September 2024

Environmental officers from the City of Ballarat recently hosted a meeting of the Central West Biodiversity Network (CWBN) at site of the The Roads to showcase the recently completed Canadian Creek restoration works.

Meetings of the CWBN are held quarterly and are used for networking and information sharing. Visitors included sustainable policy and ESD officers from surrounding councils and other authorities including from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Parks Victoria and Central Highlands Water.

The Canadian Creek restoration works included extensive weed control (removal of Blackberry, Gorse, Hawthorn and Thistle) and earthworks providing long-term embankment stabilisation of the creek which meanders through the site of The Roads.

Existing indigenous planting along the waterway was retained and managed to encourage natural regeneration, including retention of all dead timber for habitat. Extensive further planting of indigenous species has begun (images below showing planting works).

At the CWBN meeting, City of Ballarat officers who worked with the project team for The Roads and consultant Thompson Hay Landscape Architect to approve the Creek works, highlighted the great environmental outcome for the creek on the site of The Roads as well as the improved connections for current and future Mt Clear residents and the local school.