Gum Scrub Creek wins again

The redevelopment of Gum Scrub Creek – which incorporates a demonstration of CRCWSC research – has won the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects National Award of Excellence 2016 in the Land Conservation Category.

The award was accepted by Ms Jessamy Smooker of Places Victoria on behalf of the stakeholders who helped make the project a success.

“This is an asset with so many firsts and initiatives which we hope will lead the way to becoming the industry norm in regenerating creek corridors, and creating areas where the public and our native flora and fauna can flourish together,” said Ms Smooker.

Gum Scrub Creek was designed by Outlines Landscape Architecture as part of a Places Victoria urban development project in southeast Melbourne. Its landscape design incorporates a number of biosponges – developed by the CRCWSC – to protect the waterway while urban development occurs within the catchment.

Biosponges are an adaptation of the natural swamps which characterised this area prior to its clearing for agriculture. Together with stormwater harvesting, biosponges help to protect the natural flow regime of streams, and significantly reduce the volume of stormwater and associated pollutants from urban areas that reach the stream.