Improving environmental conditions and connections along the Maribyrnong Valley
The Maribyrnong Valley Connection Project builds on five years of collaboration between the project partners to address pathways of spread of environmental weeds into important temperate grassland and woodland and riparian areas along the Maribyrnong Valley. The project also seeks to improve ecological connectivity across the catchment.
Activities will include weed control, revegetation and other habitat enhancement works. The project would link to the Jacksons Creek project outlined in the prospectus, but have a broader catchment focus and seek to build on the biolink along Jacksons and Deep creeks. Funding would be invested into important reserves under public management, including Brimbank Park, Sydenham Park, Organ Pipes National Park, Holden Flora Reserve and Woodlands Historic Park.
The project also links to the Swift Parrot habitat protection project in the prospectus as Swift Parrot habitat occurs within the catchment area.
Themes and Local Areas
| Primary Theme: | Native Vegetation |
| Other Themes: | Waterways, Native Animals, Climate Change |
| Primary Local Area: | Macedon Ranges, Hume, Mitchell & Whittlesea |
| Other Local Areas: | Urban Melbourne |
| Project location: | Maribyrnong catchment |
| Scale of the project: | Landscape |
| New or continuing work: | Continuing/building on previous work |
Project partners
| Lead organisation: | Hume City Council |
| Key partners: | Melbourne Water, Brimbank City Council, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, Parks Victoria, Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Moonee Valley City Council |
| Registered Aboriginal Party/s relevant to the project or its area: | Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation |
Investment opportunities
| Opportunities for investors within this project start from: | $$ (Tens of thousands of dollars) |
| Estimated scale of investment for full project implementation: | $$$$ (Millions of dollars) |
| Estimated timeframe for full project implementation: | 2-10 years |
Contribution toward targets
| Primary Regional Catchment Strategy targets and contribution to their achievement: | Protecting threatened species and communities – the project will contribute toward the target for retention of threatened species by enhancing habitat and vegetation connectivity. Revegetation – the project will increase the extent of native vegetation across the Maribyrnong Catchment. This includes the target for increasing vegetation extent along waterways. Pest management – the project will target high threat weeds that invade patches of critically endangered vegetation, and address the significant rabbit issue that is prevalent across the catchment. Engage Traditional Owners – the project will support the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung aspiration to work on country in the west of Melbourne and manage sites with cultural heritage significance. |
| Relevant Biodiversity 2037 goal: | Undertake weed or pest herbivore control to maintain and enhance vegetation quality in priority areas |
| Relevant National Landcare Program priority: | Ecological communities – Grassy Eucalypt Woodland and/or Natural Temperate Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain – Condition improved |
