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Ecological restoration of 40 hectares of the former Carrum Carrum Swamp in South East Melbourne.
The aims of this project included water treatment, enhancement of biodiversity through creation of habitat and to provide an outstanding landscape in which to place an urban community.
Australian Ecosystems was involved in this large scale ecological restoration project from the planning (documentation) phase through to seed collection, growing of plants, implementation of vegetation establishment, management plan documentation, ecological monitoring and site management. This is a large, complex project involving the revegetation of 40 hectares with indigenous vegetation, involving the planting of over 1.4 million indigenous plants of 200 species in a diverse range of plant communities including native grassland, swamp scrub, Red Gum Woodland, saltmarsh, grassy wetlands and shallow and deep freshwater marshes.
Australian Ecosystems developed a revegetation plan for this project based on historic information, soil types and hydrological regimes by examining remnants of the Carrum Carrum Swamp, a formerly extensive wetland that occupied the revegetated area before it was drained in the 1870's. We are now actively involved in the development of a comprehensive management plan for this site and are conducting weed control and ecological burning and providing educative programs to involve the local community.
This project presents a case study for the establishment of indigenous vegetation within a large constructed wetland. The processes used to achieve this were developed through 10 years of practical experience in growing and successfully establishing wetland vegetation.
This is one of the largest constructed wetland projects in Australia. It diverts water from the Mordialloc Creek and greatly improves the water quality of the water entering Port Phillip Bay. This project has created a major habitat for aquatic flora and fauna in the area of the former Carrum Carrum Swamp and provides habitat links to nearby Braeside Park and the Edithvale wetlands.
What our client said about us...
"Australian Ecosystems brought to the Waterways an incredible depth of understanding and knowledge about wetland creation. From the outset the task to propagate, grow and plant over 1 million plants was always going to be a huge challenge. They were in fact, I believe, the only team in the State that could execute a project of this scale."
Stephen Hains, Managing Director, Waterways
Winner UDIA Environmental Excellence 2001, Water Sensitive Urban Design 2002, National Environmental Award 2002.
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