Construction of an innovative treatment wetland will soon start in the Lara Lakelands Reserve, under a City of Greater Geelong plan to improve biodiversity and stormwater management.
The $2.25 million project will improve water quality going into the Hovells Creek system and extend the size of the existing wetland by about 6500 square metres.
Greater Geelong deputy mayor Trent Sullivan said the project was listed in the City’s Priority Stormwater Projects Masterplan.
“The Lakelands are an important environmental and recreation space in Lara, with the reserve’s trails popular for exercise, scenic walks and wildlife watching,” he said.
“We want to protect the Lakelands’ natural features and limit pollutants so that the significance of the area can be enjoyed for generations to come.”
The project will see a new wetland built on the western bank of the existing southern lake within the reserve.
Urban stormwater will be directed through the new wetland, where excess flows, sedimentation and pollutants are reduced, before entering the existing wetland and travelling further downstream.
The construction site will be set up this month, before civil earthworks begin in March.
Works are expected to be completed in July, with the wetland to be operational from early 2023.
Windermere Ward councillor Kylie Grzybek said the importance of the wetland for animal species was a major factor in developing the proposed extension.
“The enhanced stormwater treatment will improve water quality and habitats for a range of birdlife, delivering a healthier wetland and waterway ecosystem,” Cr Grzybek said.
“The construction has been timed to ensure the least impact on the fauna that calls the reserve home.”
New plantings are scheduled to be planted on site from September 2022 to ensure the best growing conditions.
A temporary shared path will be created during construction to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists that access the area.
This path will be located along the southern and western edges of the reserve.
