Residents across six municipalities will be the winners when the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority’s (PPWCMA) Living Links project starts local environmental works in February.
Living Links has been operating for just over a year and covers 855 square kilometers across eight separate councils. Living Links Coordinator Wade Bland says the project is ready to fly and it has an exciting year ahead.
Living Links’ goal is to have government agencies, community groups, local business and industry working together to link open spaces, conservation reserves, recreation areas and fragmented patches of native vegetation which will improve habitat for the plants and animals as well as waterways and recreational spaces.
“We have developed a range of short term projects in conjunction with our various partners that will help us achieve these goals,” Mr Bland explained.
Living Links reaches from the Dandenong Ranges National Park near Belgrave to the urban areas of Dandenong and Casey and south west to Port Phillip Bay near Frankston.
Wade Bland and his team have spent a lot of the project’s first year creating a workable plan that local councils, state government, land and water authorities, community groups and residents can help put into action.
Like many environmental projects, Living Links will rely not only on councils and commercial organisations to help establish on-ground works, but will equally need the support of environmental and ‘friends-of’ groups and local residents.
“It’s already been a great year for us and while we are still to kick big goals, to have so many different councils (8 currently), groups and investors all reading from the same book is pretty exciting. Now, the on ground works can start and residents will start seeing some very real results,” Mr Bland explained.
Living Links is supporting eight short term projects run in conjunction with local councils in the area and supported by the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) or through Melbourne Water’s Corridors of Green program.
The funded projects include:
- Casey Valley Parklands City of Casey*
- Revegetation with indigenous species in a suburban nature reserve
- Belgrave Station to Birdsland Reserve Hike and Bike Trail Shire of Yarra Ranges^
-Weed control works followed by planting of indigenous species
- Belgrave Rail Trail Enhancement Shire of Yarra Ranges*
- Reduce weed infestation, revegetation and community education
- Heatherdale Reserve Open Space Enhancement City of Maroondah*^
- Improvement works including habitat protection, pedestrian links and aesthetic values of the reserve
- Mordialloc Creek Rehabilitation Project City of Kingston^
- Weed control works followed by revegetation with indigenous species
- Kingston Foreshore Rehabilitation Project City of Kingston*?
- Weed control, erosion control fencing, followed by large scale revegetation
- Shepherds Bush / Napier Park Habitat Restoration City of Monash/Parks Victoria*^
- Coordination of differing waterway, conservation and recreation management issues
- Dandenong Floodplains City of Greater Dandenong*
-Revegetation with indigenous species
*Funded by Natural Heritage Trust
^Funded by Melbourne Water Corridors of Green program
Sponsored by Mobile Muster
Preparation for some of the projects has already begun and it is envisaged that these initial projects will set Living Links up for the long term. The projects funded by NHT will be completed by June 30 this year with the effect of this work expected to continue well into the future. Those projects funded through Melbourne Water’s Corridors of Green program will be carried out over the next 18 months.
“It’s a pretty exciting time for Living Links because the initial projects are the first steps to improving the natural, social, cultural and recreational condition of the region. We already have a number of councils, government agencies and investors on board working toward shared goals and as Living Links gains momentum, interest in the project will continue to grow,” Mr Bland said.
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