Nangak Tamboree

As part of La Trobe’s long-term commitment to enhance and protect Nangak Tamboree, the full riparian corridor along the waterway will be revegetated over the next 5-10 years.

Phase one of the project, which commenced in February 2021, covers the Darebin Creek frontage and involves regenerating indigenous plant species and managing weed infestation through Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung fire practice and manual weed removal, and revegetating 92,000 m2 with indigenous plant species.

The project will be implemented through a collaboration between Melbourne Water, the Darebin Creek Management Committee, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (WWCHAC) and La Trobe University.

Phase one of the project will be completed in December 2023.

This project would like to acknowledge the support of the Ross Trust.

Cultural burning: May - June 2021

As part of the project, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Narrap Rangers will utilise cultural burning practices to manage weeds and regenerate native plant species.

These will be controlled ‘cool’ burns conducted along the Darebin Creek frontage from May – June 2021, carried out on days of low fire risk. The burns may take place over a number of days and up to a few hours at a time. People in the vicinity many see small amounts of localised smoke.

Cultural burning follows the cultural protocols of healing and caring for Country. It focuses on managing and limiting the impact of weeds; regenerating native vegetation; and enhancing biodiversity and improving the health of Country.

The Narrap Unit will also monitor and record vegetation response and the impact of fire – an essential part of cultural burning.

Stage 1 of the project involved the installation of 12 raingardens (biofilter beds) across three car parks at the Melbourne Campus to naturally treat and clean storm water it before it reaches the moat.

Together with the Fozzies Wetland project, these works will remove pollutants from entering La Trobe’s moat system and flowing into Darebin Creek, including:

• 110 kg of Nitrogen;
• 19 kg of Phosphorus;
• 13,000 kg of suspended solids; and
• 3.6 megalitres of stormwater discharge

The project commenced in August 2020 and was completed in February 2021.

This project has been assisted by the Victorian Government through Melbourne Water Corporation as part of the Living Rivers Stormwater Program.

The Cycling and Primary Pedestrian Network project involves the construction of a shared cycling pathway that connects to the Darebin Creek Bicycle trail to the south and will be integrated in to the La Trobe Sports Park, pass through the heart of the campus, provide access to the Wildlife Sanctuary and connect at the north of the campus near Plenty Road.

The network will connect cyclists and pedestrians with surrounding amenities, through Nangak Tamboree to the wider community and to other links such as the local cycling path network via the Northern Regional Trails Strategy.

As part of this project, students studying Archaeology at La Trobe University were involved in site excavations which uncovered more than 40 indigenous stone artefacts near Darebin Creek.

This project is currently in design.

This project involves construction of waterway channel, low level bund and water overflow to divert and direct Strathallan Creek.

In collaboration with Melbourne Water, Darebin City Council, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Parks Victoria and Strathallan Golf Club this project aims to improve the environment of the Habitat Link wetlands and reduce the severity of flooding for the Melbourne Campus, holding and diverting flood waters into the Gresswell lakes during incidents of extreme rainfall.

This project is currently in design and has been assisted by the Victorian Government through Melbourne Water Corporation as part of the Integrated Incentives Scheme Program.

The Fozzies Wetland project involved a number of works that will improve the wetland habitat – located at the entrance to the Wildlife Sanctuary – to support environmental improvement.

Works include the removal of weeds and sediment; improving the wetland bund and embankment; improving stormwater capture and reuse; and, providing safer pedestrian access to the Wildlife Sanctuary.

The project will also enhance the waterway for a population of endangered native freshwater Galaxias fish living in the wetland.

The project commenced in August 2020 and was completed in February 2021.

This project has been assisted by the Victorian Government through Melbourne Water Corporation as part of the Living Rivers Stormwater Program.