Dandenong Valley Wetland
The construction of a massive 48 hectare wetland within the Dandenong Valley Parklands in Scoresby has been completed. The wetland was officially opened in July 2010.
The $15 million wetland is designed to soak up pollutants in stormwater run-off from Dandenong Creek that would ultimately end up in Port Phillip Bay.
Stormwater run-off from suburban streets and gutters is the main polluter of Melbourne’s waterways. The pollutants range from rubbish to animal droppings, motor oil and nitrogen that can cause algal blooms.
The Dandenong Valley Wetland will protect Dandenong Creek and Port Phillip Bay by trapping:
- about 5,000 tonnes of suspended solids
- 9 tonnes of phosphorus
- 28 tonnes of nitrogen per year
It is one of 50 wetlands Melbourne Water has built over the past decade as part of a $60 million program to improve the health of rivers, creeks and the bay by reducing pollution including nitrogen. These wetlands have enabled us to achieve our goal of slashing the amount of nitrogen polluting the bay by 100 tonnes a year.
1.6 million plants are being planted at the Dandenong Valley Wetland and they will play a significant role in soaking up stormwater pollutants; but will also create a new habitat for birds, fish and other animals.
The Dandenong Valley Wetland was constructed by the Waterways Alliance – a partnership between Ecodynamics, Fulton Hogan, SMEC and Melbourne Water.
Contact us
For more information about the project call the Waterways Alliance on 131 722 or contact us online.