2024 World Green Infrastructure Congress
Green Neighbourhood Scale and On-grade Projects Award
International Winner
Creek revitalisation boosts biodiversity and liveability at Tarralla Creek
Croydon, Victoria, Australia
Reimagining Tarralla Creek, by resurfacing a channelise stormwater system into a meandering natural water course, has reinstated its environmental value, increased biodiversity and re-engaged the community with their local natural asset.
At a glance
Reimagining Tarralla Creek, by resurfacing a channelise stormwater system into a meandering natural water course, has reinstated its environmental value, increased biodiversity and re-engaged the community with their local natural asset.
The challenge
Tarralla Creek waterway naturalisation project converted an underground piped and channelised stormwater system into a sustainable and natural series of cascades, pools and riffles with an updated treatment wetland and sediment basin. As part of Melbourne Water’s Reimaging Your Creek program, we worked closely with our client, the City of Maroondah, local stakeholders and community - to explore how the existing area could be augmented to create social and environmental dividends.
Our response
Our integrated team across landscape architecture, urban design, water management and engineering collaborated with Melbourne Water Corporation to develop a unique solution which has created improved water quality, increased biodiversity and re-engaged the community with high-quality, open spaces. The approach represents a strategic shift in thinking about waterway management purely from a flood conveyance lens to a community-led vision for connecting people with place, water and the area’s history.
Tarralla Creek today is a meandering natural water course, running through a 12,500m2 wetland system which filters and cleans the water. The wetland planting schedule consisting of 27,000 aquatic plants, 194 new trees and over 60,000 terrestrial plants and shrubs, now attracts a large local bird population and provides a lush habitat for fauna.
A hierarchy of walking paths link the spaces and enhance the universal access routes through the parklands. Connection of the wetland circuit into a larger local walking and cycling network via a series of bridges affords commuters and day-to-day recreational users with the respite and wellbeing benefits of interacting with nature.
An open structure corten steel bird hide is designed to encourage activation and allow the quiet viewing of birdlife in a safe environment. It features interpretive references to the woven timbers of traditional eel and fish traps developed in consultation with the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Land Corporation and members of the Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place.
The impact
The design response caters for a diversity of passive recreation, education, scientific and cultural uses with stepping stones, natural bridges and edging providing many ways for end-users to interact with the water.
Co-design with community was integral to our design response which set out to not only improve the health of the waterway and surrounding natural environment but is aligned with the community’s core values and desires – the key ingredients to a successful open space.
Our awards
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2023 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects
Infrastructure Award
National Chapter Winner
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2023 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects
Infrastructure Award
Victoria Chapter Winner
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