River and Creek Corridors Get a New Life

The evolving role of creeks, rivers and drainage reservations

Most towns and cities in Australia have waterways flowing through them. In the early development of our cities, they were often the backyards of factories where waste water and materials were discarded. Creeks and their immediate flood zones were often narrowed by landfill and waste to the point where they were then piped or formed as concrete channels to drain more efficiently in flood events. Rivers and drainage reservations also became easy targets for high voltage powerlines and major new roads and freeways. These reservations were generally fenced off to exclude public access because of perceived danger. Creek lines were also often chosen for local government municipal boundaries. This had the effect of ensuring that the land they occupied was the responsibility of multiple local and state government authorities with differing responsibilities and objectives. It also meant that drainage ways became neglected and their value as natural systems declined.

In the 1970s it became apparent that creek corridors had potential as linear open spaces because, being flood prone, they were unsuitable for building developments and were already being used as sports fields. The final factor in the rediscovery of drainage reservations was the gradual withdrawal of industrial uses when inner and mid-ring urban property values increased. These uses either declined or relocated to new purpose-made industrial areas with better transport connections. A wave of rezoning began to occur in the larger cities that is enabling medium and higher density residential development, which for the first time began to value drainage lines for their visual and recreational potential.

This article focusses on just one such creek line in Melbourne which was a leader, but is now very typical of change happening in all the larger Australian cities.

Merri Creek

The Merri Creek flows about 60 kms through Melbourne’s northern suburbs to join the Yarra River before it reaches Port Phillip Bay. It has five further tributaries. Merri Creek and its immediate surrounds comprise several ecosystems that include threatened flora and fauna. A range of local community groups interested in conservation and open space along the creek were formed in the 1970s.

They started to clean up their section of the creek and plant new native plants, but had an unacceptably high failure of restoration work because of lack of knowledge and inappropriate council maintenance practices. It was soon realised that there was a need to get all parties to share knowledge and work together and in 1976 the Merri Creek Community Co-ordinating Committee (MCCC) was formed, which  eventually expanded to include eight municipal councils and more than 20 local community groups. This organisation has continued to develop and become more sophisticated in its planning, community education and work. More detailed information can be found on the organisation’s website (https://mcmc.org.au/).
 

THE IMPROVEMENTS ACHIEVED ALONG MERRI CREEK

Walking and Cycling Paths and Connected Bridges

This work is being done in response to community pressure, incrementally funded by councils and other grants. The current standard is a 3-metre wide ‘shared path’, which is a two-way concrete path designed for bikes and walkers with bridges to span the creek where necessary. Underpasses or overpasses have been developed at major roads to enable cyclists and walkers to avoid conflict and noise on busy roads. These paths are increasingly well used by recreational cyclists and walkers of all ages. The next phase of their development is likely to be the provision of separated walking paths to reduce conflicts and improve capacity and safety.

The paths were especially busy during Covid lockdowns. It is now possible to ride off-road on connected trails within Melbourne for hundreds of kilometres. Many are also convenient for trips to work or to other sporting or community destinations.

Landscape Restoration

Merri Creek was typical of many minor waterways being filled with weeds and rubbish and lined by industry and back fences. The land and waterways have been systematically cleaned and replanted with indigenous species as access paths were developed.

This has been a gradual process using volunteer and trained staff. Follow-up maintenance has been critical to ensure indigenous plant communities establish and stabilise themselves. Wetlands have been reformed to accommodate a wide range of plants and fauna habitats.

Planning, Co-ordination and Education

The renewal of Merri Creek has been a 40-year project involving many hundreds of community volunteers, employees, contractors and staff of councils and government departments. While it has involved funding by government and private donations of money and time, it has not been a significant design or construction project in terms of funding. It is still very much a work in progress with many more projects at the planning stages.

Over the course of the project, considerable scientific work has been done to better understand the natural systems that had been close to destruction and are being renewed. In addition, aboriginal history along the creek is being documented and, where possible, protected and interpreted. Native birds, fish and animals are gradually returning as vegetation is restored.

Consideration of the creek corridor has included ways to better integrate adjoining parks, schools and sporting facilities as well as to accommodate changes from industrial uses that turned their back on the creek. Now new residential and public uses present a more active and attractive edge to the creek corridor.

Consideration of the creek corridor has included ways to better integrate adjoining parks, schools and sporting facilities

The project has been of great educational benefit for the community as they have seen the natural systems return to life and learned how to propagate, plant and maintain sections of the creek. Young children experience nature along the creek from their earliest days in a pram or on a bike and they learn about nature first hand in all seasons. They also continue to learn safely and independently through school years and into their old age by doing courses or volunteering.

Covid lockdowns in 2020 saw the considerable health and recreational benefits that natural, open spaces like these can offer local communities with intensive use by walkers and cyclists.

Biodiversity and Carbon Benefits

The restoration of native habitat through planting of trees, shrubs, understory grasses and ground cover plants in a cohesive network across the city will be of increasing benefit in a climate emergency. It will help reduce the impact of climate events like flooding through absorption of water and reduced flooding and erosion during storm events. It will also reduce urban heat locally during increasingly frequent heatwaves. The medical profession suggests that this type of open space will have increasing value in maintaining mental and physical health for all ages.

Melbourne has many other linear open spaces along the rivers, drainage lines, rail lines and the bay foreshore that are gradually being developed as green networks accessible to walkers and cyclists. Green networks through many Australian towns and cities are becoming increasingly important as cities become more intensively developed.

Hard pavements for roads and parking increase urban heat and rapid drainage of polluted water. Renewal of cities at higher density reduces private gardens and further increases drainage and urban heat. These factors are being tracked by Greener Spaces Better Places, which have mapped Australia’s green canopy cover, by local government area, to track the change since 2014. They highlight issues of sustainable cities including changes in hard surfaces and urban greening. Despite almost a decade of research and advocacy, and planting of millions of trees, many urban areas have declining canopy and biodiversity within both public and private land.

We still have much to do in the coming decade to change this trend and maintain the liveability of our towns and cities beyond 2030. The continued enhancement of Merri Creek and many other similar drainage corridors will be an important contribution.

All photos: Author