Subdivision, buildings • Limited interaction and custodianship storage catchments. The preferred zoning and works within these areas require a between residents, landholders and our is the Public Conservation and Resource planning permit. municipality's waterways Zone. • Increased development adjacent to Map 21 over the page provides a summary waterways affecting water health Specific zones and overlays within the of the waterway and catchment protection • Unrestricted access to water resources Whittlesea Planning Scheme that are controls afforded by the Whittlesea via the sinking of bores, development of relevant to the protection and improvement Planning Scheme. farm dams and stock to waterways of the health of waterways and catchments • Continued consolidation of lots in Eden include: 7.6 Planning Guidelines Park Within the context of broader green wedge • Fragmented planning policy approach • Public Use Zone (Schedule 1) protects values, the following provides a guide for to the protection of the municipality's land set aside for service and utility Council in its decision making regarding waterways uses and includes the water supply waterways and catchments: • Concern over the unknown affects of catchment areas associated with global warming on waterway health Toorourrong and Yan Yean Reservoirs. • All land use and development • Green Wedge, Green Wedge A and applications to respect the value of This is not an exhaustive list, but rather an Rural Conservation Zone require a waterways. Activity that could adversely overview of the current key areas requiring planning permit for any works that affect the water quality or quantity of action. disrupt the natural flow of water. This the municipality’s watercourses or includes the construction of farm dams, groundwater is unlikely to be supported. equine ménages and raised access Adopt a precautionary approach to

WATER 7.5 Planning Provisions The State Planning Policy Framework of roads. activities proposed within 50m of the the Victorian Planning Provisions supports • Rural Floodway Overlay applies to land bank of a watercourse. the protection of catchments through its to the west of Plenty Road near the • Promote and encourage opportunities to objective to assist the protection and, Whittlesea Township. restore, revegetate or utilise waterways where possible, restoration of catchments, • Land Subject to Inundation Overlay for passive recreation. Encourage waterways, water bodies, groundwater, is applied to several established interpretative signage at all waterways and the marine environment (Whittlesea residential areas, including the • Discourage unrestricted access to water Planning Scheme, Clause 14.02-1). Clause Whittlesea Township, where it resources via the sinking of bores, 14.02 focuses on floodplain management. recognises land affected by the 1 in 100 installation of farm dams or access by year flood. A planning permit is required stock to waterways. for all buildings and works inclusive of • Strengthen planning policies to protect fences, swimming pools and dwellings. the municipality’s waterways.

D r a f t W h i t t l e s e a G r e e n W e d g e M a n a g e m e n t P l a n 2 0 1 1 - 2 0 2 1 70 MAP 21 WHITTLESEA PLANNING SCHEME WATERWAYS AND CATCHMENTS 7.7 Incentives And Programs Melbourne Water’s ‘Stream Frontage Management Program’ is open to private landowners with waterway frontages over 50m in length, or to a group of adjoining property owners working in collaboration. Applications can be made at any time.

The purpose of the ‘Stream Frontage Management Program’ is to assist landowners to protect and improve stream ) R E P P frontages. Participating landholders are U Toorourrong ( R E Reservoir IV offered educational opportunities and R Y T N funding assistance. Typical projects include LE P fencing to exclude stock from waterways,

EK RE riparian weed control and revegetation. Y C BB RU SC Funding may be ongoing for several years if a project needs to be completed in stages. For further information contact Melbourne D A R Water’s partnership officer for the Upper E B I N Yarra or Merri Creek. C

R E E K Yan Yean Reservoir ( U ‘WaterWatch’ is another initiative of P P E R Melbourne Water that aims to involve local ) communities, including schools, in the monitoring and education of water quality WATER and impacts on water health.

Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment M E R Management Authority (PPWCMA) and R I C

R Melbourne Water run a community grants E E K program that supports the community and ( U P P local government to improve the health of E R ) land, biodiversity and water resources in the region. Contact PPWCMA on www. ppwcma.vic.gov.au or Melbourne Water URBAN GROWTH BOUNDARY River Health Partnership Officers at www. PUBLIC USE ZONE 1 (PUZ 1) RURAL FLOOD OVERLAY (RFO) melbournewater.com.au. LAND SUBJECT TO INUNDATION (LSIO) ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE OVERLAY 3 (ESO 3)

01.25 2.5 5 SOURCE: Department of Sustainability and Environment, 2009 N Kilometers

71 D r a f t W h i t t l e s e a G r e e n W e d g e M a n a g e m e n t P l a n 2 0 1 1 - 2 0 2 1 7.8 Actions Refer to Part 3: Action Plan for the full range of actions proposed to sustain the Whittlesea Green Wedge into the future.

In summary, key actions proposed include:

• Explore opportunities to further the promotion and uptake of Melbourne Water’s ‘Stream Frontage Management Program’ in order to assist rural residents better manage river and creek frontages • Investigate options for funding signage for all waterways, particularly at major road and pathway intersections • Continue to encourage good water sensitive urban design from new developments abutting waterways in order to protect aquatic values • Strengthen planning provisions targeted at the protection and improvement of waterway health as part of the Whittlesea Planning Scheme review process. • Investigate opportunities to contribute to research on surface and sub-surface water use, especially relating to farm dams and bores. WATER

Toorourrong Reservoir prior to the February 2009 bushfires

D r a f t W h i t t l e s e a G r e e n W e d g e M a n a g e m e n t P l a n 2 0 1 1 - 2 0 2 1 72