Thursday, 30 May 2024

Koonung Creek Reserve

Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (17:54): (938) My adjournment tonight is to the Minister for Transport Infrastructure. An issue of significant concern in the Southern Metro Region is the permanent negative impact of the North East Link project on Koonung Creek Reserve. This is public land, an area of high biodiversity, and it is a green space which is deeply loved and frequently used by the local community. During the construction of the polluting North East Link approximately 60 per cent of the reserve will be occupied for the construction works. After the completion of the road widening the community is also devastated that there is going to be a permanent loss of 6.5 hectares, which is 25 per cent, of the reserve. The community has requested and Boroondara council has endorsed a design for the remaining 75 per cent of the public open space that will be returned to the community, and that design is laid out in the Koonung Creek Reserve master plan document.

The design shows the community’s aspirations for the reserve post North East Link and includes features like mode-separated walking and cycling paths, a second public toilet, a second playground at the western end of the reserve, the relocation of the existing BMX and mountain bike skills track, large areas of planting for biodiversity and the return of trees and vegetation matching the pre-1750 ecological vegetation class.

The community is asking that with the remediation the North East Link project commit to planting mature trees in 27- to 40-litre pots, but instead we are currently hearing that the plan is to plant tube stock plants only as a means of getting enough plants in the ground; however, there are concerns about these surviving to maturity and realising the vision. The community is also asking the North East Link project to publicly commit to planting mature trees in Boroondara and other municipalities impacted by the project and in accordance with their tree-related environmental performance requirements – EPR AR1.

As our population increases and densifies, our green spaces become ever more precious for our physical and mental health, for connecting with community and of course as the homes they offer to our local flora and fauna species. How we use those green spaces needs thoughtful reflection and community voices, which is how the Koonung Creek Reserve master plan was developed. The action I seek tonight is for the minister to direct the North East Link Program to deliver the community’s vision for the reinstatement of the Koonung Creek Reserve as captured in the Koonung Creek Reserve master plan.