Gavin Park Wetlands
A new wetland is coming to Westbreen Creek! Moreland City Council has commenced the construction of a new wetland at Gavin Park in Pascoe Vale. The wetland will remove sediment, nutrients and other pollutants from stormwater runoff to improve the water quality in Moonee Ponds Creek.
Westbreen Creek is a key tributary of the Moonee Ponds Creek in Pascoe Vale, linking significant habitat at the Northern Golf Course to the main stem of the Moonee Ponds Creek. The potential for improvement works along the important habitat corridor were identified in the Chain of Ponds Prospectus in 2018 in line with the Westbreen Creek Conservation and Development Plan (endorsed by Moreland Council).
The project includes catchment of local stormwater through a wetland to create more habitat and improve water quality along the barrelled section in Gavin Park. The project includes earthworks and landscaping to create three wetland pools which will filter nutrients and pollutants before re-entering the underground waterway. The new wetland will be replanted with local indigenous species, improving habitat and biodiversity values in the area. Some exotic weedy trees will be removed and replaced with local species. New paths and a low-level timber boardwalk will meander around the completed wetlands.
Funding for the wetland has been made available from the Moreland Council Capital Works and Melbourne Water Living Rivers Programs.
Contact: Lori Arthur, Moreland City Council
Gallery
The Westbreen wetlands are tremendous, in only their first summer the vegetation and insect life has improved dramatically. Pobblebonk calls can now be heard regularly from the top pond and the water is clear.
However, the middle pond is now infested with goldfish, which are a type of carp. As a result of their feeding and muddying behaviour, the water in the middle pond is murky. This goldfish population is also reducing the ability of native species to proliferate, such as frogs and insects.
Worryingly, the overflow of the wetland system flows into the Moonee Ponds Creek at the outfall located near Gaffney Street. This may present a means for continued introduction of goldfish into the Moonee Ponds Creek system. This may impact the water quality and native species diversity, especially given the ‘Reimaging your Moonee Ponds’ program plans to naturalise a section of the creek not far upstream of the outfall.
Can population control measures be considered for the goldfish in the Westbreen wetlands middle pond? Hopefully a local heron/egret will find them soon, but other measures to reduce the population could include a netting exercise, with the subsequent introduction of native fish to compete with the goldfish.
Thank you for your time,
Ivo
Hi Ivo, thanks for your message! That’s very concerning. I’ll get in touch with Merri-bek Council to see where they’re at with any controls / management. We definitely don’t want a breeding ground for goldfish. Thanks for getting in touch.
Pondly, Rachel