Wetland, between Matina Street and Monaro Highway, Narrabundah
The new wetland off Matina Street in Narrabundah will transform that section of Jerrabomberra Creek into a haven for wildlife and a great asset for local residents.
It will also play an important role in removing pollutants from the water before the creek flows into the Jerrabomberra Wetlands downstream.
The new 420m long wetland, constructed within Jerrabomberra Creek, will include a chain of open water ponds (typical depth 1.2m), a sediment basin, a high-flow diversion structure and bypass channel to protect the site from flooding. Construction will be completed by the end of June 2019.
Originally designed as a large, permanently inundated wetland to the east of the creek, there were concerns about its appeal to large water birds and the associated risk of bird strike at nearby Canberra Airport. The final design minimised that risk, allowing uninterrupted fish passage through the reach and enhancing habitat diversity.
All base and minor event flows in the creek will pass through the wetland, ensuring a reliable water supply and a healthy riparian habitat.
The wetland will remove approximately 300,000kg of nitrogen, phosphorous and suspended solids every year from stormwater that flows into Jerrabomberra Creek.
There are two more ACT Healthy Waterways projects in the area – at Eyre Street in Kingston and off Dairy Road in Fyshwick.
Design changes
The original plan presented to the community involved the creation of a large off-line wetland where the grassed meadow is. Most changes were prompted by concerns about the risk of bird strike at Canberra Airport. They include:
- The reconfiguration of the wetland to a linear form within the current course of Jerrabomberra Creek
- The total treatment area has been reduced from approximately 17,000 square metres to 12,000 square metres
- The size of the individual open areas (ponds) has been reduced to discourage large water birds
- The combined vegetated area has increased from approximately 28,000 square metres to 30,000 square metres.
More information
Find out what you can do on your own block to improve water quality in our lakes and waterways.
