Growling Grass Frog wetlands habitat at Moomba Park under construction by Merri-bek Council
February 13, 2023 at 2:41 pm John Englart Leave a comment
The excavators have been busy during January and February 2023 at Moomba Park in Fawkner. They are creating a series of six connected ponds. Street stormwater will be piped by gravity from Somerlyton Cresent to feed water into the ponds, which will flow through the system before going under the Merri Creek Trail to enter Merri Creek.
The 6 ponds will provide breeding habitat for the endangered Growling Grass Frog. It will also naturally filter the stormwater before it enters Merri Creek. Construction of the wetlands is due for completion in May 2023.
The Merri Creek (and other creek systems) are an important hotspot for biodiversity, and they also contribute through the running water and vegetation in moderating urban heat in the municipality.
Moomba Park in Fawkner is the southern-most know current extent of the Growling Grass Frog. Hence the importance of this wetlands construction project to provide a breeding habitat.
You can read more about the background to the Growling Grass Frog by Friends of Merri Creek in a January 2023 blog post on: Securing the southern populations of the Growling Grass Frog in the Merri Catchment.
Construction of the wetlands is part of the commitment by Merri-bek City Council to becoming a Water Sensitive City. This project is in accord with the Integrated Water Management Strategy 2040 (Endorsed 2020) that outlines outcomes for achieving healthy waterways and resilient and liveable landscapes. This wetlands habitat construction is also supported by the Merri-bek Nature Plan adopted by Council in August 2020.
References:
- Yasmin Kelsall, Friends of Merri Creek, 20th January 2023, Securing the southern populations of the Growling Grass Frog in the Merri Catchment https://www.friendsofmerricreek.org.au/index.cfm?module=news&pagemode=indiv&page_id=1818602
- Conversation Moreland, Moomba Park Wetland Public Project Engagement. https://conversations.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/moomba-park-wetland
Entry filed under: Merri-bek Council, news. Tags: biodiversity, Fawkner, Growling Grass Frog, Moomba Park, Wetlands.
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