Marrambidya Wetland project nearing completion

13 November 2015

For immediate release

Marrambidya Wetland project nearing completion

Wagga Wagga City Council is marking the next step in the Marrambidya Wetland development with bulky earthworks for the project almost complete.

The Marrambidya Wetland project is nearing completion, with bulky earthworks almost finished and planting under way.

Named after the Wiradjuri word for Murrumbidgee, the wetland is on track for its official opening next year and will be a valuable community resource for educational, environmental, cultural and passive recreational activities.

Wagga Wagga City Council’s Manager Environment & Recreation Services Mark Gardiner said it was exciting to see the wetland development take shape.

“The project will redevelop the redundant tertiary treatment ponds into a natural wetland area,” he said.

“The next phase is to complete our outdoor education area, install the bird hides and signs and of course the revegetation work that the Green Army are doing.”

The Marrambidya Wetland project is a joint initiative of Council and funding partners Riverina Local Land Services and the NSW Environmental Trust, with the Federal Government’s Green Army initiative also joining the project a few months ago to plant about 18,000 seedlings.

The wetland has links to the Wiradjuri Reserve, Wilks Park and the Riverside Precinct via the Wiradjuri Walking Track.

It features three pond areas and a deep water channel, which will allow aquatic animals refuge from warmer surface temperatures during the hot summer months.

The large red gum logs that existed on site have also been retained on site to help construct habitat for aquatic and terrestrial animals.

Media opportunity

What: Progress tour of the Marrambidya Wetland

When: Monday 16 November 11am

Who: Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Rod Kendall, Wagga Wagga City Council Director Environmental and Community Services Janice Summerhayes, Riverina Local Land Services General Manager Rob Kelly

Where: Narrung Street. Access to the site is approximately 30m past (west) of the Narrung St and Billagha St intersection

Benefits of Marrambidya Wetland development:

 Biodiversity enhancement of a wildlife habitat, focusing on providing habitat for birds, both local and migratory

 A link to the Indigenous heritage of the area

 A potential fish stocking and breeding resource for endangered species

 An educational resource, focusing on aquatic ecology

 An environmental management show piece and tourist attraction

 A beneficial reuse of the water reclaimed from the treatment processes

 A reduction in nutrient loads to the Murrumbidgee River. Although the effluent is currently of a high quality and meets all standards, the development of the wetland will provide additional polishing.

-Ends-

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Contact Josh Lang 6926 9190/0437 385 892 or media@wagga.nsw.gov.au or follow us on Twitter - @WaggaCouncil