Council will use Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design to improve water quality; remove weeds including large woody weeds; revegetate with local native species enhance wildlife habitat; improve public access and remove litter and debris. remove litter and debris.

Seven guiding principles:

1. respect First Nations connections
2. heal Country through natural restoration
3. support healthy biodiverse waterways
4. create renowned biodiversity hotspots
5. enhance community access and safety
6. coordinate management across catchment boundaries
7. plan with long‑term ecological thinking beyond project funding cycles

Twelve flagship fauna species have been selected to act as target species to improve biodiversity across the project area. They are a type of ambassador for conservation values and habitat needs in the local ecosystem. By improving habitat for them, we will also improve habitats for other, less obvious species. The flagship species for this project are:

• short‑beaked echidna
• white‑striped freetail‑bat
• black‑shouldered kite
• black‑chinned honeyeater
• sacred kingfisher
• Australian spotted crake
• eastern long‑necked turtle
• Bibron’s toadlet
• common galaxias
• chequered copper butterfly
• blue‑banded bees
• water penny beetles

We engaged with Kaurna Meyunna Traditional Owners in the early stages of planning the project and at various stages since then. Workshop participants contributed strongly to creating the vision for the project, which is outlined in the Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design (BSUD) framework. Matters emphasised through this process are the importance of healing Country, respecting cultural connections to freshwater, the value of traditional land management practices, ensuring culturally safe access, ongoing Kaurna leadership in caring for Country, and community education. These matters are visible in the project’s seven guiding principles.

Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design is a planning framework that incorporates ecological science into urban design. It requires documenting biodiversity values, identifying ecological objectives, and designing interventions that provide habitat, support species movement, reduce threats, facilitate natural processes and strengthen community connections with nature.

Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design delivers biodiversity gains, cooler microclimates, improved water quality, healthier vegetation, more resilient creek systems, safer wildlife movement pathways, climate adaptation benefits, improved recreation opportunities and increased community stewardship.

Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design (BSUD) strengthens council’s urban greening goals by transforming creek corridors into high‑value ecological assets, improving native vegetation structure, enhancing shade and cooling, expanding habitat networks and supporting species diversity across the broader Field River catchment.

• Serpentine Creek: from Serpentine Reserve (O’Halloran Hill) to Fountain Valley Reserve (Happy Valley).
• Panalatinga Creek: from Byards Road Wetlands (Reynella East) to Malbeck Park and onwards to Sir James Hardy Road and the Old Reynella shopping precinct.

Funding is provided through the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program, totalling $5 million. The grant supports the design, on‑ground works, ecological monitoring and community engagement initiatives.

The community can provide their feedback on the draft concept plan by attending one of the community sessions, completing the online survey, sending an email or letter and talking to someone in person.

Residents can take part in citizen science through 15 photo‑point monitoring stations along the creeks, join iNaturalist wildlife surveys, participate in planting days and contribute feedback.

Your feedback will be carefully reviewed and considered as part of the project detailed design process. Where appropriate or if it aligns with the project’s objectives, it will be incorporated into the project design.