Yarra River Biodiversity

Linkage Project Stage Two

In order to achieve the City of Stonnington’s commitment to enhancing and improving biodiversity and habitat values, Council developed and approved the Yarra River Biodiversity Linkages Project, Master Plan in April 2010. The Master Plan is broken into seven project stages along the stretch of the Yarra River that falls within the City of Stonnington, from Grange Road to Punt Road.

Following an extensive Tender & Value Management process, Evergreen Civil Pty Ltd were awarded the contract to undertake the construction of Stage Two of the Master Plan along the banks of the Yarra River, opposite Herring Island, adjacent to Kanteen Cafe and will incorporate;

• Habitat improvements – revegetation of the river banks with indigenous grasses, shrubs and trees from the Ecological Vegetation Class Riparian Woodland. This has been designed to increase the habitat and encourage native birds and local wildlife to the area.
• Pedestrian and cycle path upgrades – relocation of the bike path to enable a cycle designated and separated path, surface upgrade and path widening to 3m. The relocation of the bike path will allow for a separate section of walkway dedicated to pedestrians along the river’s edge.
• Bioretention treatment system – a bioretention water treatment system is proposed to capture stormwater run-off from the surrounding hard surfaces and remove litter, sediments and other pollutants. The bioretention system will be a series of ponds with aquatic vegetation that will treat and improve the water quality of the stormwater prior to it entering the Yarra River.
• Traffic Management – traffic management improvements will be included to improve pedestrian safety and utilise the space for a dedicated cycle path. To ensure the same number of car parking spaces are retained, angle parking will be implemented along the east of the roadway. Three new pedestrian crossings and traffic calming devices will increase usability and safety for all road users.