From December 2022, you will notice floating wetlands at the following three locations:
- Turning Basin (near Enterprize Park)
- Victoria Harbour Promenade, Docklands (in front of Library at The Dock)
- Yarra's Edge, Docklands (next to Webb Bridge)
The lower stretch of the Yarra River Birrarung was once a rich ecosystem of riparian vegetation and seasonal wetlands. This former landscape has been described as a "temperate Kakadu" and the species diversity it supported made it an important place for the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and the people of the broader Eastern Kulin nation.
Very little of this landscape remains with the extensive engineering and development of the city river and its port.
This project provides a key opportunity to reintroduce planting to the city river, and to gain further knowledge of the plant and animal life these wetlands could support. It will inform future opportunities to improve the health of the river system and the experience of our city landscapes.
The floating wetlands are made from a series of interlocking modules planted with native species, which are placed on the water and anchored to the river beds. They include a number of elements such as perching posts, drying banisters, basking areas, sunken planting and small ramps to provide access and enable use by birds and other river wildlife.
The trial will include an establishment period (with netting to protect the plants from being eaten or damaged by birds while they grow) and monitoring period, followed by evaluation.
This marks an important milestone for The Greenline ProjectOpens in new tab, and will help determine if and how these landscapes might be integrated in the city's urban river areas.
The community can record observations of wildlife using the wetlands online via iNaturalistOpens in new tab. This will contribute to the monitoring data for the project and help build our knowledge of the ecology of the river.
For any queries, please contact greenline.project@melbourne.vic.gov.au
