Background

The City of Onkaparinga has announced a five-year, $5 million project to restore 5.3 kilometres of once-degraded waterways in Happy Valley, O’Halloran Hill, Reynella East, Old Reynella and Woodcroft.

Funded by the Australian Government, the Urban Creek Resilience and Recovery Project will combat the detrimental effects of urban development, including pollution, erosion, silt deposits and loss of native vegetation.

Technical professionals, Traditional Owners and community members will work together to restore Panalatinga Creek and associated tributaries, which serve as integral parts of the Field River catchment and an important habitat for several threatened species.

Federal Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth, has shown her support for the project and emphasised its roots in community involvement, getting hands on with students from Reynella East College.

Over the next five years, the project will encompass a range of activities, from weed removal and debris clean-up to infrastructure enhancements and native revegetation.

Improving the health and functionality of these watercourses promises a host of benefits, from providing better habitats for local flora and fauna to creating inviting spaces for community interaction with nature.

Key project objectives include:

• establishing and improving riparian and aquatic habitats to benefit native species, including threatened species
• improving water quality, hydrology or in-stream connectivity to benefit native and threatened aquatic species
• improving urban green space, providing community access to nature, and helping reduce heat-related impacts in urban areas caused by climate change

This initiative builds on the success of the City of Onkaparinga’s award-winning Urban Creek Recovery Project (2013–18), which improved the condition and connectivity of 62.5km of watercourse habitats. More details about that project, including the type of work involved and waterway locations, can be found in the Urban Creek Recovery Project map.