Banksia St Wetland
Community involvement
Awards
Art projects
Fauna
Contact us
Construction of the Banksia St wetland finished in February 2010. It's located next to the tennis courts on Banksia St, O'Connor. It is an example of an off-line wetland where stormwater is diverted from the concrete channel into the water body. Once the water has made its way through the wetland it overflows through an outlet structure into a underground pipe which discharges back into the concrete channel. From there the water makes it way down the channel, reaching the David St wetland, constructed in 2001, and eventually reaches Lake Burley Griffin.
The wetland has been designed to:
- improve water quality (trapping nitrogen and phosphorous) and sediments
- increase urban biodiversity by planting a diverse array of locally occuring aquatic and terrestrial plants
- provide recreational, educational and volunteering opportunities for the community.
Plants have thrived at Banksia St
The wetland includes two sections - a pond that is approximately 1400mm deep in the centre at its normal operating level and an ephemeral zone that ranges from 0mm to 300mm deep. Banksia St is Canberra's first retrofitted urban wetland to incorporate an ephemeral section which dries out in summer.
Ephemeral wetlands occur throughout Southern Australia and will become more common with a drying climate. These shallow areas become inundated after rainfall and dry out during summer. Spiky sedges, native grasses and broad leaf plants grow in ephemeral zones and are adapted to both wet and drying conditions.
Banksia St Brochure (PDF
901kB). NB: this brochure is A3 size.
Community Involvement
Since construction, the landscape has been planted by members of the volunteer group, the Banksia Street Wetland Carers. The group is supported by the Urban Waterways Program. Thousands of native grasses, macrophytes (reeds), forbs (non-woody flowering plants), climbers, shrubs and trees have been planted. These plants have thrived with good soil preparation and a wet summer.
Community planting day, March 2011
Volunteers also assist with weeding and sampling water quality.
Local schools and girl guides have visited the wetland and helped plant native grasses and wetland plants.
Girl Guides visited the wetland in March 2011. Stephen Skinner, Molonglo Catchment Group explains to them about monitoring water quality
Awards
The Directorate has received two awards for their work with the community in creating the landscape surrounding the Banksia St wetland
- 'Local Government Landcare Parnership' Award from Landcare Australia, 2011
- Keep Australia Beautiful Award, 2010
Art Projects
The Directorate has worked closely with local artists to produce artworks that reflect the wetland's character. Fired clay tiles made by students have been installed into the concrete pathway by Lead who work with people in the community with disabilities.
A four metre red gum sculpture, by Paul Jamieson, an inner-north artist was installed in August 2011. The design was selected by a committee made up of local residents and Urban Waterways representatives.
Detail of tiles installed in the paving at Banksia St. The tiles of leaves and birds were inspired by Girl Guides design.
Fauna
Maned wood ducks quickly arrived after the wetland filled. Other water birds spotted on the water include ibis and cormorants. The ducks were followed in Spring 2010 by common eastern froglets. The water is teeming with macro-invertebrates (water bugs visible with the naked eye) and swarthes of dragonflies.
Unfortunately, the feral fish, Gambusia has made its way into the wetland. These small fish were introduced from America to control mosquitoes but they prey on native fish, tadpoles and macroinvertebrates. In August 2011, ecologists from the Directorate used nets to capture these fish. One sweep of the net caught two handfuls of them - around 447 individuals! The Directorate will work closely with members of the community to control these critters.
Using nets to capture Gambusia.
There is at least one Eastern Long-necked Tortoise at the wetland. It can often be seen basking in the sun on the perch in the middle of the water - but you need to be quiet to see it.
Wood ducks use the perch as a safe resting place
Sulphur crested cockatoos have created havoc with plantings. In Winter 2010 they ripped out newly planted Dianella and Lomandra. To protect plants, the community installed guards around plants. This worked as an effective deterrent.
Thriving water plants Potomogeton and Marsilea disappeared during Summer. Wood ducks are the chief suspect.
A well camouflaged Eastern Long-necked Tortoise in the ephemeral zone, June 2011.
Contact us
Edwina Robinson, Urban Waterways Coordinator
Phone: 02 6207 5520
Email: edwina.robinson@act.gov.au
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