North Heatherton Wetland Renewal

Project summary

Simon Birch, Senior Project Manager, led this $12m project enhancing the wetland’s amenity, habitat, and ecological function to create a healthier, more vibrant environment for the local community.

…what we did on this project

The North Heatherton Wetland Renewal project was undertaken to revitalise the wetland, with the overarching goals of restoring stormwater treatment capacity to achieve approximately 2.5 tonnes of nitrogen removal per annum and improve accessibility and safety to support ongoing maintenance of wetland assets.

Touch Projects provided project management services to Melbourne Water (MW), working closely with the service provider.

Some key works undertaken as part of the project include:

• Reshaping and shallowing the wetland basin to encourage the growth of ephemeral plant species, thereby improving biodiversity and water quality.
• Topsoiling the wetland cell and completing erosion control matting installations.
• Renewing control pits to enhance infrastructure performance.
• Undertaking revegetation to support habitat and ecological restoration.

A major focus of the project was sustainability and the achievement of positive environmental outcomes. By reusing wetland sediment and limiting the removal of green waste, much of the existing habitat was retained, supporting local fauna and ecological resilience.

The project was completed on schedule, under budget, and to a high-quality standard. It also delivered improvements in safety and environmental performance, setting a strong precedent for future wetland renewal initiatives