Wetland park for Gungahlin Town Centre

Written by Alan Kerlin Wednesday, 13 January 2010 06:08

In May 2007, GCC President Alan Kerlin stood on the hill behind the Birralee Scout Hall in Gungahlin. He conceived a plan to create a park with a string of artificial wetlands between the hill and the hall, and bush, paths and lookouts on the hill.

His idea was for a very different town park from those in the other town centres around Canberra, and also a source of water for irrigation of the proposed oval rather than using treated town water.

Inspired by the Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre in Burrumbuttock near Albury near where Alan used to work as a Landcare manager, he envisaged the park also serving as an environmental ‘learnscape’ for the students of the adjacent Burgmann Anglican School, the soon-to-be-built Gungahlin College, and the scouts. An upgraded scout hall could accommodate an expanded role that dovetails into the park.

GCC has been promoting this idea to the ACT Government ever since. As the Government’s Urban Waterways Coordinator Edwina Richardson writes, the idea is now nearing realisation:

The Valley Ponds, Gungahlin is the latest in the ACT government initiatives to improve urban catchments and harvest stormwater. Located on vacant land around the scout hall on the corner of the Valley Avenue and Gungahlin Drive. The area will be redeveloped to include three ponds, boardwalks, an outdoor education classroom, artwork, informal paths, seating areas and shade.

The ponds will perform a number of roles including flood detention and nutrient stripping. Harvested water will be used to top up the proposed pond within the Gungahlin College grounds and provide irrigation water for the College precinct. The ponds and their landscape will improve the urban biodiversity of Gungahlin and create a range of recreational, educational and volunteering opportunities.

Studies have been conducted to assess onsite vegetation and ecology. The existing on-site pond will be incorporated into the pond network. Care will be taken during construction to disturb this ecosystem as little as possible. An archaeological assessment has also been undertaken and reviewed by Registered Aboriginal Organisations.

A study of the groundwater and surface water interaction indicates that the groundwater is very close to the surface on the site and will flow into the pond under the surface. The ponds will be designed to continue this interaction and movement of water through the landscape.

The incorporation of a ‘flume’ is proposed as part of the Valley Ponds wetland design, as the means of diverting major storm discharges around the wetland (operating as an ‘off-line’ wetland). The flume is formed by constructing a low (1.5 metres high) training wall along the bank (adjacent to the Valley Avenue). The use of flumes (or flow training walls) is commonly used to direct high sediment laden flows in high velocity peak flows during a storm away from water supply pump abstraction wells. The training wall does not have to be watertight—it is simply a flow diversion baffle. The flume will maintain the water quality in the ponds to a standard suitable for abstracting water for irrigation.

The Valley Ponds are currently being designed by Cardno Young Engineers and landscaping design is by Envirolinks Design. The Department of the Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water is keen to engage the local community’s participation in the design of the ponds, interpretive signage, outdoor classroom, pedestrian trails and other landscaping and artistic initiatives being planned for the site once the ponds are developed.

If you would like to get involved in the planning of the ponds or receive more information on the proposed development, please contact:

Edwina Richardson

Urban Waterways Coordinator

Department of the Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water

Phone: 6207 5520

Email: edwina.richardson@act.gov.au

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